Wine ahead, beer ahead: the long road to gender equality

finds a point of contact with the world of wine, where growing female leadership is helping to redefine organizational models and corporate strategies.

The research "The Role of Women in Transforming Governance and Leadership Models in Wine Companies," conducted by the international business school MIB Trieste School of Management with the National Association of Women in Wine, highlights how women-led businesses often demonstrate greater vision, innovation, and sustainability, helping to redefine leadership models in the sector.

Despite the challenges, the overall assessment of the sector remains positive: the world of beer is described as creative, stimulating, and full of opportunities. But.

While the challenge in wine today is to consolidate the results achieved and transform the growing female presence at the top into a new leadership paradigm, in beer the path appears even more challenging: the presence of women is now a consolidated reality throughout the entire supply chain, but full recognition of their skills, authority, and leadership abilities remains a goal yet to be achieved.

The participants in the survey conducted by Donne della Birra operate throughout Italy and represent a wide range of businesses, from craft breweries to large industrial groups, from distribution companies to public establishments. They have a strong presence in production, sales and marketing, events, and catering, as well as in specialized fields such as marketing, human resources, finance, and purchasing and procurement. The profile outlined by the survey is that of female professionals, predominantly between the ages of 35 and 54, with a high level of education, significant work experience, and a strong propensity for continuing professional development through specific programs for master brewers, beer sommeliers, tasters, sensory analysis, and drafting techniques.

Training is a key aspect of the research: many of the women interviewed believe that possessing specialized technical skills is essential to gaining credibility and respect in a sector still dominated by men.

Yet the problem is not preparation.

Forty percent of the women interviewed reported difficulties directly related to gender, while the main obstacle identified was the difficulty in having their professional authority recognized. Many reported having to prove themselves more than their male colleagues to be considered competent, especially in relationships with customers and suppliers. Furthermore, stereotypes about the physical strength required for production work and prejudices that associate motherhood with less professional continuity or reduced career prospects continue to weigh heavily.

The data relating to the working climate is also particularly significant:

While 55% of respondents consider their work environment inclusive, 24.5% report having experienced incidents of sexism, professional belittling, or harassment, while 12.7% say they have witnessed similar situations. In some cases, those who reported such behavior reported suffering severe consequences, including mobbing. Alongside these critical issues, however, signs of change are emerging, especially in more structured companies, where there is growing attention to preventing harassment and building more inclusive work environments. Among the tools identified by the participants is the Uni/PdR 125:2022 Gender Equality Certification, which they consider useful for introducing equity-oriented corporate policies.

A fundamental role is also attributed to the

Networking: women's associations are perceived as valuable tools for overcoming professional isolation, encouraging discussion, developing mentoring activities and strengthening solidarity between colleagues

. The professionals also call for a profound evolution in the sector's communication, hoping to move beyond imagery still tied to predominantly masculine codes and the objectification of the female body, to instead valorize beer as a cultural and professional product.

Concrete actions suggested by the survey include strengthening technical and scientific training, corporate programs to combat unconscious bias, supporting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs, promoting pay equity, monitoring the presence of women in leadership roles, and measures to support parenting, such as greater flexible working hours, smart working, and enhanced parental leave.

“This investigation gives us an important picture -

he states

Federica Felice, president of Donne della Birra, said: "We met competent, educated, passionate women who are key players in the beer industry, but we also collected testimonies that show how certain stereotypes still persist.

Our goal is to transform this snapshot into a tool for change: we want expertise, professionalism, and talent to be recognized in the beer industry regardless of gender. To this end, we will continue to promote training, discussion, and networking opportunities, involving women and men from across the industry,” concludes Felice.

book: @winenewsit