CSIL has successfully completed the process leading to Gender Equality Certification in accordance with the Italian standard UNI/PdR 125:2022.
The certification marks an important milestone in a journey that began with the adoption of CSIL’s Gender Equality Plan (GEP) in 2024, building on organisational values and practices that have long characterised the cooperative’s approach to work, governance and professional development.
As a research organisation working on economic development, innovation, industrial transformation and public policies, CSIL regularly analyses complex social and economic challenges. Gender equality is one of them. For this reason, the certification process was approached not simply as a compliance exercise, but as an opportunity to apply internally the same principles that underpin much of CSIL’s work: evidence, measurement and continuous improvement.
The Gender Equality Management System provides a structured framework covering governance, recruitment, professional development, work-life balance, communication, prevention of discrimination and harassment, and monitoring through dedicated indicators. The certification reflects a principle that guides much of CSIL’s research and evaluation work: meaningful change requires evidence, measurement and accountability.
The certification builds on key features of CSIL’s organisational culture, including collaborative governance, flexible working arrangements, attention to professional growth and a strong commitment to inclusiveness and equal opportunities. Today, women represent the majority of CSIL’s workforce and governance bodies. At the same time, CSIL views gender equality as ensuring that opportunities, responsibilities and organisational processes remain fair, transparent and accessible to all.
The certification therefore marks not the end of a process, but the beginning of a new phase of monitoring, learning and continuous improvement.