Volvo, with the participation of Volvo Penta and Volvo Trucks, in collaboration with the association Rea – Reagire alla Violenza (“Reacting to Violence”), organized Mi-Oppongo, a workshop on the prevention of harassment, violence and discrimination in the workplace.
This event at the Volvo Studio in Milan aimed to address sensitive and highly topical issues related to gender inequality and harassment that, still today, too many women have to painfully face on too many occasions; often related to their daily lives, including the pay and hierarchical gaps that, still today, affect most Italian and global companies and workplaces.
A panel to shed the light on the work enviroment issues
Unfortunately, at the dawn of the new millennium, abuse of the weakest is a widely reported current issue. In the conference moderated by journalist Nathania Zevi, illustrating the different keys to interpretation and the issues to be dealt with was a panel full of professionalism, expertise and depth.
A qualified group of speakers who are active in various capacities in this field and who
illustrated the actions to be taken, the behavior to be adopted and the goal to be achieved.
The goal of the day and the commitment of the Swedish multinational is stated in Zevi’s
introductory words:
Pina Picierno, Vice-President of the European Parliament and co-founder of Rea, Giovanni Dattoli, Managing Director Volvo Trucks Italia, Silvia Belloni, lawyer, president and co-founder of Rea, Paola Cerullo, Lawyer, Lucilla Bottecchia, Psychologist and partner of Wise Growth, Giovanna Badalassi, Economist, Maria Silvia Sacchi, Journalist, Family Business Forum and co-founder of Rea, Domenico Pietropaolo, Local Manager of Volvo Penta Italy talk about a reality in which there is a daily attempt to respond to the violence suffered by many women, with concrete and increasingly shared activities, even in the corporate world.
Prevention of violence against women
Of great interest was the analysis of European policies for the prevention of violence against women with definitions of harassment and violence, crimes and behaviors to be sanctioned, but also a look at the gender economy and new ways of working.
Culture and education, as emphasized by the two managers from Volvo Trucks and Volvo Penta, are the key starting point for gender respect in the workplace.
Volvo equality standards
Volvo Trucks concretely applies these equality standards starting with its recruiting policies.
Not surprisingly, Volvo already in 2019 ranked fourth in the “Great Place to Work” for women.
Domenico Pietropaolo, Local Manager of Volvo Penta Italy also confirms:
“Proudly we are part of a company that on a daily basis shows great sensitivity to certain issues without, however, emphasizing any kind of gender-related issue, speaking specifically about Volvo Penta, the great results of the last few years prove it, and we are talking about a company where the president is Hellen Mellquist, and numerous apex positions are manned by female colleagues with extraordinary track records and results.”
Volvo’s code of ethics
Volvo Trucks and Volvo Penta with different projects but a common DNA are united in the fight against violence and gender discrimination, so the collaboration with Rea-reacting to violence in this event is just a confirmation of how much commitment and dedication the Swedish company devotes to equal opportunities. Violence against women is a phenomenon that is difficult to measure because it is largely undeclared.
Volvo is a company accustomed to having equality as a value and with a strict code of ethics; both Volvo managers stress the importance of investing in projects also dedicated to training young people.
REA-reacting to violence is a third sector association (www.reagireallaviolenza.org) that
promotes information and awareness-raising activities to prevent violence against women and minors.
