Gender equality, inclusion and gender identity: from commitments to processes

Three references with different purposes

UNI/PdR 125:2022 gives Italian organisations guidance for a gender-equality management system based on performance indicators. The practice is in force; on 21 October 2026 UNI opened a preliminary public enquiry to assess its transformation into a UNI standard. This step does not change the practice’s current validity or the validity of certificates already issued.

UNI/PdR 125 assesses six areas: culture and strategy; governance; HR processes; women's growth opportunities and inclusion; gender pay equity; and parenthood protection and work-life balance. Its practical value is to make responsibilities, indicators, objectives and reviews visible, with criteria proportionate to the organisation’s size.

ISO 30415:2021 provides broader guidance on diversity and inclusion for organisations across sectors and sizes. ISO 53800:2024 offers guidance to promote and implement gender equality and women’s empowerment. These references can complement one another, but they are not interchangeable: a national measurement framework, an organisational D&I guide and a gender-equality guide have distinct roles.

Equality, inclusion and gender identity are not synonyms

Gender equality concerns rights, opportunities, participation and fair treatment. Diversity and inclusion address a broader set of characteristics and the conditions that allow people to contribute and belong. Gender identity concerns a person’s experience and self-identification.

The cited practices and standards should not be presented as if they addressed all these dimensions in the same way. An organisation that also intends to include transgender and non-binary people respectfully should make its policies, protections, language, data handling and reporting channels explicit, and check them against applicable law. Clear concepts prevent claims from exceeding what a specific instrument actually measures.

From a baseline to improvement

A serious programme begins with a reliable baseline: role distribution, access to recruitment, progression, pay, training, leave and work-life balance. Data should be read across levels and processes, using consistent criteria and respecting privacy. One indicator cannot explain a cause; an observed difference is a signal to investigate, not an automatic conclusion.

Diagnosis becomes useful when it is translated into objectives with an owner, resources, a timeline and a review. For example, if fewer women hold leadership roles, the organisation should examine selection and promotion stages, the criteria used and access to experiences that prepare people for those roles. A communications campaign alone cannot correct a process that produces unequal outcomes.

• define accountability and leadership oversight;
• collect relevant, verifiable indicators while protecting personal data;
• identify organisational causes and set realistic objectives;
• assign resources and integrate actions into HR and daily management;
• review outcomes, correct measures and report progress.

Certification is a verification, not the destination

Accredited certification to UNI/PdR 125 is issued by accredited certification bodies, not by UNI or ISO. ISO also states that it does not certify organisations directly. ISO 30415 and ISO 53800 can guide organisational work, but they should not be described as conformity certifications against requirements because they are guidance documents.

Certification can provide independent feedback on the system and the evidence examined. By itself, it does not prove that every person has experienced fair treatment, and it does not replace legal obligations or listening to the workforce. Its strongest purpose is to support a continuing cycle: observe, decide, act and check whether conditions have actually improved.