“I see pink”. Vittorio Miele, president of Sirm (Italian Society of Medical and Interventional Radiology) smiles, but his is a serious speech and refers to a fact: “Women are such an important component of our professional category. Today they represent 50 % of radiologists operating on the national territory. And in the face of such tumultuous growth of the female component within our association, we felt the need to enhance their role, to help their participation and to think of initiatives aimed at their greater growth and professional achievement “, she tells on the sidelines of the event ‘Women: an engine of progress’, organized today in Milan by the Sirm Women’s Radiologist Commission in collaboration with the Bracco Foundation.
The occasion to talk about the desire to emerge of the ‘pink coats’, but also about the many difficulties that make their full realization difficult, is linked to the special occasion that is celebrated today: “It is the International Day of women and girls in the science – recalls Nicoletta Gandolfo, coordinator of the Sirm Radiologist Women’s Commission – and we want to enhance all those women of any age who are involved in every technological and scientific field “. As for the world of radiology, “we want to enhance their company integration, their activity. One of the problems that emerges, apart from the perceived disparities – explains the expert, reporting the results of a survey conducted on over a thousand specialists in the sector. – is that most fail to reconcile work and family and this also has a great impact on scientific activity, which is not only a source of personal growth, but is also a driving force for a professional career “.
Today, more than 5 thousand women radiologists are represented by Sirm. Under the presidency of Miele, the Women’s Radiologist Commission was born in May last year. The mission? “Responding to the need to enhance the role of radiologist colleagues in the scientific society of reference in the category. The participation of women in top management is increasing: the first woman was elected to our board of directors by now in the 90s. Today we have a growing participation – Miele remarks – There are 4 colleagues out of 12 elected directors within the national Governing Council. We have women presidents of sections and regional groups. But we are not yet in a situation of numerical parity in the man-woman relationship at the top of society. We are acting as a stimulus for more top management roles to be filled by colleagues because we strongly believe in gender equality within our institutions and our corporate divisions “.
The road ahead is not short. “It is true that there is still a certain disparity between men and women in the top roles of the National Health Service and academic institutions,” admits Miele. “This does not depend on the scientific society which has nothing to do with the career progression of radiologists, but it is clear that by improving the visibility of colleagues, improving their participation, providing them with opportunities for both scientific and cultural growth, we are convinced that even at the top of the NHS there will certainly be more space for women. Currently there is actually a male preponderance but I see a generation of extremely motivated and professional women who will conquer their space without the need for external help “.
Women like Alice and Federica. The first has already been involved in the world of work for a couple of years, the second in training. “The problems that we face as working women in the world of radiology are the same that many other healthcare professionals have in common. But there are also peculiar ones, because we work in supervised areas and we have to be alert to a whole series of risks physical and biological. There are therefore stages of life – such as pregnancy and breastfeeding – in which we may have difficulties in exercising our profession. It is a topic that must be addressed “, underlines Alice Casinelli, 32-year-old radiologist. “We also speak – he adds – of social policies, of work-family reconciliation, of the care and protection of children but also of assistance to the elderly and disabled, which are often activities entrusted to women. How can this be reconciled with our profession is a something that you have to face. The first step is analysis. And it is important to be here to talk about it “.
The solutions, continues Alice, “we will propose and are proposing them. Not all of them depend on us because for the most part they concern the organization of our work. Even the ‘geography’ of the Radiology department should be revised and adapted to our needs in certain areas. particular periods. And the working time should be more flexible if we need it, so that the woman does not have to choose to look after the family and lose work and career opportunities to do so. ” This is what is still happening, according to what emerged from the survey presented today.
But Federica, specializing in Radiology, has a vision that also gives space to optimism for the future: “I am preparing to face a career in the world of radiology and at the moment I am very focused on the purely educational, working aspect. trainee I feel the problems facing women are approaching “. Among the most heartfelt: finding the right time for a pregnancy. “I was told: it is better to have a child now because there are protections that you may not have in the future – says Federica – Today I still live unconsciously, but I see that there is still a lot to think about. I see that however things in the field of medicine are changing and that there are many women, more and more “.
Supporting and enhancing pink coats “is not just a question of gender equality – reiterates Gandolfo – but rather it is an opportunity for growth and development”. The greater presence and participation of women must be seen as “added value and not as a problem to be faced”. This is the message on which today’s event in Milan has focused, comparing experiences and successes, stories of growth and difficulties that must be overcome in order not to lose talent, the experts explain. “Promoting female access to the world of Stems (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is at the center of our Mind the Stem Gap project, a manifesto that aims to overcome gender inequalities in favor of a more open and inclusive “, underlines Diana Bracco, president of the homonymous Foundation. “Radiology itself has seen a growing contribution from women for years. By now, more than 50% of new trainees are women. This profession, like others, must therefore find the right balance and a correct enhancement of female professionalism. I am sure that this will happen”.
Also present at the meeting were managers and researchers such as Francesca Pasinelli, general manager of the Telethon Foundation, who assured: “Women engaged in the field of science, in managerial and scientific roles, are a source of great inspiration for the evolution of research in our country “. Countering “stereotypes and practices that still invalidate an equal approach, which guarantees equal opportunities for success in scientific disciplines is a cultural battle in which each of us plays an important role”, concludes Bracco.
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