Women in communication: interview with Christina Lundari of Verizon Media Italia
Coming of age is certainly an important milestone, both for a person and for a brand and, in this very particular case, for ours.
As the female turns 18, we have decided to start a Women Empowerment project that focuses on women who work in the field of communication.
Christina Lundari, General Manager for Verizon Media Italy, answered 5 significant questions for us, explaining how women in the workplace can bring real added value.
1. What is "being a woman" like in the world of work?
I believe we must make a distinction between the world of work of those who, like us, work in the digital communication and technology sector and the world of work of those outside this sphere. As far as our industry is concerned, I come to the paradox of saying that perhaps, today, being a woman can even represent a privilege, as a good awareness has already developed that a female talent can make a contribution of great value to one's work. And not only is there particular attention not to discriminate against women, but it is also ensured that they have a place around the decision-making tables. It is not uncommon to hear about pink quotas: even within my company, care is taken not to create gender discrimination and to ensure that there is a percentage of women even in top positions. team as heterogeneous as possible, because diversity brings value. If, on the other hand, we move away from our world, the situation is probably not as rosy, indeed Italy probably still has many steps forward to take, because managerial positions are still for mostly covered by men because, not having the right social and service support, women too often find themselves having to sacrifice their careers for the benefit of the family. And, unlike what happens in other geographies, in Italy the conviction that only the woman should take care of the house and the children is still undermined.
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2. What was "women empowerment" for you at 18?
For me, the priority has always been to quickly reach economic independence and start a career path before thinking about the family, so that if I had been lucky enough to create a family unit I could then re-enter the world of work more I am an ambitious person, who has always aimed to do things with great seriousness and in the best possible way, characteristics that have certainly facilitated my professional growth; moreover I have also had the good fortune to meet managers, men and women, in favor of assigning myself ever greater responsibilities. Doing a job that fascinated me was another important criterion of choice over the years: the world of communication has always been at the center of my interests, starting with my studies. goal of reaching top positions: yes, I wanted to affect the results, but personal fulfillment and economic independence are always been my main focus.
3. Three words you associate today with "women empowerment"
Human law, economic development and cultural growth. I believe that giving the right space to women is their right and, more generally, a right of the human being, because with the contribution of women it is certainly possible to aspire to an important cultural growth, and to have the world of women professionally active as well. benefit from the economic development of any nation. Today we are facing the fourth industrial revolution: the world of work will be transformed, new technologies such as 5G will enable new business models, creating a great development opportunity also for our nation, therefore I believe that having an active female population can lead Italy to an important growth even more quickly in economic terms.
4. What would you say to the 18-year-old yourself?
Surely I would give myself the chance to consider any course of study, without thinking that some subjects are solely the prerogative of the male gender; I would try to pursue my interests regardless of what society might expect from a "me woman". Technological and digital development represent a huge opportunity in the world of work, so choosing a course of study in this direction - the so-called STEM subjects - can certainly lead to career opportunities on the one hand and opportunities to impact our society on the one hand. other.
5. How much need is there to talk about women empowerment today and what should be done?
I believe there is an absolute need to talk about it again, again and again. Personally I am a little intolerant to extreme movements and shouted positions ("MeToo"), and even if I recognize that they are effective for a more rapid awareness of certain dynamics that must no longer perpetuate, I believe and hope that we can favor a change of stereotypes that today still see the disadvantaged woman in a much more gentle, moderate and calm way. I think that each of us, regardless of gender, has the opportunity and the duty to promote small, daily and continuous initiatives to promote the evolution of society towards a truly equal role between men and women. Each of us both in private and at work can leave concrete marks: in Anglo-Saxon societies, for example, any gender reference in the curriculum is removed to be sure of acquiring a talented person within the company, regardless of whether either a man or a woman; this is a very simple example that any company could adopt. Finally, much still needs to be done in terms of support for families, because without that it is very difficult for both a man and a woman to give the right space to their profession.
