bilancio di genere_2020_v6_ENG_web

2020
GENDER
BUDGET

2020 GENDER BUDGET
FOREWORD
2
INTRODUCTION
4
ANALYSIS
• STUDENTS
FOCUS ON: INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
FOCUS ON: ACCESS TO THE JOB MARKET
• PROFESSORS
FOCUS ON: EARLY STAGES OF THE ACADEMIC CAREER
• TECHNICAL-ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
5
7
10
14
17
20
23
ACTIONS
• ACTIONS SUPPORTING EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
FOCUS ON: THE POLITECNICO AND THE COMPANIES
27
29
31
ECONOMIC RESOURCES
32

FOREWORD
This second edition of the Politecnico di Milano Gender Budget is published at a particular time
in the life of our University and our community.
The health emergency has forced students into months of distance learning, a heavy limit to their
growth, a rein on their education not only academically but also as individuals. The emergency
has asked our professors to implement new teaching methods, to give lessons in the echo of
empty classrooms, to graduate students in their living rooms. The emergency required our staff
to find effective solutions in a short time, to equip spaces and services quickly and safely.
Faced with all this, our University reacted with great cohesion and showed a unity that goes
beyond any differences. However, it would be ungrateful not to recognize the role of women:
mothers, workers and often acting as teachers during the lockdown; they never stopped serving
the University. Special thanks go to them.
It would also be unfair not to mention how women and the most vulnerable groups are enduring
the most of this crisis - the worst since the Second World War - both inside and outside the
university. Whether it is the elderly, who are at great risk because of their age; the most in need,
who have no access to medical care or education; or women, who work in large numbers in the
most affected sectors (care, medical and nursing, childcare, commerce, tourism).
This is why we are faced with a historic opportunity that we cannot waste: that of turning
Covid-19 into an opportunity to plan a recovery based on inclusion and a fairer approach to
social issues. Therefore, social protection and income support measures are welcome, but it
would be better to focus on long-term changes. There is only one lever to do this and that is
education and competence. This is where the real turning point begins.
We must therefore strive to extend the right to study to women, to those who are capable
and even more so to those who are capable and have no means; to support them in entering
technological careers with equal opportunities for development; to achieve fair economic and
career treatment in both the public and private sectors, where double standards still exist today.
We have no doubt that this is the direction to take. This is confirmed by the data collected in this
Gender Budget, which we invite you to read carefully.
Ferruccio Resta
Rector
Donatella Sciuto
Vice Rector
2

INTRODUCTION
A matter of method
The second edition of the Politecnico di Milano Gender
Budget, just like the previous one, takes an overall picture
of our University. It shows an up-to-date analysis of the
main data on the student population, the faculty and the
technical- administrative staff. The picture that emerges is
substantially stable and in line with what is happening at
Italian and European level.
For this reason, we decided to introduce some insights,
thematic focuses dedicated to aspects of interest in the
definition of further gender mainstreaming policies. In
relation to female students, we have looked into the
issues of internationalisation and integration into the job
market. As for the faculty, we wanted to listen to the needs
and requirements of those who are taking their first steps
towards an academic career: young female researchers.
The choice of these areas was made with the aim of
outlining targeted actions aimed at improving, among
other things, the methods of recruiting and mentoring of
professors, the incentives to support parenthood, measures
in favour of male and female students coming from abroad
and relations with companies and the professional world.
The 2020 Budget was prepared taking into account the
Guidelines for Gender Budget in Italian Universities, drawn
up by the CRUI (Conference of Italian University Rectors)
Group.
The full version can be downloaded from the University
website:
https://www.polimi.it/en/the-politecnico/about-polimi/
gender-budget/
AN OVERVIEW
OF THE FEMALE
POPULATION
STUDENTS
15,540 WOMEN - 33.4%
OUT OF A TOTAL OF 46,544
PROFESSORS
420 WOMEN - 29.4%
OUT OF A TOTAL OF 1,430
TECHNICAL-
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
ANALYSIS
744 WOMEN - 59.8%
OUT OF A TOTAL OF 1,243
4

STUDENTS
Ensuring the same conditions to reduce distances.
Enabling more girls to access STEM subjects.
This is where our journey begins.
33.4%
The female presence among the student population of the Politecnico di Milano
remains stable as in the last ten years: girls represent about one third of our
students (33% in 2019).
The image of a university that has embarked on a two-speed approach towards
gender equality is strengthened. On the one hand, we have Architecture and Design,
where women represent the majority; on the other, Engineering, where there is still
much work to be done. A picture that reflects the national average and the typical
trends of slow generational processes, the expression of an awareness towards
STEM studies that girls have yet to fully develop.
If we take a closer look, we note that the situation is different even within the
bachelor’s degrees in Engineering themselves. In Biomedical Engineering, women
outnumber men, accounting for 56% of those enrolled. On the other hand, in
Mechanical, Electronic, Computer and Aerospace Engineering, men exceed 80%. A
course we have to reverse.
Yet, even where girls are outnumbered, they do not lose confidence and prove to be
more tenacious and persevering. This is confirmed by withdrawal rates, which are
lower than those of their peers, and graduation marks, which have clearly improved
over time.
The final step in the educational programme is the PhD. The Politecnico di Milano
currently offers 19 PhD programmes: 14 in Engineering, 4 in Architecture and 1
in Design. Again, nothing different from what has already been said except that
in Engineering the percentage of women is below the national average (28%
compared to 34% in Engineering and Technology as stated in the document
prepared by the The Ministry of Education MIUR “Le carriere femminili in ambito
accademico” (Women’s academic careers), March 2020).
7

Women
HISTORICAL SERIES OF ENROLMENTS BY GENDER AND ACADEMIC YEAR
Men
DISTRIBUTION OF GRADUATES BY GRADUATION MARK, STUDY AREA AND GENDER
QUALIFICATION ATTAINED IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2017-2018 - BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
66.8% 65.5% 65.1% 65.8% 66.3% 66.8% 67.3% 67.2% 67.0% 67.0% 66.6%
from 66 to 90 from 91 to 100 from 101 to 105 from 106 to 110
100 e lode
Women
Men
Women
Men
Architecture
3.6%
28.8%
25.7%
32.2%
9.7%
8.3%
32.0%
27.8%
26.0%
5.9%
0.6%
8.3%
14.3%
49.3%
27.9%
1.6%
11.1%
20.5%
42.8%
24.0%
33.2% 34.5% 34.9% 34.2% 33.7% 33.2% 32.7% 32.8% 33.0% 33.0% 33.4%
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
FIRST-YEAR WITHDRAWALS BY TYPE OF STUDY PROGRAMME AND BY GENDER
ENROLLED IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2017-2018
Design
1.6%
23.6%
25.1%
39.4%
10.3%
8.7%
33.7%
25,0%
27,0%
5,6%
0.1%
12.2%
19.5%
47.0%
21.2%
0.1%
14.3%
21.4%
44.0%
20.2%
Women
Men
57.1% 62.5%
59.0%
64.8%
42.9%
37.5% 41.0% 35.2%
24.1%
75.9%
27.5%
72.5%
Engineering
29,9%
46,3%
11,8%
8,6%
3,4%
8.2%
10.4%
37,7%
38,9%
4.7%
8.5%
20.6%
22.2%
35.7%
13.0%
11.1%
26.8%
21.2%
26.3%
14.7%
Bachelor
Master Bachelor
Master Bachelor
Master
Bachelor
Master
Architecture
Design
Engineering
Women
FIRST-YEAR WITHDRAWALS BY TYPE OF STUDY PROGRAMME AND BY GENDER
ENROLLED IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2017-2018
Men
12.9%
MEAN GRADUATION MARK BY TYPE OF BACHELOR’S/MASTER’S DEGREE AND STUDY AREA
YEAR OF GRADUATION AND GENDER 2012-2017
ARCHITECTURE DESIGN ENGINEERING
Women Men Women Men Women Men
10.9%
8.8%
9.8%
10.9%
2012 2017 2012 2017 2012 2017 2012 2017 2012 2017 2012 2017
Bachelor 102 102.8 100.5 105.5 100.5 106.9 98.7 105.6 95.7 103.9 95,6 102.5
Master 106.7 107.3 101.3 106.3 104.1 106.6 101.1 106.1 94.9 103.2 94 101.6
7.2%
PERCENTAGE OF PHD STUDENTS BY GENDER IN THE THREE AREAS AND UNIVERSITY TOTAL
Women
Men
2.5%
1.9%
3.0%
2.6%
2.2%
57.9%
42.1%
60.0%
40.0%
28.1%
71.9%
1.2%
Bachelor Master Bachelor Master Bachelor
Master
Architecture
Design
Engineering
Architecture Design Engineering
8 9

DISTRIBUTION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS BY STUDY AREA - ACADEMIC YEAR 2015-2019
FOCUS ON:
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Engineering
55.7%
Design
Architcture
58.1% 57.4% 58.1%
54.0%
International students enrolled in Master of Science courses
are now a key population of the Politecnico community. In
the academic year 2019-2020, we counted almost two
thousand new students from abroad (1,936 to be exact), just
over a quarter of the total. Most of them come from Asia,
non- EU European countries and South America.
More than half of the students who choose Politecnico
di Milano from abroad attend the Engineering study
programmes, where a strong gender disparity still persists.
In fact, although the overall female ratio* has risen to 43%
for female international students (compared to 36% for
Italian students), they outnumber their male peers only in
the areas of Architecture and Design.
For international students, women also graduate at a higher
rate than their male peers, who tend to withdraw from
university more frequently and perform less well on average
than Italian students. This situation reflects problems of
social integration as well as adjustment to a university
system different from that of the country of origin. This tells
us that girls show greater flexibility and better adaptability.
Interestingly, international female graduates, regardless of
their country of origin, tend to perform better. It is only in
Engineering that the trend is reversed and it is men who
have a higher percentage of graduates on time and with
good marks, especially those coming from Pakistan, Iran,
India and China.
DISTRIBUTION OF ENROLLED
STUDENTS AND DETAILS
OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL
AREAS OF ORIGIN
OF INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS
ACADEMIC YEAR 2019-2020
ITALIANS - 73.5%
FOREIGNERS - 26.5%
ASIA - 61.2%
NON-EU EUROPE - 12.4%
SOUTH AMERICA - 8.3%
EUROPEAN UNION - 7.2%
AFRICA - 6.6%
NORTH AMERICA - 4%
14.9%
29.4%
2015
CHANGES IN ENROLMENTS BY GENDER
COMPARISON BETWEEN ITALIAN AND INTERNATIONAL ENROLMENTS - ACADEMIC YEAR 2015-2019
CHANGES IN THE FEMALE RATIO OF ENROLLED FEMALE STUDENTS BY STUDY AREA
COMPARISON BETWEEN ITALIAN AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - ACADEMIC YEAR 2015-2019
Engineering - Italian
224.6%
182.9%
150.6%
141.4%
Men - Italian
30.4% 30.9% 27.1%
2016
Women - Italian
65% 63.5% 64.2% 64.3% 66.4%
35% 36.5% 35.8% 35.7% 33.6%
11.4% 11.7% 14.8%
Engineering - Foreigner Design - Italiani Design - Foreigner Architecture - Italian Architecture - Foreigner
269.2%
170.3%
164.9%
138.4%
2017
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
247.5%
160.9%
152.3%
139.3%
Men - Foreigner
2018
209.4%
188.5%
181.5%
146.5%
Women - Foreigner
57% 57.7% 56.7% 57.1%
43% 42.3% 43.3% 42.9%
13.4%
32.6%
2019
53.7%
46.3%
209,5%
184.2%
168.2%
131.5%
*The female ratio indicates, as a percentage,
the number of women for every hundred men.
36.8%
33.8%
2015
38.4%
39.0% 38.8%
38.2%
34.6% 34.4%
2016
2017
2018
42.6%
36.0%
2019
10 11

DISTRIBUTION BY GENDER AND STUDY AREA OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - ACADEMIC YEAR 2019-2020
Women
Men
64.8%
35.2%
67.7%
32.3%
29.9%
70.1%
Architecture Design Engineering
CAREER STATUS OF STUDENTS BY GENDER AND YEAR OF ENROLMENT
COMPARISON BETWEEN ITALIAN AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - JUNE 2020
Student
Withdrawn
Graduated
Italian Women Italian Men Foreign Women Foreign Men
100%
1.6% 1.4% 3.4% 6.4%
1.8% 2.8% 5.0% 10.3% 2.3% 3.8% 3.8% 11.8%
3.0% 6.2% 8.3% 17.8%
3.7% 2.9% 1.9%
2.0%
90%
5.2% 4.2% 3.5%
3.0% 10.1% 8.8% 7.0%
5.5%
16.2%
14.8%
13.4%
80%
9.9%
70%
60%
94.7% 95.7% 94.7% 91.6%
93.1% 92.9% 91.5% 86.7% 87.5% 87.4% 89.2% 82.7%
80.8% 78.9% 78.3% 72.3%
2013 2014 2015 2016 2013 2014 2015 2016 2013 2014 2015 2016 2013 2014 2015 2016
FINAL GRADUATION MARK BY GENDER: COMPARING ITALIAN AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
2013-2016 ADMISSION YEARS
Men - Italian
Women - Italian
Men - Foreigner
Women - Foreigner
105
106.1
103.5
106.3
103.9
106.5 106.8
104.0
104.8
100
100.7
100.8
100.9
101.7
95
97.2
96.1
95.7
96.7
2013
2014 2015 2016
12

EMPLOYMENT DATA OF 2017 ITALIAN BACHELOR’S DEGREE GRADUATES ONE YEAR AFTER GRADUATION
FOCUS ON:
ACCESS TO THE
JOB MARKET
The real question is what happens once you get your degree, when the doors to the job
market open? What happens is that the situation becomes more complicated and in some
ways is reversed.
According to the employment data collected in 2019 by the Career Service in relation to the
Bachelor of Science programmes, we observe that, while in Engineering the employment
rate is very high and identical by gender (95%), in Design and Architecture we are witnessing
a real male move up. This trend remains stable even when we analyse the type of contract
and salary.
If, on the other hand, we consider the Master of Science programmes, the employment rate in
Engineering and Architecture is essentially identical for each gender, while in Design there
is a prevalence of women. This is a good sign, except from the fact that this realignment is
not matched by equal treatment in terms of job stability and salary.
In fact, if we count the number of permanent contracts, the gender difference is evident,
with 12% more men employed in Architecture, 25% more in Design-related jobs - two areas
where women dominate among students - and 7% more in Engineering. The gender pay gap,
a true equity index, is particularly high for Architecture and Design graduates (around 15%),
slightly less so for Engineering graduates (10%).
The PhD does not reverse this trend. In terms of both permanent contracts and net
monthly earnings, women are at a disadvantage compared to their male colleagues, both in
Architecture and Engineering.
However, the data from Politecnico di Milano is in line with the European average, confirming
that female graduates are less well received in the job market, even though they have the
same qualifications, skills and knowledge as their male colleagues.
BACHELOR’S DEGREE GRADUATES
ARCHITECTURE DESIGN ENGINEERING
Women Men Women Men Women Men
Employment rate 79% 86% 80% 82% 95% 95%
Permanent contracts 24% 31% 19% 25% 53% 52%
Average net salary € 1,011 € 1,361 € 1,107 € 1,274 € 1,536 € 1,534
EMPLOYMENT DATA OF 2017 ITALIAN MASTER’S DEGREE GRADUATES ONE YEAR AFTER GRADUATION
MASTER’S DEGREE GRADUATES
ARCHITECTURE DESIGN ENGINEERING
Women Men Women Men Women Men
Employment rate 86% 86% 93% 88% 97% 97%
Permanent contracts 22% 34% 32% 57% 52% 59%
Average net salary € 1,116 € 1,323 € 1,303 € 1,522 € 1,539 € 1,710
EMPLOYMENT DATA OF PHD HOLDERS 1-2 YEARS AFTER GRADUATION (2017 AND 2018 PHDS)
PhD
ARCHITECTURE DESIGN* ENGINEERING
Women Men Women Men Women Men
Employment rate 97% 96% - - 97% 96%
Permanent contracts 80% 100% - - 91% 93%
Average net salary € 1,592 1,946 € - - € 2,018 € 2,177
*Design data is not shown due to the low number of observations.
14 15

PROFESSORS
Debunking the cliché.
Achieving one’s goals with intelligence and determination.
Not a path full of obstacles but an award.
29.4%
In line with their students, female researchers and professors represent one third of
the professors within the University (29% of the total, one point more than in 2018).
Just like their male colleagues, female researchers have an average age between
35 and 44 years, rising to over 54 years for full professors. An image that reflects
the slow generational change to which the country is tied to. A further element is
to be added: the so called leaky pipeline, which means that the bottleneck gets
tighter as women approach senior positions. They account for just over one third of
researchers, but only one fifth of full professors.
A gender gap that can also be measured through the Glass Ceiling Index, an
indicator that relates the percentage of women within an organisation to the
percentage of women in the highest career role. The further the index is from 1,
the more pronounced the phenomenon is. The University’s Glass Ceiling Index is
1.26. This is a positive figure when compared with the aggregate figure for the rest
of Italian universities (1.60 in 2018) and with the latest European survey (1.68 in
EU28 in 2016).
With regard to scientific productivity, a significant yardstick is represented by
European funds, where women seem more reluctant to put themselves forward.
The number of proposals submitted by women in relation to the total number of
potential applicants is 23% compared to 32% for male colleagues. Although it is
fair to say that the most affected areas are the more technical ones, where men
represent a significantly wider community.
Last but not least: governance. Women are still under-represented in leading roles
within the University. Politecnico has a male Rector and a female Executive Vice
Rector. However, apart from Milan, in the other five campuses (Como, Cremona,
Mantua, Lecco and Piacenza) count four male Vice Rectors and only one female
Vice Rector, in Lecco. Eleven of the twelve Department Heads are men, with the
exception of the Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering.
The Academic Senate consists of 23 members: twenty men and three women.
17

RTDA
DISTRIBUTION BY GENDER AND POSITION OF THE POLITECNICO DI MILANO PROFESSORS -
DATA AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2019
RTDB University Researchers Associate Professors Full Professors
Women
AVERAGE AGE OF PROFESSORS BY GENDER AND POSITION - YEAR 2019
Men
56.5
55.9
Women
Men
Total
51.3
49.9
50.0
49.1
11.4%
9.8%
10.7%
45.7%
22.4%
43.9%
10.6%
7.4%
7.5%
30.6%
8.7%
8.1%
10.6%
44.4%
28.2%
36.3
36.0
39.7
38.5
RTDA RTDB Female University
Researchers
Female Associate
Professors
Female Full
Professors
UNIVERSITY AND ACADEMIC CAREER GAP AT THE POLITECNICO DI MILANO - YEAR 2019
Women
Men
UNIVERSITY GLASS CEILING INDEX (GCI) - YEARS 2016-2019
61.3%
64.7%
70.4%
69.8%
76.7%
GCI
1.40
1.40
38.7%
35.3%
29.6% 30.2%
23.3%
2016
2017
1.28
2018
1.26
2019
RTDA RTDB Female University
Researchers
Female Associate
Professors
Female Full
Professors
PROJECTS FUNDED ON H2020 PROJECT PROPOSALS, ANALYSIS BY GENDER - YEAR 2018
Women
Men
DISTRIBUTION BY ROLE OF THE FEMALE PROFESSORS OF THE POLITECNICO DI MILANO: YEARS 2016-2019
Researchers Associate Professors Full Professors
RTDA
RTDB University Researchers Associate Professors Full Professors
38.7%
35.0%
31.4%
30.8%
28.8%
35.6%
33.1%
29.7%
27.8%
34.6%
33.0%
33.0%
29.5%
35.3%
30.2%
29.6%
22.4%
23.3%
20.0% 20.3%
2016
2017
2018
2019
40.0% 23.7% 10.3% 16.8% 9.1%
16.8%
18
19

CHANGES IN THE PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN BY ROLE AT POLITECNICO DI MILANO - YEARS 2016-2019
FOCUS ON:
EARLY STAGES OF THE
ACADEMIC CAREER
The first steps in a university career are those of Research Fellow and Researcher. The
latter position is represented by two acronyms: RtdA [untenured researcher with fixed term
contract], indicating a junior position, and RtdB [untenured researcher with permanent
contract], of a senior nature, representing the first step towards promotion to Associate
Professor.
Fortunately, over the last three years, the number of women who have decided to pursue an
academic career has steadily increased at the Politecnico di Milano, in line with the national
average. The first key moment for all of them is the transition from post-doc research fellow
to RtdA. This phase is not without a substantial gender imbalance in favour of the male
population, which can be found in seven out of twelve Politecnico departments.
However, the real turning point is access to the RtdB position, which marks the first significant
step on a stable career path. In general, the data is reassuring. It shows not very different
percentages between women and men and aligned progression times. The only drawback
is that women get tenure later, probably due to a greater difficulty in reconciling work and
personal life, at a stage when they typically start their own families.
It is important to note that the criteria for access to permanent positions are not favourable
to women. Generally, this translates into three elements: the number of publications in
international journals; the ability to attract funding through competitive tenders; and
international mobility. Several studies show that it is much more difficult for women to rival
on these performance measures.
Female academics publish less than their male colleagues because they devote more time
to positions traditionally considered for women, such as tutoring, teaching, committee
participation and other administrative activities. Practical aspects that take time away from
scientific research and publications and are not considered among the indicators useful for
career progression.
In addition, women tend to be less ambitious and risk averse when it comes to applying for
funding from private and public institutions. Similarly, on the one hand, they tend to reduce
international mobility in order not to evade care obligations and, on the other, in order not
to upset the typical balance of dual-career couples within which men’s careers are generally
favoured.
This picture shows how, in spite of positive and hopeful signs, women still do not fully
succeed in gaining equal access to academic careers, and how, in order for this to happen,
it is necessary to implement support tools and measures in non-work contexts that end up
limiting their real possibility of personal fulfilment.
Post-doctorate research grants
39.8%
RTDB
Non post-doctorate research grants RTDA
37.1%
31.0%
30.8%
50%
2016
43%
Dabc
40.8%
37.2% 38.1%
36.0%
35.6% 33.0%
34.6%
27.8%
2017
PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN AMONG YOUNG ACADEMICS BY DEPARTMENT - YEAR 2019
RTDA RECRUITS BY GENDER - YEARS 2016-2019 RTDB RECRUITS BY GENDER - YEARS 2016-2019
Women
15%
Daer
37.1%
62.9%
Men
60%
Dastu
72.3%
27.7%
55%
Dcmc
58.1%
31.5%
26%
Deib
68.5%
41.9%
20%
Deng
51.4%
41.9%
Women
33.5%
66.5%
2018
NUMBER OF MONTHS AS RTDA BEFORE CAREER PROGRESSION - YEARS 2018-2019
68%
Design
AVERAGE AGE OF NEW RECRUITS BY POSITION AND GENDER - YEAR 2019
47.0%
41.2%
38.7%
35.3%
2016 2017 2018 2019
2016 2017 2018 2019
15%
Dfis
Men
Women
52%
Dica
58%
Dig
26%
Dmat
2019
29%
Dmec
63.6% 88.9% 66.0% 65.4%
36.4% 11.1% 34.0% 34.6%
Men
Average number of months as RTDA 36.8 38.8
Ruolo Women Men
Non post-doctorate research grants 29 28.3
Post-doctorate research grants 33.8 34.7
RTDA 35.5 34.1
RTDB 39.8 38.4
20 21

TECHNICAL-ADMINISTRATIVE
STAFF
Reversing the pyramid. Increasing the number of women leading
the public administration. Providing the tools so that they
do not have to sacrify their loved ones for their careers.
59.8%
Women are the majority in the offices (around 60%), unlike the university’s student
population and professors. A positive aspect that, however, does not mean fairness.
Although there are more women, they remain one step behind in the career path
and, as the contractual category progresses, the female population decreases.
It shrinks so much that there is a real gap in the EP category (corresponding to
executive in the private sector) and in management positions, 80% of which are
men. This percentage is not exactly in line with the national average, where twice
as many women are in the highest positions (40%).
If, in terms of age, the difference between the two genders is minimal (around 48
years old), the percentage of women taking leave is much higher. There is only
one explanation for this aspect: women’s work requirements are still strongly
determined by an increased family burden.
This is further confirmed by Teleworking: more women than men take the
opportunity to work from home. The case of smart working is different since it is
linked to work by objectives and shows a more balanced percentage that is closer
to the gender composition of the University.
23

Women
CAREER GAP BY GENDER OF THE TECHNICAL-ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF (PTA)
Men
OF THE POLITECNICO DI MILANO BY CATEGORY - YEAR 2019
Women
AVERAGE NUMBER OF HOURS OF LEAVE PER CAPITA BY TYPE OF LEAVE - YEAR 2019
Men
622
80,0%
67,9%
65,4%
57,6%
61,6%
32,1%
34,6%
42,4%
38,4%
253.4
214.2
290.3
20,0%
Category B
Category C
Category D
Category EP
Managers
129.5
63.8
31.2
23.5
NUMBERS BY GENDER OF THE TECHNICAL-ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF (PTA)
OF THE POLITECNICO DI MILANO BY CATEGORY
Parental
leave
Law 104/92
Art. 33
Leave for family
reasons
Study
Leave
Managers
Category EP Category D Category C Category B
Women
Men
0.3%
5.9%
38.5%
50.5%
4.9%
39.4%
41.8%
13.9%
1.6%
3.4%
Women
Men
ACTIVE PTA TELEWORKERS - YEAR 2019
88.6%
11.4%
LEAVES: PERCENTAGE OF TECHNICAL-ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF (PTA) MEMBERS WHO TOOK
LEAVES OUT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PTA STAFF, BROKEN DOWN BY TYPE OF LEAVE - YEAR 2019
Women
Men
73.3%
43.7%
TECHNICAL-ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF (PTA) PARTICIPATING IN TESTING SMART WORKING - YEAR 2019
Women
Men
11.7%
5.0%
8.9%
7.0%
1.1%
1.0%
63.9%
36.1%
Parental
leave
Law 104/92
Art. 33
Leave for family
reasons
Study
Leave
24
25

ACTIONS

ACTIONS SUPPORTING
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
From word to targeted action.
Collaborating outside and inside the university.
From intentions to actions. Many initiatives have been taken in support of gender
equality and anti-discrimination.
STRATEGIC PROGRAMMES AND COLLABORATIONS
POP - Pari Opportunità Politecniche (Politecnico Equal Opportunities)
• Gender POP is one of the five action lines of the POP programme dedicated to the
promotion of equal gender opportunities.
Collaborations
• Interuniversity Research Centre on Gender Cultures
• Valore D
• Parks Liberi e Uguali
• CRUI - Conference of Italian University Rectors, Working Group on gender-related theme
• Conferenza Nazionale degli Organismi di Parità delle Università italiane
COMBINING LIFE, WORK AND STUDY TIME
Nursery school
• Company nursery school at the Leonardo Campus
• Micro nursery schools at the Bovisa Campus
• Agreement with a private crèche at the Lecco Campus
Hospitality Centres
• Childcare service for children of employees and non-employed staff (PhD
students, research fellows, adjunct professors) during school holidays
Post-maternity leave economic support and free-of-charge nursery school
• Economic support for female professors and researchers returning to research
work after maternity leave
• Covering of nursery school fees for female students, female PhD students and
female research fellows who are new mothers
Assistance upon returning to work and “Genitori al Poli” (Parents at the Politecnico) Project
• Revision of the “Maternità e Lavoro” (Maternity leave and work) project: a moment
of counselling when returning to work after maternity leave or after a mediumlong
period of absence
28
29

• “Genitori al Poli” (Parents at the Politecnico) to raise awareness of parenting skills.
The counselling service is accompanied by informational support related to rules
and regulations on maternity/paternity leaves
GENDER IN EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
• DCxCG - Communication Design for Gender Cultures: rethinking Gender Oriented
communication formats and rules
• Communication Design for Gender Cultures: Bachelor’s study programme to develop
and favour a non-stereotypical gender representation
• Discriminations & New Technologies: Risks and Opportunities: training module
aimed at the PhD School of Complementary doctoral skills to raise awareness of
harassment and discrimination issues
• Assessing Cognitive Biasand Affective Statesthrough Data Analytics: multidisciplinary
PhD programme on gender bias issues
• Promoting Diversity and Gender Equality in Education, Science, and in Society as a
whole: a Multi-disciplinary Approach: multi-disciplinary approach for the promotion
of inclusive policies
• WITECH: international project under Erasmus+ to design an entrepreneurship
course for female students in technology-related subjects
GUIDANCE AND EDUCATION
• Orientation for female high school students to choose STEM subjects
• Girls@Polimi: corporate scholarships for female students in engineering courses
with a female attendance rate of less than 35%
• Stem in the City in collaboration with the Municipality of Milan
• TechCamp@POLIMI
• Girls Make Games
• Coding Girls
• Educational moments on diversity and inclusion in the job market
• Training initiatives with Valore D
• Storytelling programme for young female researchers/PhD students to strengthen
positive role models
MEASURES AGAINST MOBBING, ABUSE AND DISCRIMINATION
• Awareness-raising campaign against digital catcalling
• Red Bench in piazza Leonardo da Vinci, symbol of the fight against all genderbased
violence
• Annual Pride Parade sponsorship in synergy with PoliEdro student association
• Protocol for the definition of Alias careers for male and female students in gender
transition
• Confidential Counsellor to guarantee the Politecnico’s community in the field of
mobbing, harassment and discrimination
FOCUS ON:
THE POLITECNICO
AND THE COMPANIES
Politecnico believes in the importance of ongoing collaboration with companies
and institutions that are committed to favour inclusion and equal opportunities.
Companies are indispensable allies of the University as it strives to make research
and innovation attentive to the needs of society and the needs of the individual.
There are four main areas in which the University is calling for collaboration with
the private sector for equal gender opportunities:
1. scholarships: Politecnico di Milano invites companies to donate scholarships
to support female students, a concrete action for equal gender opportunities.
Every year, with the Girls@Polimi project, companies can donate one or more
scholarships to female students who choose to enroll for the first time in an
engineering programme that has an enrolment rate of less than 35%
2. mentoring: Politecnico di Milano proposes female mentoring projects organised
together with companies to help young female graduates develop a greater
awareness of the challenges that await them in the job market and to develop
their leadership
3. placement: Politecnico supports companies in their recruiting activities to help
them promote their open positions in a clear, fair and transparent way and to pay
attention to avoid possible unconscious bias in the selection process
4. guidance: Politecnico di Milano invites companies to collaborate in vocational
guidance activities in order to present career paths to male and female students,
bring male and female professional role models into the University and illustrate
the diversity & inclusion policies they implement to promote equal opportunities
in the job market
30 31

ECONOMIC
RESOURCES
Specifically referring to actions designed to support equal opportunities, the
funding allocated for the next three-year period (Budget for 2020-2022) is more
than three million euro, confirming the attention of the Politecnico di Milano not
only from a planning point of view, but also through the commitment of adequate
economic resources.
RESOURCES ALLOCATED IN FAVOUR OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
2020 2021 2022
2020 ad hoc
funding
Funder
Contribution
to nursery school
Contribution to summer
camp
Support for Guarantee
Committee activities
POP - Pari opportunità
Politecniche (Politecnico
Equal Opportunities)
Project
216,000 216,000 216,000 University
40,000 40,000 40,000 University
45,000 45,000 45,000 University
300,000 300,000 300,000 University
Teleworking 200,000 200,000 200,000 University
Smart working 185,000 300,000 300,000 University
Witech Project - female
entrepreneurship in the
field of STEM
Fostwom project - gender
balancing in the video
and textual language of
online training
89,657
(2020-2022)
48,295
(2020-2022)
Erasmus Plus
Erasmus Plus
TOTAL 986,000 1,101,000 1,101,000 137,952 3,379,952
32

The 2020 Gender Budget has been prepared by a dedicated working group,
also involving the University’s various professional figures:
· Donatella Sciuto, Executive Vice Rector, Rector’s Delegate for Research
and Head of the Strategic Programme POP “Pari Opportunità Politecniche”
(Politecnico Equal Opportunities)
· Cristina Masella, Rector’s Delegate for Budget and Management Control
· Cristina Rossi-Lamastra, Professor at the Department of Management
Engineering and Member of the Steering Committee of the POP Programme
· Mara Tanelli, Professor at the Department of Electronics, Information and
Bioengineering and Member of the Steering Committee of the POP Programme
· Paola Barzaghi, Strategic Development Unit
· Silvia Barattieri, Equal Opportunities Unit
· Paola Carlucci, Planning, Control & Analysis Unit
· Carlo Lizzari, Planning, Control & Analysis Unit
· Alessandra Moroni, Strategic Development Unit
Special thanks go to Anna Maria Paganoni, Professor of Statistics at the
Department of Mathematics and Rector’s Delegate for Data Analytics, and
Lara Ivana Maestripieri, Sociologist and researcher at the Department of
Architecture and Urban Studies.
Data processing and analysis were carried out by the Planning, Control and
Analysis unit, under the supervision of the entire work group.
We would like to thank all the colleagues who helped in procuring data,
especially Paola Bertoli and Francesca Teresa Saracino for their assistance in
analysing data relating to the employment survey of the student population.
Graphic project:
Andrea Manciaracina
Editing:
Monica Lancini
Photographs:
Lab IMMAGINE - Department of Design