The climate of reenactment and back away from the Dei commitments (Diversity, equity, inclusion) that has arrived with the new political order in the United States makes me sad. Yes, the strength and boldness of the political voice that authorizes it makes me sad, but even more the large following undertaken by many companies, which previously seemed genuinely committed to the opposite. So, the weakness and naivety of the previous effort was unveiled and therefore also how necessary it is to continue the Dei strategies and policies, to continue fighting for equality and fairness among the least represented groups.
And so, Women's Day continues to have its meaning and importance, giving us the annual opportunity to remember that, even they are not a minor representative group in numerical terms, they are in terms of the real power that they (do not) exercise or have. In some way, until the political change in the Usa authorized the sudden comeback from the commitments made in the perspective of Dei: myself, living in the United Kingdom, lived in a sort of bubble, believing that, since more and more women, or people of color, or members of other minority groups, were found at the levels of power and business management, we had almost reached the finish line and that soon there would be no need to dedicate special attention to one gender, just as we would no longer need to give awards for women in business, to specify that we are talking about women's football or women's literature.
The political change, so quickly followed by the corporate decisions to get rid of Dei's policies, served as a warning signal to wake us up from a state of complaisance and satisfaction, revealing how shallow any commitment we had noticed had been. We can say that t is an American phenomenon and I hope in fact that it will not be followed by a similar regression in Europe. The general mood of recent weeks, but also my experience since I have lived in Spain, has made me think about how shallow the progress has been in this area which, beyond the words of commitment, has not been translated into real results. How many women are actually managing companies in any sector, let alone gaming, in Spain, or in Italy, or in other countries besides the Anglo-Saxon or Scandinavian ones (which are more progressive in these fields, without yet reaching full equality)?
When I asked myself this question ten years ago, it was acceptable to admitt that there are very few, if not zero. Today, ten years later, it is not anymore, at least for me who have seen examples of positive change showing us that it is possible if there is the will. It is with a spirit of sadness and frustration that I admit all this, by writing this article. And the last experience at the Ice in Barcelona, which has hosted many opportunities to speak and learn about the topics of Dei, with little interest or participation, does not give me confidence in progress. We have been paying special attention to these topics for almost ten years now and, having seen with joy and satisfaction an increase in participation, it makes me sad and bored me not to have noticed it in 2025. It remains to be seen whether it is related to the political mood or the change of location of Ice.
An analysis that I carried out during one of the discussions at Ice gives me hope that a total return to the past is no longer possible. One of the panels on Dei asked about effective practices in this area that have generated results, comparing those managed by the highest levels of company management with those that come from the lowest levels of employees. It was generally agreed that progress cannot happen without the commitment and motivation of management, but the experiences shared by the panels, and by myself, indicate that there is also great power among the junior levels, especially among the youngest workers, but equally important in the battle for talent. Let us not underestimate the influence and importance of these groups, among whom there are many young people who no longer accept the old order and the traditional division of roles, in supporting change and demanding progress.