Interview to Marwa El Hakim
“INCLUSION AND GENDER EQUALITY? THEY ARE IN OUR DNA”

Marwa El Hakim, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Eni tells us about the company’s commitment to guaranteeing a workplace based on the principles of equal opportunities.

A plural vision, attentive to the inclusion of the diversity of people, whose cultural contribution helps to define the company’s identity. It is Eni’s vision, as the Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Marwa ElHakim, tells us about how Eni promotes and favors a work environment based on the principles of equal opportunities. With many and different initiatives.

Eni’s commitment on the issue of diversity and inclusion (D&I) is very important. How is the company tackling this challenge?

The values ​​of inclusion and equal opportunities in all areas are part of our DNA. Our mission, the code of ethics and the entire Eni governance system make this principle explicit. The adoption of the Zero Tolerance Policies condemns conduct that undermines the creation of a work environment free from violence and harassment of any form or type. Creating a work environment free from violent attitudes and where everyone can express their uniqueness is our main goal.To do this, we need to internally consolidate this vision, so that the values ​​of inclusion are internalized and shared. Cultural change cannot be only top-down, a sense of responsibility must be built among all of us.

Increasing individual awareness is the first target we set ourselves. We have therefore launched training courses and communication and awareness-raising initiatives that encourage people to become aware of their own unconscious biases («Unconscious Bias»). This is a first step in creating a fertile and shared ground for the development of an inclusive mindset of the uniqueness that characterizes us.

Furthermore, we have developed a listening ecosystem; we have added more direct listening channels to the classic surveys to collect needs, requests, new ideas and feedback, which allow us to constantly update our activity plan and ensure that it is actually effective for the well-being of the people who work for us. Our commitment to the outside world is based on the concrete affirmation, and not just in principle, of the values ​​of inclusion, being agents of change in communities and in society.

For these we are moving on different fronts. We have chosen to discuss these issues with our peers both nationally and internationally by supporting associations and participating in initiatives and inter-company benchmarks for sharing best practices and identifying common actions (such as for example VALORE D, PARKS-Liberi and Equal, European Round Table «ERT», World Economic Forum «WEF», Industrial All Global Unions, Fondazione Mondo Digitale, UN Global Compact, etc.).

We give concrete support to various initiatives. We have been sponsors of cultural, awareness-raising or networking events to give concrete support to female empowerment, the LGBTQ+ community and initiatives aimed at people with disabilities.

WOMEN’S MATERNITY RIGHT

In the world of work it is very important to protect women’s maternity rights. What does Eni do in this regard?

A full exercise of the right to maternity can only be implemented if attention and support are broadened to the broader issue of parenthood. We are working on this area both through training and awareness-raising initiatives and with concrete actions so that for women the moment of motherhood does not penalize their professional career.

But not only. Our corporate Welfare offers important support to women as «care-givers», considering that this role weighs heavily on them and can lead to difficulties in their full professional fulfilment.

More generally, our corporate welfare places people at the center of the business strategy, positioning itself as a «caring company». Over time, this dimension of care for people has taken the form of a system of company benefits and welfare aimed at improving the well-being of our colleagues and which is now considered a «best practice» in the sector.

Some examples of initiatives to reconcile the needs of private life with those of work are:

New Smart Working – Welfare & Sustainability, which provides even greater flexibility for mothers and fathers than the standard one; the company guarantees its people worldwide the application of the minimum maternity standards set by the International Labor Organization (ILO); the flexibility of working hours on a weekly and seasonal basis; the Eni nursery school in San Donato Milanese and in Rome; summer stays for the children of our colleagues (dedicated to children between 6 and 14 years old) and summer camps (dedicated to 15 and 16 year olds in English); educational guidance initiatives to support families who are faced with the important issue of choosing their children’s educational or professional path; a new service to help parents deal with the critical issues of the new context dictated by the pandemic crisis, providing them with tools, information and food for thought to orient themselves in the new everyday life; support to «care givers» of elderly people and dependent family members.

ELIMINATE ANY FORM OF DISCRIMINATION

Gender equality is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the fifth, which calls for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against all women, girls and girls from all over the world by 2030. How does your company promote this theme?

In this sense, Eni also promotes the elimination of the gender gap in access to STEM careers. Gender equality and equal pay for equal roles are fundamental principles in Eni’s approach to Diversity and Inclusion. The compensation policies and the constant monitoring of the «gender pay ratio» are a concrete realization of this.

The theme of female empowerment is one of the strategic axes of the D&I structure, and of the company in general. Therefore Eni has signed the Women Empowerment Principles (WEP), to reaffirm its commitment to promoting gender equality and empowerment in the workplace, in business practices and in society. Furthermore, we have committed to increasing the presence of women in the company by a further 3% by 2030.

The numbers testify that we have embarked on a virtuous path: the presence of women in the company, even in positions of responsibility, is constantly growing both in Italy and abroad.

For Eni, female empowerment is based on internal and external cultural awareness. Projects and activities have been launched to overcome the socio-cultural elements and the «bias» that limit women in fully realizing their desires and goals, and therefore in achieving personal and professional success.

The protection of diversity also permeates our recruiting, training and career development policies, aimed at promoting and increasing the presence of women at all managerial levels.

To guarantee an ever-increasing entry of women with «STEM» (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) degrees, Eni has promoted some important collaborations with associations and educational institutions, such as the CO.ME «COde&fraME» project with the Fondazione Mondo Digitale and the InspirinGirls project with ValoreD, aimed at accelerating the achievement of equal opportunities in the scientific and technological sector and overcoming gender stereotypes, so that girls can become aware of their talent.

Another cornerstone of our commitment is Joule, Eni’s school for business. Joule trains and supports aspiring entrepreneurs and startuppers in their own project who want to grow and make Italy grow in a sustainable way. Joule’s activities promote the empowerment of women both through entrepreneurial education and by encouraging business ideas and building new networks.