Women’s leadership as a value and wealth for a better society

Presented in Rome the research “More Women’s Leadership,” promoted by the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation and Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities

March 10, Rome – “This book is about women, their talents, abilities and skills, and the inequalities, violence and prejudices that still characterize the female world. Women’s issues are particularly close to my heart. In many of my speeches I have referred to them, emphasizing how much still remains to be done for the full empowerment of women,” so writes Pope Francis in the preface to the volume “More Women’s Leadership for a Better World” (ed. Vita e Pensiero), containing the research that was presented on Friday, March 10, at the Holy See, promoted by the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation and the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities (SACRU).

“I am very pleased to kick off this event,” said Prof. Pier Sandro Cocconcelli, “an occasion to present the book that summarizes the results of a significant research work, coordinated by President Tarantola, whom I would like to warmly thank, a book that was honored to receive the Preface of the Holy Father, Pope Francis. SACRU, a strategic alliance of eight universities from five different continents, was established to promote research and university education among the eight partner universities and promote studies with significant impacts on society.

This volume on women’s leadership provides an excellent example of achieving these goals. First, it demonstrates the ability of an international university network’s ability to collaborate among partners and develop partnerships with external stakeholders on sensitive issues, thanks to its strong identity and natural inclination for a multidisciplinary approach and openness to dialogue. Second, this study aligns with Pope Francis’ numerous calls to give women equal dignity in society and the Church itself.”

Our research,” Prof. Anna Maria Tarantola argues, “aims to propose concrete solutions to empower women in all societal contexts and sectors and to use their skills, abilities, and talents. Today’s reality, characterized by conflicts, such as the terrible war in Ukraine, where women are underrepresented at the tables of negotiation, health, climate, and social crises, and by an intense and unpredictable digital evolution, requires new leadership figures with a long-term vision perspective and a special sensitivity to diversity, inclusion, and sustainability. Leaders who must be inspired by cooperative competition. These are characteristics that women have. Their greater involvement in top positions and their voice can facilitate the achievement of the necessary new model of development and the new equitable, inclusive, and fully sustainable world proposed by Pope Francis.”

And it is on what has been done and especially on what remains to be done that all the interventions focused, particularly in the two round tables that animated the meeting: the first, entitled “Topicality of the presence of women in top positions,” moderated by journalist Tonia Cartolano, in dialogue with the co-authors of the research.

The second, titled “Women’s contributions to the solutions of the challenges of the new world,” moderated by journalist Deborah Castellano Lubov who dialogued with Antonella Sciarrone Alibrandi, Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Education, Elisabetta Olivieri, President of Autostrade per l’Italia, Lella Golfo, President of the Bellisario Foundation, and Elena Beccalli, President of the European Association for Banking and Finance Law and Dean of the Faculty of Banking, Finance, and Insurance at Università Cattolica. SACRU President Zlatko Skrbis made the conclusions of the meeting.