«The round of appointments of these days to the presidency of 14 of the 16 port authorities, despite numerous and qualified female candidates, does not currently see women chosen for these positions of command". This is denounced by Wista Italy (Women's International Shipping & Trading Association) which, in an open letter signed by President Costanza Musso, specifying that if it is "nothing new in the sector of shipping which has a small 6% female presence", however, "finds a situation in the port authorities of excellence where the female presence weighs 46%, equal to about 700 units, with 47% of women middle managers and 31% of Executives. But in governance, in 30 years - Musso points out - we have had only two women presidents and six secretaries compared to about 300 appointments in total. More can be done and the we asked in a heartfelt way when, in March, we went to present, at Montecitorio, guests of the President of the Commission Transport, Salvatore Deidda, the book for Wista's thirtieth anniversary Italy "Women on the Bridge of Command"».

«The appointments of the top management of the Port Authorities - The open letter continues - they also have a symbolic value. Excluding women from the top management of port authorities consolidates stereotypes and cultural barriers that Wista has been Italy, the association of women in shipping that I chair today, Fights. Because here the skills are there, as The data demonstrate, and there is also the desire to do our and get involved to contribute to the growth of the sector ports also with a complementary approach to that of men. We hope to be proven wrong with the latest appointments at the top of the port authorities expected in the coming days because the total absence of women at the head of port authorities does not It is only a problem of gender equality: it is a growth and development problem of the sector. Skills today are not have gender and exclude half of the population from the places has a negative impact on the quality of the institutions and deprives the country of fundamental resources for the growth".

"In recent years," Costanza Musso writes, " Progress is being made to promote inclusion and equality between men and women in the port sector. Data from the authorities prove it. Many companies and institutions are adopting policies to promote women's participation, such as mentoring initiatives and measures to ensure equal career opportunities. Introduction of protocols aimed at making available to workers workers an environment in which the dignity of and interpersonal relationships based on equality and mutual fairness, including through forms of collaboration to overcome any situations gender, individual and collective discriminatory. But all this It is not enough. Evidently the glass ceiling that prevents women to access leadership roles. Promoting equality gender standards in Italian ports means working together to create a fairer, more inclusive and representative environment of all people who contribute to the sector with the aim of not prejudicing anyone's CV, aiming instead on role efficiency. Otherwise, if the sector fails to achieve a level playing field, as demonstrates the fact that in the last 30 years there have been in all six women secretaries general and two presidents, then we need to change the rules to accelerate this change. Then We ask for pink quotas, even in Italian ports, that is, measures to ensure a minimum representation of women through percentage obligations or reserved seats, so as to systematize a new cultural paradigm".

"To us - concludes the president of Wista Italy - the quotas pink are not liked but they are undeniably an important accelerator suffice it to say that in large companies, where there are adopted as a legal obligation, have brought the component female on boards from 7% to 44% in 10 years and to company results measured in a tangible way. It is an appeal that we address the Prime Minister, Minister Salvini, the government, the relevant commissions and the competent Regions: We need to change course!"