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1. UNI/PdR 125 Certification: What It Is and How It Works
UNI/PdR 125:2022 establishes guidelines for assessing an organization's gender equality management system. The certification is voluntary, valid for three years, and subject to annual monitoring.
Introduced as part of Italy's National Strategy for Gender Equality, UNI/PdR 125 has become one of the country's leading frameworks for organizations seeking to measure and improve inclusion across their workforce.
To achieve certification, organizations must demonstrate that they have adopted policies, processes, and performance indicators designed to actively support gender equality. The assessment examines both quantitative factors, such as female representation across organizational levels and pay equity, and qualitative factors, including initiatives related to inclusion, parenthood, and professional development.
The evaluation covers six key areas that reflect the main dimensions of gender equality in the workplace:
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Culture and strategy, assessing how inclusion and equal opportunity principles are integrated into company policies, training programs, communications, and awareness initiatives.
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Governance, examining management involvement, dedicated oversight bodies, goal setting, and ongoing monitoring of initiatives and results.
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HR processes, including recruitment, development, training, and career progression practices.
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Women's career advancement and inclusion, with particular attention to female representation at different organizational levels and access to leadership and development opportunities.
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Pay equity, evaluating mechanisms and processes designed to ensure fair compensation regardless of gender for comparable roles and responsibilities.
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Parenthood support and work-life balance, assessing welfare programs, flexible working arrangements, parental support measures, and initiatives that help employees balance their professional and personal lives.
The certification score evaluates the effectiveness of an organization's gender equality management system through a combination of qualitative and quantitative indicators. It does not represent a "gender equality percentage"; rather, it serves as a tool for tracking progress over time and identifying areas that require further action.
2. 2026 Results: A Third Consecutive Renewal and the Initiatives Behind It
De Nora first obtained UNI/PdR 125:2022 gender equality certification in 2024. We are proud to have renewed it in both 2025 and 2026 for Industrie De Nora S.p.A., De Nora Water Technologies Italy S.r.l., and De Nora Italy S.r.l.
All three companies scored above 70 out of 100, exceeding the minimum threshold of 60 points required for certification. Two of the companies also improved their score compared to the previous year, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to making De Nora an increasingly inclusive workplace that promotes equal opportunities for all.
What initiatives helped us achieve these results? Over the years, we have launched a range of programs focused on professional growth, inclusion, and work-life balance. These include:
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EmpowHer Italy: A development program designed for our women managers and emerging talent. Now in its second edition, the program covers topics such as conscious leadership, constructive conflict management, and effective professional communication. It aims to strengthen leadership capabilities, self-awareness, and empowerment, supporting women throughout their professional growth journey.
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HR Process Review. Our continuous improvement efforts have included improving onboarding processes, introducing inclusive job descriptions, adopting recruitment practices designed to reduce bias, and implementing new tools to support talent and career development.
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Learning and Development Initiatives: For the past three years, we have partnered with Valore D. Through this partnership, employees can access training opportunities on topics such as inclusive leadership, professional development, diversity, equity and inclusion, and skills development.
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Welfare and Work-Life Balance Programs: Employee welfare initiatives, psychological support services, resources for parents and caregivers, flexible working arrangements, and smart working options all play an important role in our approach. If you would like to learn more about how we support employee wellbeing, explore our dedicated articles on corporate wellbeing and work-life blend.
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DEI Commitee: Established in 2024, the committee supports our inclusion journey by promoting DEI policies and monitoring gender equality indicators. Its responsibilities also include developing the Gender Equality Strategic Plan, which defines the objectives and actions through which the company intends to foster greater equity and inclusion while regularly tracking progress.
3. Beyond UNI/PdR 125: Our Ongoing Commitment to Gender Equality
Renewing UNI/PdR 125 certification is an important milestone, but it is also an opportunity to reflect on progress made and identify where further improvement is needed. Annual monitoring allows us to evaluate the effectiveness of our actions, track the evolution of key indicators, and identify the areas where our efforts can have the greatest impact, starting with pay equity.
That is why the journey continues through deeper analysis of pay gap data and the development of new tools designed to support employees at different stages of their professional and personal lives. Key priorities also include additional initiatives to support parenthood, helping ensure that balancing family responsibilities and work remains an integral part of a workplace built on listening, respect, and equal opportunity.
Three consecutive renewals do not mark the end of the journey. Instead, they highlight the value of measuring progress and continuing to improve over time.
Certification is therefore not a finish line, but a practical framework that helps organizations measure progress, identify new opportunities for improvement, and continue creating workplaces where everyone can thrive.
