The automotive world is, by definition, a male-dominated world.
In the company where I work, the concept of “gender equality” is not a point of focus, simply because in a context where there are more people involved, the difference between men and women is never really noticed. It’s already a firmly established concept in the minds of the owners and male colleagues. If an idea is successful, it remains so regardless of whether it’s presented by a man or a woman.
I know of companies where gender equality is pushed to such an extreme that they risk hiring unqualified collaborators who belong to that “protected” category, leaving the new hires in doubt about whether they are fit for the role or not.
My employers always introduce me to guests as “Engineer Faraci”. For me, it’s a source of pride. Being an engineer is a qualification, not an adjective, but in the name of femininity, even professional qualifications have been distorted (like “Sindaca” for female mayor, “Assessora” for female councilor… suffixes that don’t exist in the Italian language).
In any case, I consider myself fortunate because in my company, there is respect and courtesy towards employees, whether they are male or female. When there’s such an atmosphere, work-life balance is respected without having to question the proper management of personnel in relation to gender equality.
Work-life balance affects all employees, and one of my colleagues, after a few months of joining my team, confided in me that her children told her that she came home happier and more cheerful since she started working with us.
The role of a company should be just that: to allow each of us to come home in the evening and spend quality time with our families.