18 September is the UN International Equal Pay Day. A day of awareness that matters since the gender pay gap is well alive. Undeniably in recent years, some timid changes have been recorded. Yet, as the discussion continues, the attention widens, and both companies and legislators try to intervene, we are far from reaching the target of equality. Earning the same salary if performing a similar activity, regardless of gender, is a right defined by laws and agreed values alike. It is one of the funding principles of the European Union (article 157 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU). In the US, it is protected by...

  Qualche tempo fa su queste pagine avevo gettato lo sguardo sulla situazione della diversity all’interno dell’industria dei videogiochi. Per avere un quadro più completo di cosa succede in Italia ho lasciato ascoltato la voce di tre developer. Le loro storie, riflessioni e idee rendono uno spaccato del settore che conferma certi limiti concreti. Ma che inizia anche – seppure lentamente – a mostrare qualche segnale di cambiamento. Maura Saccà Maura Saccà, programmatrice di 28 anni laureata in informatica a Catania e poi studentessa di videogame design alla Statale di Milano (PONG – Playlab fOr inNovation in...

    Scientific research needs time: the long time required to develop it and the time for public validation. A very long process from the conception of research to its publication in recognised scientific magazines implies a great range of possible missteps and setbacks, some related to the advancement of the research itself—others caused by forces that often have little to do with actual science. Not much can be done against the first of these 2 limits besides the preparation and study that are the obvious prerequisites. In contrast, the second one can be tackled from different angles and the beginning since it implies...

    Women-led SMEs are more reliable in repaying loans compared to those led by men. Businesses with higher female representation in leadership positions are considered to predict better long-term value creation. More diverse managerial teams generate better financial performances. Moreover, venture capitals that fund women's businesses are as likely as men-funded ones to succeed. Still, today women entrepreneurs face many more obstacles in expanding their companies than male ones. Additionally, men tend to invest in other men, in a spiral that makes the environment for female-led businesses even grimmer. No matter the...

    You may need to reconsider if you think solo travelling was a no-go after years of imposed social distancing and isolation. As the numbers show, you may be in the wrong. With fewer restrictions and more freedom to explore, the last months have seen a sharp increase of excited travellers who book, pack and leave for trips alone. The data collected by Booking.com confirm the trend. Pre-pandemic, only 14% of travellers were booking for one. By mid-2021, that number reached 23%. Meanwhile, the figures from Google trend show a massive increase of 761,15% (in the UK) of solo travellers. Moreover, companies that organize group...

    This season seems to bring lots of concerns. Crisis of all sorts makes the headlines almost everywhere. Still, these months can offer moments for pausing if, especially because the rhythms are other than usual. We can look at things differently and find some relief in ways and places we may not be used to consider as means to lift the spirit. The museum Voorlinden in Wassenaar, near The Hague (NL), maintains that "Art is the Antidote". A medicine for feelings of exhaustion and under-stimulation built after the lockdowns, recent debates and constant crisis. The museum - a piece of art in itself surrounded by a...

    Le donne che investono sono sempre di più. In Europa stanno gradualmente rivendicando una fetta sempre più grande del mercato della gestione patrimoniale. Secondo McKinsey possono puntare ad avvicinarsi alla parità già entro gli anni ‘30 di questo secolo. Anche se non sembrano ancora diventate un target per le società specializzate in prodotti e soluzioni specifiche per gli investimenti, la crescita nel 2021 è stata importante e la tendenza sembra al rialzo anche già nei primi mesi del 2022. Scalable Capital, piattaforma di investimento digitale fondata nel 2014 che opera in Germania, Austria, Regno Unito,...

    Despite more flexibility in working hours arrangements and the growing trend to consider quitting a position less of a taboo, burnout numbers are still on the rise. Women look, once again, more affected by it, especially if they are mothers as some suggest, still more due to school summer breaks. In April, Deloitte’s survey “Women @ Work 2022: A Global Outlook” noted that over half of the women interviewed said they were more stressed than the previous year. And almost 46% reported feeling burned out. Interestingly, many respondents confirmed they could not switch off from work, citing concerns about the impact that...

    The 2022 World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Report is out and Iceland is once again (for the 12th time to be precise) at the very top, and has closed more than 90% of its gender gap. All the Nordics score, again, well. Finland, Norway and Sweden follow close behind. And only four countries out of the 146 in the list, are outside Europe: New Zealand (4th), Rwanda (6th), Nicaragua (7th) and Namibia (8th). The top five are unchanged from last year, but Lithuania and Switzerland have dropped out of the top 10, with Nicaragua and Germany taking their places.   The Global Gender Gap Index measure the world’s...

      Summer may not be the season one would associate with time spent inside, especially probably not seated in a theatre enjoying a live performance. Moreover, plenty of great shows are set up in fantastic open locations: such as Taormina’s Teatro Greco, Vondelpark Open-Ait Theater in Amsterdam, and Regent’s Park Open-Air Theater in London. Still, after months of closures, and probably thanks to a different approach to free time, city theatres are well alive even during the warmest months of the year. And even if many artists and dance or stage companies are touring around – maybe right in one afore mentioned...