The campaign Close the Gap launched by Coop to promote gender equality continues with the awarding of 5 virtuous companies. The awards were given on 29.3.21 during a meeting online with about 600 suppliers of Coop branded products.
Close the Gap, Coop's new challenge
Close the Gap. Let's reduce the differences is yet another challenge for progress embraced by Coop. The cooperative brand of the large-scale retail trade continues to stand out for pioneering courage. It's impossible to list all the initiatives promoted. The ban on cage eggs since 2003, the fight against illegal labor intermediaries, the protection of health (meat and fish without antibiotics, first to eliminate palm oil) and the environment (stop to glyphosate), animal welfare, starting with the refusal of chick culling, etc.
The latest challenge is to encourage gender equality and inclusion, in line with goal no. 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs. A well-established concept in Coop, where 70% of the 55 thousand employees are women, 44% of the board members and a substantial and solid share in managerial roles. But a goal still distant in Italy, where the difficulties of being a woman are summarized by our country's ranking in 76th place out of 153 surveyed countries (17th in Europe), according to the Global Gender Index 2020.
The 5 companies awarded by Coop
The recognition of the qualities of the female gender, both as leadership and as workforce and/or provision of protections ad hoc for female employees, is the added value recognized by Coop in 5 of its supplier companies.
On the podium to virtually receive these awards appeared
– Nicoletta Maffini, general manager and commercial director and marketing of Conapi, consortium that brings together 600 beekeepers (one quarter women),
– Anna Marfisi owner together with her sister of Marfisi Carni (60 million turnover and 120 employees), in the third generation characterized by female leadership,
– Patrizia Poggiali head of Gala Cosmesi, supplier of the cosmetic line green Vivi Verde by Coop,
– Alessandra and Laura Damiani of Orsini & Damiani, giant in fruit and vegetable sector. The two sisters hold crucial roles in the company. Laura is production director, while Alessandra is sales and quality control manager, as well as a board member of the National Association of Women in Fruit and Vegetable Sector,
– Daniela Vignoni, commercial manager and marketing of VMC-Vignoni, an ecofactory of socks and tights, which also produces for Coop.
Coop's commitment against the gender gap
The recognition awarded to the 5 mentioned companies is part of the process that will culminate in awarding the Prize, an integral part of the already existing ‘Coop for future’, after the establishment of a Scientific Committee and indicating the objectives to be achieved by March 2022.
The campaign against gender gap ‘is one of the actions of our 2021 Agenda’, explains Marco Pedroni, president of Coop Italia. In line with adherence to Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEP), the United Nations principles of female empowerment, announced by the CEO of Coop Italia, Maura Latini.
An initiative that has received repeated compliments via chat, during the event online. And the expected praise of the Minister for Equal Opportunities, Elena Bonetti, present at the meeting along with Luigi Bobba, president Global Inclusion Committee.
Professional journalist since January 1995, worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and magazines (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). Author of journalistic investigations on food, published the book 'Reading labels to know what we eat'.
