Rome, 6 March 2018
WIM – a journey with those who hold up half the sky, the project supported by FS Italiane in collaboration with the Bet She Can foundation, is set to introduce STEM subjects and technical professions to girls in elementary schools.
In fact, recently, the training courses alternating school and work have begun. The courses involve more than 150 girls (aged 8-9) from 12 primary schools, and about 300 girls (aged 17-19) from 10 Technical Institutes (ITI). The objective is the realization of 10 projects on rail transport (models of magnetically rising trains, redevelopment of a railway stop, etc.). The girls, protagonists of a journey through the regions of Italy, from Palermo to Bolzano, will participate in all phases of the project with the support of the students of the Institute, their teachers, the technical area staff of the FS Group, and the Bet She Can Foundation.
"Thanks to WIM – a journey with those who hold up half the sky, girls will have the chance to get to know the railway world and to approach technical subjects through the example of older students," said Mauro Ghilardi, Human Resources and Organization Director at FS Italiane. "We want to help promote cultural change and break down gender stereotypes from a primary school age because, as a large industrial group, we have our share of responsibility in providing girls with the tools to gain awareness of themselves and their potential, and grow free in their own choices".
WIM – a journey with those who hold up half the sky represents an important phase of Women in Motion, FS Italiane's diversity management campaign founded in collaboration with Valore D - an association of companies that supports diversity, talent and female leadership - for promoting the careers of women in technical areas of the FS Italiane Group.
In order to reduce the gender gap, FS Italiane has launched a series of Diversity & Inclusion initiatives to create better working conditions for all women of the Group, and to improve their trajectory at all levels of the organisation. For example, their policy requires all Group companies to have selection processes that provide for 50% women on the shortlist, according to a comply or explain principle. Furthermore, thanks to the WIM project, the candidacies of women with technical diplomas have increased by 50% in less than a year.