Since spring 2024, the Gender Equality Community of Practice has become a space for dialogue and exchange among public bodies, companies and Third Sector organisations. Organisations that differ in nature and field of activity, but share a common goal: making gender equality a concrete driver of social and economic change.

The pathway is guided by a shared conviction: equality is not a sector-specific issue, but a cross-cutting dimension of innovation, sustainability and the quality of impact.

From this comes a new challenge aimed at transforming the wealth of experience developed within the Community into a shared commitment across the entire ecosystem. This is the objective of the Torino Social Impact Gender Equality Pathway, a participatory process that, over the coming months, will lead to the co-creation of an Ethical Charter for Gender Equality.

The first meeting took place on Tuesday, October 13 at Cottino Social Impact Campus, where 18 Torino Social Impact partner organisations discussed the principles, values and concrete commitments to be placed at the foundation of the Charter.

As Monica Cerutti explained in her introduction, the Ethical Charter was created with the aim of promoting cultural and organisational change towards greater equity and plurality. Gender equality is recognised as a structural component of the quality of social impact and a determining factor in the sustainability of organisations and their ability to generate change.

More than a formal document, the Charter is intended to be a shared tool for guiding behaviours, decisions and practices, creating greater consistency between stated values and everyday actions. Its distinctive feature lies in its collective dimension: the aim is not only to promote change within individual organisations, but to build a shared commitment capable of involving the entire Torino Social Impact ecosystem.

During the afternoon session, the work was structured around three main themes, explored through group discussions in which reflections and experiences were shared to identify possible directions for the Charter.

The first theme focused on values, guiding principles and organisational culture. The central role of equity emerged clearly, from equal pay and access to career opportunities to representation in decision-making processes and the recognition of people’s value. Shared principles included trust among organisations, respect for diversity, people’s involvement and work-life balance, together with the promotion of organisational wellbeing and action against stereotypes and discrimination. The groups also identified possible cultural changes, such as greater transparency in decision-making processes, inclusive communication and the development of a collaborative culture based on the exchange of skills, including through intergenerational dialogue.

The second theme focused on activities, monitoring and measurement, highlighting the need to translate principles into concrete actions across different organisational processes. One group identified recruitment and training processes as priority areas, with particular attention to involving people at all levels of the organisation and addressing discrimination beyond the gender dimension. Interviews, questionnaires and regular monitoring sessions could help assess progress and identify critical issues, while ensuring transparency around results.

Finally, the third theme explored the value of a collaborative and multi-stakeholder ecosystem. The network was recognised as a strategic space for sharing good practices, tools and expertise, promoting joint initiatives and strengthening dialogue with institutions on gender equality.

The Gender Equality Pathway will continue on November 16 with a second meeting, offering an opportunity to build on the reflections that emerged and continue shaping a shared tool to promote a more equitable and plural organisational culture, while strengthening collaboration among organisations across the ecosystem.