The ‘avvocata’ (female lawyer) case
A recent survey conducted by the Bruno Kessler Foundation once again confirms the prejudice behind women in the legal profession: women who call themselves ‘avvocata’ (female lawyer) rather than ‘avvocato’ (male lawyer) convey greater authority and confidence.
Giulietta Bergamaschi, Managing Partner of our Italian member firm Lexellent, tells Open about her experience and how, for some years now, she has decided to call herself “avvocata” (female lawyer in Italian) to be coherent with her commitment to equal opportunities in the professional world and her being (not acting as) a labour lawyer.
“I am convinced that naming professions, roles and functions in the feminine gender is a fundamental step towards cultural change in favour of equal opportunities, recognition of diversity, respect for gender differences, with the aim of increasing the share of female employment and contributing to the country’s economic growth.”
Unfortunately, the road to gender equality is still a long one, as shown by the data released by the World Economic forum’s Global Gender Gap Report published in July 2022, where Italy ranks 63rd in the world out of 146 countries in terms of gender equality; again according to the report, it will take 132 years to achieve parity globally. In Italy, women make up the majority of the population, but they work less than men: one woman in two does not work. The European average is almost 68%. Italian women also earn less than their male colleagues, for the same tasks and skills, although the gap has narrowed recently.
Read the full article here and contact Giulietta Bergamaschi, representative of our Italian member firm Lexellent, for more insights and questions.
