Gender Equality and the Workplace: International Experts Gather in Rome to Discuss the Future of Work and Female Leadership

From October 1 to 2, 2026, Rome will host the International Expert Seminar “Gender Equality and the Workplace,” organized by the Institute for Higher Studies on Women of the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in collaboration with the International Network of Women Leaders. Participation in the Seminar is by invitation only.

How can we promote genuine equality between women and men in the working world? Which organizational, cultural, and social models can foster women’s full participation in decision-making processes and leadership? These are some of the central questions behind the meeting, which will bring together academics, institutional representatives, professionals, managers, and international experts.

The initiative forms part of Goal 5 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, dedicated to gender equality, and represents the first stage of an international journey that will continue in 2027 in Mexico City and in 2028 in Washington, D.C., with the aim of presenting the research and discussion results at a United Nations venue in 2030.

The Seminar will offer a space for interdisciplinary and intercultural dialogue on the themes of gender equality, work, and sustainable development. Seven thematic panels will address, among other topics, women’s access to the labor market, career opportunities, inclusive leadership, work-life balance, parenthood, digital transformation, and the new skills required by the working world.

Special attention will be dedicated to the need to move beyond polarized views on gender equality, promoting a reflection grounded in dialogue, rigorous data analysis, human dignity, and the value of relationships.

The meeting will feature speakers from international organizations, universities, research centers, institutions, and businesses, including representatives and experts from the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Labour Organization, the Inter-American Development Bank, Harvard Kennedy School, and Microsoft Italy.

“Gender Equality and the Workplace” aims to contribute to identifying best practices and concrete proposals for building more inclusive and sustainable work environments that value the contributions of both women and men toward development models that combine economic growth, social justice, and human dignity.

Media partner for the initiative: Donne Chiesa Mondo.