A project that is born and one that is realized: Monday 7 March at Palazzo Madama la Minister of Equal Opportunities Elena Bonettiwith the President of the EU Policies Commission Dario Stefànoheld the first course of «prevention of sexism» for the workplace and for women Days of the Women of Wineon the occasion of March 8, this year dedicated to the Future and Peace.
Donne del Vino, leader of change: the wine sector is the closest to breaking through the crystal ceiling of the “gender gap”. Women are a minority, in numbers and roles, in the vineyard and in the cellar, but they dominate the new sectors of wine companies: commercial, marketing, communication and tourism. An advance that relies on greater schooling and the attitude to relationships typical of the female gender. From this the Donne del Vino drew inspiration to make known in Italy the first course for the “prevention of sexism”, that is of those words, gestures and images that create a working environment that is not very free and professional. A course that the journalist and expert Laura Donadoni is processing starting from «Sexual Harassment Prevention Training» mandatory in California, which has made it possible to reduce sexual harassment and misconduct. The course, which can be followed online, consists of 12 mini lessons of 3 minutes each with a final quiz, for a total of one hour. It will serve to be aware of what behaviors create a sexualized work environment.
Supportive work environments
“By making these courses known, the Women of Wine hope that their usefulness will be recognized and that they will be made mandatory – explains the president of the Association Donatella Cinelli Colombini – Anyone who thinks that violence against women belongs to the past is deluding themselves. In the study conducted in 2021 for the Women of Wine fromUniversity of Siena by professor Lorenzo Zanni and the researcher Elena Casprini, it emerged that in 6.9 of the companies interviewed there had been cases of violence, in the previous 3 years. But this is only the tip of the iceberg, because the vast majority of abuses remain submerged ».
The days
The Women of Wine Days (March 1-14) were also presented in Rome, organized on the occasion of March 8. The women will be united by a message and the hashtag #coltiviamoilfuturo: «The Women of Wine cultivate the future and peace, the bottle as a symbol and container of messages directed to the new generations: “Without peace there is no future”».
The women of wine
It is the largest women’s winemaking association in the world. Founded in 1988, it has almost 950 associates including producers, restaurateurs, winemakers, sommeliers and journalists. The Women of Wine are coordinated in delegations in all Italian regions. The association is non-profit and promotes the culture of wine and the role of women in the wine production chain. Two years ago they formed an international network with 10 similar associations in other parts of the world. They increased the didactic activity of the members in the marketing and communication sectors. From this school year they have been taking care of the experimentation of wine teaching in tourist and hotel institutes. The members are creating the first Italian cookbook that starts with wine or native vines to describe the dishes of the local tradition. Actions in favor of safeguarding the local identity and historical heritage of the Italian vineyard also include wine tastings from “relic vines” and “ancient vineyards”. They counteract violence against women with fundraisers, conferences and awareness-raising actions such as #tunonseisola. Info: www.ledonnedelvino.com.