This morning, on International Women’s Day, a press conference titled ‘Donne, Sport e non solo’ (‘Women, sport and more’) was held in Milan, with those present discussing the topic of gender equality in the worlds of sport, institutions and work.

The event, which took place at the headquarters of the Lombardy Region and was organised by CONI (Italian National Olympic Committee), Confindustria (General Confederation of Italian Industry) and ANAOAI (National Association of Olympic Athletes and Italy’s Azzurri), was attended by the president of the Women’s Football Division, Ludovica Mantovani, who shared the stage with CONI’s deputy president, Silvia Salis, the president of Confindustria’s Sport and Major Events Technical Group, Lorraine Berton, and the president of ANAOAI, Novella Calligaris.

The conference focused on various aspects that characterise the social, cultural and economic issue of the 'gender gap'. Today’s event was opened by the president of the Lombardy Region, Attilio Fontana, according to whom gender equality is something that is being pursued with commitment, energy and the utmost determination by all institutions.

This was reiterated by the speakers involved, including Silvia Salis, who analysed the current situation at management level in the world of sport, and journalist and former swimming champion Novella Calligaris, who stressed the importance of school and family – environments where children and the youngest generations can truly learn that there’s no place for gender inequality.

Ludovica Mantovani’s speech was also very interesting. Noting the transformation of the Serie A Femminile into a professional league, she had the following to say with the development and evolution of the women’s game in mind: “Every girl must have the right to choose her own sport and pursue her passion, breaking down cultural barriers that should not exist in 2023. To understand the importance of football and sport in general as a tool for female empowerment, you only need to observe the joy in the faces of young girls when they play. Our female champions thus have great responsibility on their shoulders: they’ve become real role models who, by setting an example both on and off the pitch, need to inspire the youngest generations.”