SDG 5 – Gender Equality

Università IULM is committed to the systematic measurement and tracking of the application rate, acceptance rate and entry rate of women as the foundation of its consistent efforts to provide a first-class education to women in all of its study areas. This commitment is embedded in the University's Strategic Plan 2025–2027 and further supported by the IULM Gender Equality Plan, which provides an institutional framework for promoting gender equality, equal opportunities and women's full participation in higher education. This longitudinal approach enables the University to monitor women's access to higher education across different student groups, identify changes over time and assess the effectiveness of its policies and initiatives supporting gender equality.

The University systematically collects and analyses gender-disaggregated data on applicants, students starting a degree, undergraduate and postgraduate students, graduates and students belonging to specific groups, including first-generation students, students with disabilities and specific learning disorders, students receiving financial aid, refugee students, students from developing countries, non-traditional students, exchange students and students undertaking internships.

A particular innovation going forward is the attention given to year-on-year changes. Comparing women's representation across different stages of the student journey allows IULM to identify potential gaps between application, entry, progression and completion, and to monitor whether women continue to have equitable access to the University's educational opportunities.

Increasing and monitoring women's representation

Women's representation at IULM remains consistently high across the student population. In 2025, women represented 77% of the overall student population, 77% of applicants, 76% of students starting a degree, 76% of undergraduate students, 77% of postgraduate students and 80% of graduates. The longitudinal data show that women's representation among graduates increased from 76% in 2023 to 78% in 2024 and 80% in 2025, while their representation within the overall student population remained stable at 77% throughout the three-year period.

The University also monitors women's representation among groups for which access to higher education may present additional challenges. In 2025, women represented 77% of first-generation students, 57% of refugee students, 67% of students from developing countries, 68% of students with disabilities and 73% of students with specific learning disorders. Women also accounted for 82% of students receiving financial aid, 76% of non-traditional undergraduate students aged over 30 and 77% of non-traditional postgraduate students aged over 30.

The monitoring system was further expanded in 2024 to include non-traditional students aged over 30, exchange students and students undertaking internships, allowing IULM to assess women's participation across a broader range of educational and professional experiences. In 2025, women represented 77% of students undertaking internships abroad, 79% of those undertaking internships in Italy, 80% of incoming exchange students and 87% of outgoing exchange students.

For the first time in 2025, IULM also introduced specific gender-disaggregated monitoring of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and special educational needs (SEN). This additional level of data collection enables the University to distinguish these student groups within its broader inclusion monitoring framework and to assess women's representation more precisely. The first results show that women accounted for 67% of students with ASD, 81% of students with ADHD and 66% of students with SEN. This development further strengthens IULM's ability to identify potentially overlapping barriers related to gender and specific educational needs.

Monitoring women's participation in mentoring programmes

For the first time, IULM has introduced a longitudinal, gender-disaggregated analysis of participation in individual counselling sessions with psychologists, one of the initiatives offered within the University's broader mentoring and counselling programmes.

These individual sessions provide students with personalised psychological support, helping them address emotional, personal and academic challenges that may affect their wellbeing, university experience and educational progression.

As part of its commitment to supporting women's progression and participation in higher education, IULM now systematically compares the number and proportion of male and female students accessing this service over three consecutive academic years. This new monitoring approach enables the University to assess women's engagement with psychological support services, identify changes in participation over time and strengthen the evidence base for evaluating institutional mentoring and counselling initiatives.

The longitudinal data demonstrate consistently high female participation in individual psychological counselling, ranging from 78% to 83% across the three academic years. In 2024/25, women accounted for 82% of students accessing individual counselling sessions with psychologists, compared with 78% in 2023/24.

The introduction of this gender-disaggregated, multi-year monitoring provides an additional measure of women's engagement with IULM's institutional support services and complements the University's broader monitoring of access, progression and completion.

IULM’s consistent policy of promoting women’s applications, women’s acceptance and entry rates, and women’s participation at the university is demonstrated by the figures given below.

This commitment is embedded in the University's Strategic Plan 2025–2027, which provides the overarching institutional framework for equal opportunities and inclusive participation, and is further supported by the IULM Gender Equality Plan and the IULM Code of Ethics. Together, these documents guide the University's admissions policies, recruitment strategies and support mechanisms aimed at ensuring equitable access to higher education and enabling women to participate fully in academic life.

The implementation of these commitments is supported by the Equal Opportunities Committee, which appointed a new student representative, strengthening student participation in institutional equality governance. IULM also collaborates with other Milanese universities through the Interuniversity Research Centre Gender Cultures, of which it is a founding member. In 2025, the University participated in Università in Comune – Gender and Public Policies, promoting dialogue between universities and the Municipality of Milan on gender equality and public policy.

IULM systematically monitors women's applications, entry and participation through gender-disaggregated data, as illustrated below. In 2025, women represented 77% of applicants, 76% of students starting a degree, 77% of the overall student population and 80% of graduates. Women also accounted for 82% of students receiving financial aid, 79% of students undertaking internships in Italy and 87% of outgoing exchange students. These figures demonstrate women's substantial participation across the student journey and support the University's ongoing assessment of its equality measures.

Women's access and participation – 2023–2025

To support women's continued participation, IULM provides personalised tutoring, academic guidance, mentoring and counselling, scholarships, and assistance in accessing international exchange programmes and internships. For the first time, the University has also introduced a three-year gender-disaggregated analysis of participation in individual counselling sessions with psychologists, one of the initiatives offered within its broader mentoring and counselling framework. These sessions provide personalised support for students facing emotional, personal or academic challenges.

In 2024/25, 82% of students participating in individual psychological counselling were women, confirming their substantial engagement with this support service.

IULM further promotes women's academic and professional development through dedicated initiatives, including FA-ST – Promote Female Startups in STEM and its partnership with ALF – Pensare al Femminile. In 2025, IULM renewed its collaboration with ALF for the third edition (2025–2026), supporting initiatives that recognise women's contributions to cinema and the audiovisual industry. These include the Women Screenwriters Award, the Best European Female Film Award and the Women Advertising Directors Award. IULM students enrolled in the Master's Degree in TV, Cinema and New Media also participate in the selection of finalists for the Best European Female Film Award.

As part of its commitment to further enhancing women's participation at the university and ensuring their safe and successful course of study, in December 2025 IULM formally signed the interinstitutional agreement “Milano per la prevenzione e il contrasto alla violenza maschile contro le donne”, promoted by the Municipality of Milan together with the city's universities. The agreement establishes a shared framework for preventing gender-based violence through awareness campaigns, training, research, coordinated support services and cooperation with Milan's anti-violence network. This initiative strengthens the University's commitment to creating a safe and inclusive academic environment in which women can pursue their studies without discrimination or violence.

IULM also supports student mothers through part-time enrolment arrangements, enabling students with family and childcare responsibilities to follow a more flexible academic pathway. These provisions are complemented by childcare support and institutional agreements with providers such as Cooperativa Sociale ALDIA and MILE Bilingual School, as well as mobility and healthcare agreements that help reduce practical and financial barriers to university participation.

Through its institutional policies, gender-disaggregated monitoring, targeted support services and partnerships, Università IULM pursues a comprehensive approach to promoting women's applications, entry and continued participation in higher education.

IULM specifically focuses on providing services and schemes for women’s access in several of the most important mentoring and related support programmes made available by the university. This commitment is embedded in the IULM Strategic Plan 2025–2027, which places inclusion, equal opportunities and the development of an open and supportive university community among the University’s institutional priorities. It is further implemented through the  Gender Equality Plan, the Code of Ethics, the Equal Opportunities governance framework and a range of targeted services and schemes supporting women students.

IULM provides women students with access to mentoring, counselling, tutoring, scholarships, financial support, wellbeing services and practical measures designed to remove barriers to participation and progression. These measures are complemented by initiatives specifically aimed at women’s empowerment, leadership development and the prevention of gender-based violence.

Mentoring, counselling and empowerment

Women students constitute the majority of participants in several of IULM’s student support and development programmes. The University offers individual psychological counselling sessions, peer mentoring, academic guidance and activities addressing mental health, stress management and the challenges of university life.

For the first time, IULM has introduced a three-year gender-disaggregated analysis of participation in individual counselling sessions with psychologists, one of the initiatives within its broader mentoring and counselling framework. The monitoring covers three consecutive academic years:

In 2024/25, women accounted for 82% of students accessing individual psychological counselling, compared with 78% in 2023/24. The longitudinal monitoring allows IULM to assess women's engagement with this support service and identify changes in participation over time.

These programmes include seminars and individual support activities addressing study methods, stress management, expectations, wellbeing and the management of obstacles encountered during university careers. In particular, seminars on study methods and stress management, and activities supporting students approaching graduation provide targeted opportunities for students to develop strategies for dealing with academic pressure and personal difficulties.

In 2025, this commitment was further developed through initiatives promoting women's leadership, professional development and representation, including:

• The W Leadership Summit 2025, an event dedicated to women's leadership, professional development and the role of women in contemporary organisations.
• An inspirational talk with Virginia Stagni, providing students with an opportunity to engage with a female professional role model and reflect on career development, leadership and professional ambitions.
• Activities addressing gender representations and the representation of women, encouraging critical reflection on gender stereotypes, inequalities and barriers to participation.

These initiatives provide opportunities for female students to meet professionals and role models, discuss career development and leadership, and reflect on gender stereotypes and barriers to participation.

Scholarships and financial access

IULM also supports women's access to higher education through financial support and scholarships, helping reduce economic barriers to university participation.

In 2025, 868 of the 1,065 students receiving financial aid were women, representing 82% of all beneficiaries, compared with 712 women out of 876 beneficiaries (81%) in 2024 and 718 women out of 855 beneficiaries (84%) in 2023.

These figures demonstrate the substantial participation of women in the University's financial aid system. Scholarships form part of a broader framework of financial and welfare measures designed to support access to higher education and academic progression, particularly for students facing socioeconomic difficulties.

Support for student mothers and removal of practical barriers

IULM also provides measures aimed at reducing practical barriers that may affect women's participation in higher education, particularly for students with caring responsibilities.

Among these measures is the possibility for student mothers to undertake their degree programme on a part-time basis, providing greater flexibility in the organisation of their studies and enabling them to reconcile university attendance with parental responsibilities.

The University also provides an on-campus Nursery, equipped with facilities supporting parents with young children, including a nursing area and changing facilities. This dedicated space offers practical support to student mothers, helping them combine childcare responsibilities with attendance and participation in university life.

In addition, IULM maintains institutional agreements providing practical support in areas such as childcare and early education, mobility, healthcare and wellbeing. These include agreements with childcare and early-education providers such as Cooperativa Sociale ALDIA and MILE Bilingual School, as well as mobility and healthcare services. Such measures contribute to creating the practical conditions necessary for students, including mothers and students with family responsibilities, to participate fully in university life.

Support for working mothers

IULM's commitment to women's participation also extends to female employees and academic staff, through maternity protection and work-life balance measures designed to support professional continuity and family responsibilities.

In accordance with Italian legislation on maternity and parental protection, including Legislative Decree 151/2001, the University provides statutory maternity leave and parental leave entitlements. These are complemented by flexible working arrangements, including part-time employment, flexible hours and smart working where applicable, as well as access to childcare services and institutional welfare agreements.

Furthermore, IULM offers employees a health insurance policy that includes specific maternity coverage, providing financial support for pregnancy-related healthcare services, including obstetric and gynaecological examinations, ultrasound scans, laboratory tests and prenatal diagnostic examinations. The policy also provides a daily allowance in the event of hospitalisation for childbirth. These provisions, detailed in the University's Staff Health Insurance Policy – Maternity Package, contribute to reducing the practical and financial challenges associated with maternity and support women's continued participation in professional life.

Support against gender-based violence

Women's access and participation are also supported through measures aimed at ensuring a safe and respectful university environment.

Since 2024, IULM has collaborated with the Anti-Violence Center Cerchi d'Acqua, providing a dedicated listening channel open to the entire IULM community and qualified support for people experiencing mistreatment, abuse, sexual or psychological violence and stalking. IULM also collaborates with Ankyra, which provides multidisciplinary support to victims of domestic and relational violence, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

In 2025, IULM further strengthened this commitment by becoming one of the universities signing the “Milano per la prevenzione e il contrasto alla violenza maschile contro le donne” interinstitutional Protocol promoted by the Municipality of Milan. Through this agreement, IULM collaborates with the other Milanese universities and the Interuniversity Research Center “Gender Cultures” to promote awareness-raising and training activities, strengthen support services, share good practices and contribute to coordinated actions for the prevention and contrast of gender-based violence.

The Protocol specifically provides for initiatives aimed at students, multidisciplinary training, research and data collection, university listening services in cooperation with the Milan Anti-Violence Network, and collaboration between universities, institutions and territorial organisations.

These measures complement the actions included in the IULM Gender Equality Plan, combining awareness-raising and education with concrete support mechanisms for members of the university community.

Overall provision

Through this combination of mentoring and empowerment programmes, scholarships, financial and welfare support, flexible study arrangements for student mothers, counselling and wellbeing services, childcare and practical support, maternity and work-life balance measures for employees, and mechanisms addressing gender-based violence, IULM provides multiple forms of support for women's access and participation.

The University's approach therefore addresses women's participation not only at the point of entry, but throughout the student experience, supporting access, wellbeing, academic progression, professional development and the removal of practical and social barriers to participation.

IULM is committed to encouraging applications by women in subjects where they are comparatively underrepresented:

This commitment is embedded in the IULM Strategic Plan 2025–2027 and the Gender Equality Plan. IULM promotes women's participation in fields where gender imbalances persist through university outreach, orientation activities, educational initiatives and collaborations with other universities, professional associations, community organisations and international partners.

STEM and AI

IULM continues to promote women's participation in STEM and technology-related fields, where women remain comparatively underrepresented.

A key example is the Bachelor's degree in Artificial Intelligence for Business and Society, for which 57% of graduates in 2025 were women, an improvement on the previous year. The University promotes access to emerging technological disciplines through Open Days, orientation activities and communication initiatives aimed at prospective students.

IULM also supports gender balance in research and innovation: the Behaviour & Brain Lab has 57% female researchers, demonstrating substantial female participation in research at the intersection of technology, behavioural sciences and innovation.

A particularly significant example of IULM's commitment to encouraging women to enter traditionally male-dominated fields through collaborative outreach is the international Erasmus+ project FA-ST – Promote Female Startups in STEM.

Developed through an international partnership involving Università IULM, the European University Cyprus, PontoPR and RACIO, FA-ST aimed to empower young women, particularly those facing socioeconomic disadvantages, by encouraging entrepreneurship and the development of startups in STEM-related sectors.

The project combined STEM education, entrepreneurial training and women's empowerment. Its activities included the development of dedicated educational materials, communication campaigns, digital dissemination and outreach to external stakeholders.

Importantly, the project's dissemination strategy extended beyond participating universities to the Lombardy Library Network, municipalities and nonprofit associations, demonstrating IULM's experience in collaborating with educational institutions and community organisations to reach women outside traditional university recruitment channels.

Screenwriting and Creative Industries

IULM continues to address gender representation in areas of the creative and cultural industries where women's participation and professional visibility can be strengthened.

Through its partnership with ALF – Pensare al Femminile, the University collaborates with external cultural and professional organisations to promote women's opportunities in cinema, audiovisual production and screenwriting.

The initiative includes the Women Screenwriters Award, the Best European Female Film Award and the Women Advertising Directors Award, supporting the recognition of female talent in creative professions.

In 2025, IULM renewed its collaboration with ALF for the third edition (2025–2026), launched in connection with the Milano Film Fest. The partnership provides opportunities for students in the Master's Degree in TV, Cinema and New Media to participate in the selection of finalists for the Best European Female Film Award, strengthening the connection between university education and professional cultural initiatives.

The collaboration continued in 2026, with IULM participating as a partner in the third edition of ALF Premi Cinema.

These activities demonstrate how IULM works with external cultural and professional organisations to promote women's visibility, encourage interest in creative professions and strengthen opportunities for women in the audiovisual industry.

Sports and Sports Marketing

IULM also actively encourages women's participation in sports and sports-related professional fields, traditionally characterised by lower female representation in several areas.

Through IULM Sport, the University provides women students with opportunities to participate in competitive sports, including football, volleyball and basketball.

In 2025, the IULM women's football team participated in the Street Queens Cup, an international tournament organised by the International Street Football Association (ISFA), bringing together female street-football communities from across Europe.

The initiative involved collaboration between IULM Sport and ONELab and provided an opportunity to promote women's participation, inclusion and visibility in football through an international community-based sporting event.

IULM also expanded opportunities for inclusive sporting participation through the establishment of the IULM Sport FXC – Fireball Extreme Challenge team in 2025. The initiative involves mixed-gender teams and collaboration with the international FXC Federation, promoting participation by women and men in an emerging competitive sporting discipline.

Within the Master in Sports Marketing and Communication, IULM has also recorded a substantial increase in female enrolment since the programme's first edition in 2017/2018.

The number of female students increased from 7 in the first edition to 19 in the latest reported cohort, representing an increase of approximately 171%. Over the same period, women's share of enrolment rose from 30.4% to 54.3%, an increase of approximately 24 percentage points.

These figures demonstrate a substantial change in female participation in a programme preparing students for professional careers in sports management, marketing and communication.

Research and Cultural Engagement

IULM also promotes women's participation and visibility through research, cultural initiatives and public engagement activities addressing fields in which women's contributions have historically received less recognition.

The “La Montagna al Femminile” project highlights women's contributions to the cultural, economic and social development of Alpine territories through research, exhibitions and community engagement.

More broadly, initiatives such as “IULM al femminile” promote women's achievements, professional experiences and contributions across academic, cultural and professional fields, encouraging reflection on gender stereotypes and opportunities.

These activities complement the University's educational and orientation initiatives by providing female students and prospective applicants with visible examples of women's participation and achievement in different professional sectors.

University Outreach and External Collaboration

IULM's approach to encouraging applications by women in underrepresented subjects is supported by a combination of institutional outreach and collaboration with external partners.

The University's initiatives demonstrate IULM's commitment to encouraging women to consider subjects and professional pathways where they have traditionally been underrepresented, combining university-led activities with partnerships involving other universities, professional organisations and community groups.

This approach forms part of the University's broader gender equality strategy, supporting women's participation in STEM and technology, creative industries, sport and sports management, research and cultural engagement.

Università IULM has a specific policy of non-discrimination against women, which has evolved over time into a broader and more comprehensive strategy. The IULM Strategic Plan 2025–2027 establishes the University's overarching institutional commitment to inclusion, equal opportunities and the development of an open and supportive university community. This commitment is further implemented through the IULM Gender Equality Plan (GEP), which provides the institutional framework for preventing and addressing discrimination against women and for promoting gender equality throughout university life. The policy is based on the principle that gender must not constitute a barrier to access, participation, academic progression, employment or professional development within the University.

Within this framework, gender equality is addressed not only as a matter of compliance, but as a principle informing teaching, research, student services, organisational practices and engagement with society.

Institutional governance and protection against discrimination

The implementation of the policy is supported by the Equal Opportunities Committee, the institutional body responsible for promoting equal opportunities and contributing to the prevention of discrimination and inequalities within the IULM community. Its activities include proposing measures to promote equality, supporting work-life balance, addressing structural barriers that may affect academic and professional careers, and fostering an inclusive university environment.

The governance framework also provides for the participation of members of the university community. In 2024, the Equal Opportunities Committee was strengthened through the appointment of a student representative, ensuring that students are directly represented in institutional discussions concerning equality and inclusion.

The University's Code of Ethics further contributes to this framework by establishing principles of respect, dignity and non-discrimination that apply to members of the IULM community. Together, the Strategic Plan, the GEP, the Code of Ethics and the Equal Opportunities Committee provide a coordinated institutional framework for preventing discriminatory behaviour and promoting equal participation.

Prevention and protection against gender-based violence

IULM has progressively strengthened its policy through concrete measures aimed at preventing and addressing gender-based violence, recognising that protection from violence and harassment is an essential component of a non-discriminatory university environment.

Since 2024, IULM has collaborated with the Anti-Violence Center Cerchi d'Acqua, providing a dedicated listening channel open to the IULM community and qualified support for women experiencing mistreatment, abuse, sexual or psychological violence and stalking. The University also collaborates with Ankyra, which provides multidisciplinary support to people affected by domestic and relational violence, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

In December 2025, IULM further strengthened its institutional commitment by becoming one of the universities signing the “Milano per la prevenzione e il contrasto alla violenza maschile contro le donne” inter-institutional Protocol promoted by the Municipality of Milan.

Through this Protocol, IULM works together with the other Milanese universities to coordinate actions for the prevention and contrast of violence against women, combining institutional expertise, resources and professional competences. The agreement provides for:

• awareness-raising and training activities for students and members of the university community;
• multidisciplinary and inter-professional training initiatives;
• research and data collection to support the development of effective policies;
• listening services within universities in cooperation with the Milan Anti-Violence Network;
• collaboration between universities, public institutions, associations and local organisations;
• monitoring of the implementation of the Protocol through designated institutional representatives and periodic meetings.

The initiative therefore extends IULM's non-discrimination policy beyond the internal university environment, placing it within a coordinated city-wide framework for prevention, protection and cultural change.

Awareness, education and cultural change

IULM's approach to non-discrimination also includes initiatives aimed at addressing the cultural factors that contribute to gender inequality. Through teaching, seminars, public events and awareness-raising activities, the University promotes discussion of gender stereotypes, representation, equal opportunities and violence against women.

Recent initiatives have included activities on gender representations and roles, events dedicated to gender-based violence and prevention, and programmes promoting women's participation and empowerment. These activities complement the formal policy framework by helping to create a university culture based on respect, inclusion and equal participation.

The University's participation in the Interuniversity Research Center “Gender Cultures”, of which IULM is a founding member, further strengthens this dimension. The network brings together the seven Milanese universities to promote joint research, education, training and awareness-raising activities on gender and equal opportunities. Through this collaboration, IULM contributes to the development and dissemination of knowledge and good practices on gender equality within the academic community and the wider society, including through initiatives addressing gender and public policies in Milan.

Supportive measures and equal participation

The non-discrimination framework is complemented by practical measures designed to ensure that women can participate fully in university life. These include financial support, mentoring and counselling, childcare and welfare agreements, flexible study arrangements for student mothers, and services supporting wellbeing and protection from violence.

By combining an institutional policy framework with governance mechanisms, prevention and protection measures, support services and awareness-raising activities, IULM seeks to ensure that non-discrimination against women is translated into concrete conditions for equal access, participation and progression across the university community.

IULM has formally introduced and implemented a comprehensive policy of non-discrimination for transgender people, embedded within the broader framework of the IULM Strategic Plan 2025–2027 and the IULM Gender Equality Plan. The institutional framework recognises the importance of ensuring that gender identity and self-determination are respected throughout university life and that all members of the IULM community can participate in an environment based on dignity, inclusion and equal treatment.

Alias Careers Regulation

At the core of this policy is the Alias Careers Regulation, formally adopted by IULM in 2023 to protect students who do not identify with the gender assigned at birth. The Regulation allows students to activate an Alias identity, enabling them to use a name consistent with their gender identity in their interactions with the University, while preserving the necessary confidentiality concerning their personal information.

The Alias procedure is designed to allow students to live their university experience with dignity, privacy and continuity, reducing the risk that discrepancies between their legal name and gender identity may create obstacles or situations of discomfort in academic and administrative contexts.

The Regulation provides a formal and structured procedure for activating and managing an Alias career. The relevant regulation, application documentation and confidentiality agreement are publicly available through IULM's institutional information on Alias Careers and its Student Regulations, ensuring that students can access clear information on the procedure and the safeguards provided.

Recognition throughout the university experience

IULM has further developed the Alias system to ensure that recognition of students' gender identity is not limited to the initial activation of the procedure.

In 2024, the University introduced a dual-degree parchment system, under which Alias students can receive two official parchments: one bearing their legal/birth name and one bearing their Alias identity. This measure provides continuity between the student's university experience and the formal documentation required in different contexts, while recognising the student's gender identity within the University's institutional framework.

The measure is part of IULM's broader effort to ensure that transgender students can pursue their academic, professional and personal development without discrimination or unnecessary administrative barriers.

Institutional framework and inclusion

The policy is supported by IULM's wider institutional commitment to equality and inclusion. The Strategic Plan 2025–2027 reinforces the University's commitment to an inclusive academic community in which equal participation is promoted and discrimination is addressed across university activities.

The Gender Equality Plan provides an additional framework for promoting equal opportunities and preventing discrimination, while the University's Equal Opportunities Committee contributes to the development and implementation of measures supporting an inclusive university environment.

This framework places the Alias Careers Regulation within a broader institutional approach: the University does not treat gender identity solely as an administrative issue, but as part of its commitment to respect, equal participation and the protection of individual dignity.

Awareness-raising and communication

As part of its broader policy of non-discrimination against transgender people, IULM also promotes awareness and public discussion of gender identity, transgender rights, inclusion and the prevention of discrimination through its institutional communication channels.

A particularly important contribution comes from Radio IULM, the University's student radio station, which regularly addresses issues related to transgender identities, LGBTQIA+ rights, gender stereotypes and social inclusion.

Through articles, interviews, podcasts and awareness-raising content, Radio IULM provides opportunities for students and the wider public to engage with these topics, encouraging informed discussion and greater understanding of the challenges faced by transgender people.

These communication activities complement the University's formal non-discrimination policy by contributing to a culture of respect, awareness and inclusion, helping to challenge prejudice and promote recognition of different gender identities within the university community and beyond.

Monitoring and implementation

IULM also monitors the implementation of its inclusive policies through the annual collection of data concerning Alias careers.

In the 2024/2025 academic year, 3 students had an Alias career, compared with 6 in 2023/2024. These figures provide measurable evidence of the continued implementation and use of the procedure within the student population.

The combination of a formal regulation, a defined activation procedure, confidentiality safeguards, recognition through university documentation, public information, awareness-raising initiatives and annual monitoring demonstrates that IULM's policy is implemented through concrete institutional mechanisms rather than being limited to a general commitment to non-discrimination.

Through this framework, IULM seeks to ensure that transgender students can access, attend and complete their university studies in an environment that respects their gender identity, privacy, dignity and equal rights.

Università IULM has adopted maternity policies that support women’s participation, together with several practical measures that ensure these policies’ successful and comprehensive implementation. These policies apply both to staff and to students and are designed to ensure that parenthood does not prevent women from completing their academic or professional careers.

This commitment is embedded in the IULM Strategic Plan 2025–2027 and further supported by the Gender Equality Plan, which promote equal opportunities, work-life balance and the removal of barriers affecting women's academic and professional participation.

Support for staff

IULM implements maternity and parenthood measures in accordance with the applicable Italian legal framework, including Legislative Decree 26 March 2001, No. 151 and subsequent amendments, including Legislative Decree 80/2015.

For staff, the University's provisions include:

• Maternity leave, with the remuneration and employment protections provided under the applicable legislation and contractual provisions;
• Paternity leave, ensuring that fathers can make use of the relevant national provisions and share parental responsibilities;
• Pregnancy protection, including the possibility for women in the last two months of pregnancy to work remotely through smart working, where applicable;
• Flexible working arrangements, including part-time contracts, teleworking and flexible working schedules for staff with family responsibilities;
• Daily breastfeeding and childcare breaks, in accordance with Article 39 of Legislative Decree 151/2001, which provides working mothers with paid daily rest periods during the child's first year of life, including the corresponding period following adoption or foster placement, under the applicable statutory conditions;
• Tax relief and fiscal benefits for employees with dependent children, in accordance with Italian tax legislation, helping to reduce the financial burden associated with family responsibilities.

These measures are complemented by services designed to facilitate work-life balance. In particular, the ALDIA kindergarten provides reduced fees for the children of university employees, offering a concrete support mechanism for teaching and technical-administrative staff with childcare responsibilities.

IULM also provides a wider network of institutional agreements that can support staff and their families, covering educational services, mobility and transportation, healthcare and wellbeing. These include agreements with nurseries and kindergartens, bilingual schools, transport providers and healthcare facilities.

Furthermore, IULM offers employees a health insurance policy that includes a dedicated maternity package, providing coverage for pregnancy-related healthcare services, including obstetric and gynaecological examinations, prenatal diagnostic tests and medical monitoring during pregnancy, as well as a daily hospitalisation allowance following childbirth.

These benefits are detailed in the University's Staff Health Insurance Policy – Maternity Package, contributing to reducing the financial burden associated with maternity and supporting women's health and wellbeing.

Support for research contract holders

Maternity and parental protection also extend to academic research activities. In particular, Article 12(5) of IULM's Regulation on Research Contracts explicitly provides that research activities and the corresponding research contract may be suspended in cases of compulsory maternity leave, parental leave or serious illness.

Furthermore, justified absences totalling fewer than 30 days in a year do not constitute a suspension of the research contract and therefore do not need to be made up.

These provisions support the reconciliation of research responsibilities and parenthood, allowing research contract holders to exercise their parental leave entitlements while benefiting from a defined institutional framework for managing interruptions to research activities.

Support for student parents

IULM also recognises that parenthood can create specific challenges for students and provides measures designed to allow student mothers and fathers to continue their studies while managing family responsibilities.

A key measure is the possibility for students with family, work, health or caregiving responsibilities to access part-time enrolment, allowing them to extend the duration of their studies while benefiting from the applicable reduced tuition arrangements. This provides student mothers and other student parents with greater flexibility in organising their academic careers.

In addition, the IULM Student Regulations provide a regulatory framework for the interruption or temporary suspension of studies in qualifying circumstances, including maternity-related situations where permitted by the applicable provisions. These arrangements help students manage periods in which family responsibilities prevent them from participating regularly in academic activities, while protecting their ability to resume their studies under the relevant conditions.

Specific provisions concerning the suspension of academic activities for maternity and parental responsibilities are also addressed within the University's Doctoral Programme Regulations, extending the institutional framework of maternity protection to doctoral education.

Student parents can also benefit from childcare support, including the University's on-campus Nursery, equipped with a nursing area and changing facilities, and access to early-education services through institutional agreements with providers such as Cooperativa Sociale ALDIA and MILE Bilingual School.

These provisions are complemented by financial support measures and institutional agreements that reduce some of the practical costs associated with combining study and parenthood.

IULM further supports students in maintaining access to the broader university experience through tutoring, guidance and international mobility opportunities, including Erasmus exchanges and internships in Italy and abroad. These services are intended to ensure that family responsibilities do not unnecessarily restrict students' academic and professional opportunities.

Work-life balance and continuity of academic and professional careers

IULM's maternity measures form part of a broader approach to work-life balance and equal participation, recognising that supporting parenthood requires not only leave provisions but also mechanisms that facilitate continuity before, during and after periods of family-related responsibilities.

For staff, this approach combines statutory maternity and paternity provisions with flexible working arrangements, part-time employment, teleworking, breastfeeding breaks, childcare support, family-related fiscal benefits and supplementary maternity health insurance. The University also recognises the specific needs of women engaged in academic research through its regulatory provisions for research contracts.

For students, it combines part-time enrolment, maternity-related suspension of studies where applicable, childcare provision, financial support, tutoring and access to academic and international opportunities.

These measures are consistent with the University's wider commitment to inclusion and equal opportunities, reinforced by the IULM Strategic Plan 2025–2027 and the Gender Equality Plan.

By combining statutory maternity and paternity provisions with flexible working and study arrangements, childcare services, financial support, maternity healthcare coverage and wellbeing measures, IULM seeks to ensure that parenthood does not become a barrier to women's participation, academic progression or professional development.

Università IULM provides accessible childcare facilities for students, for students which allow recent mothers to attend university courses, participate in university life and complete their studies.

A key component of IULM's childcare provision is the on-campus Nursery, created to provide a welcoming, safe and accessible space for student parents within the University premises. The facility is designed to enable mothers to care for their children while remaining able to attend lectures, study and participate in university activities. It includes a comfortable nursing area, a changing table and dedicated facilities for childcare, providing an appropriate and private environment for mothers and their children.

The availability of childcare directly supports the University's objective of removing practical barriers that may affect women's participation in higher education. It is therefore consistent with the principles established by the IULM Gender Equality Plan, which identifies support for parenthood and childcare as relevant measures for promoting gender equality and an inclusive university environment.

This commitment is also consistent with the IULM Strategic Plan 2025–2027, which places inclusion, equal opportunities and the creation of a supportive university community among the University's institutional priorities. Childcare provision represents a concrete way of translating these principles into services that support students with parental responsibilities.

Childcare partnerships and reduced-cost services

The on-campus Nursery is complemented by a wider network of institutional agreements with childcare and educational providers in Milan, enabling IULM students and their families to access services at preferential conditions.

These include:

• ALDIA, providing access to nurseries and kindergartens at different locations;
• MILE Bilingual School, offering nursery, kindergarten and primary education services.

Through these agreements, IULM extends childcare support beyond the University campus and provides families with additional options for managing childcare throughout the different stages of early childhood.

Supporting continuity in higher education

IULM's approach combines on-campus childcare with external childcare partnerships, creating a broader support system for students with children. These measures are particularly relevant for student mothers, for whom childcare responsibilities can represent a practical barrier to attending classes, studying on campus and completing a degree programme.

The childcare facilities are complemented by other measures supporting student parents, including part-time enrolment opportunities, financial support and student guidance, allowing students to adapt their academic pathway to family responsibilities.

By integrating dedicated childcare facilities within the campus with preferential agreements with external childcare providers, IULM seeks to ensure that parenthood does not prevent students from accessing, participating in and completing higher education. The measures form part of the University's broader commitment to gender equality, inclusion and equal access to educational opportunities.

Università IULM provides childcare facilities for staff and faculty, ensuring that motherhood and childcare responsibilities do not limit the ability of women to fully participate in their professional roles within the university.

On-campus childcare

A key component of IULM's childcare provision is the on-campus Nursery, which provides a dedicated and accessible space for the children of members of the University community. The facility offers a safe and welcoming environment equipped with a nursing chair, changing table and dedicated childcare facilities, enabling staff and faculty with young children to better reconcile professional responsibilities and family care.

The availability of an on-campus childcare facility represents a concrete measure supporting work-life balance, allowing mothers to remain engaged in teaching, research and administrative activities while having access to childcare close to their workplace.

The initiative is consistent with the principles of the IULM Gender Equality Plan, which identifies support for parenthood and childcare as relevant measures for promoting gender equality and removing structural barriers to women's participation in professional life. It also contributes to the objectives of the IULM Strategic Plan 2025–2027, which places inclusion, equal opportunities and the creation of a supportive university community among the University's institutional priorities.

External childcare agreements

IULM complements its on-campus provision with a network of institutional agreements with childcare and educational providers in Milan, extending childcare support beyond the University premises.

These include:

• ALDIA, providing nursery and kindergarten services at different locations;
• MILE Bilingual School, providing nursery, kindergarten and primary education.

Through these agreements, IULM staff and faculty can access childcare and early-education services under preferential conditions and reduced fees, providing families with additional options according to their individual needs.

The combination of on-campus provision and external partnerships is particularly relevant for employees with young children, as it helps address one of the practical barriers that can affect women's ability to maintain continuous participation in professional life.

Childcare as part of a broader work-life balance framework

Childcare provision forms part of IULM's broader approach to work-life balance and support for parenthood. It is complemented by measures including maternity and paternity leave, flexible working arrangements, part-time employment, teleworking and smart working, as well as other welfare and family-oriented agreements.

Together, these measures are designed to support staff and faculty throughout different stages of parenthood and to reduce the risk that caring responsibilities disproportionately affect women's professional careers.

IULM therefore approaches childcare not as an isolated welfare service, but as part of a wider institutional framework supporting equal participation, professional continuity and work-life balance.

By combining an on-campus Nursery, preferential access to external childcare services and flexible working and parental-support measures, IULM provides practical conditions that enable women staff and faculty to reconcile family responsibilities with their teaching, research and administrative roles. This contributes to an inclusive university environment in which parenthood does not constitute a barrier to women's professional participation or career development.

Università IULM provides women's mentoring schemes and related support programmes, ensuring that women students have access to tailored initiatives that promote their academic success, wellbeing, personal development, and full participation in university life. These programmes are embedded in the IULM Strategic Plan 2025–2027 and the IULM Gender Equality Plan, which provide an institutional framework for mentoring, guidance, psychological support, women's empowerment and equal participation.

Mentoring, counselling and monitoring of women's participation

IULM systematically monitors participation in its mentoring, counselling, tutoring, and peer-support activities, with women consistently representing the majority of participants.

In 2025, considering the University's broader range of mentoring and counselling activities, including individual counselling, seminars, workshops, tutoring and related support initiatives, 20% of female students participated in these programmes (compared to 18% in 2024).

This represents an increase of 2 percentage points compared with the 18% recorded in 2023/2024, demonstrating growing engagement among female students with the University's mentoring and support opportunities.

IULM has also strengthened its monitoring by introducing a three-year gender-disaggregated analysis of students participating in individual psychological counselling sessions, one of the services within the broader mentoring and counselling framework.

In 2024/2025, 164 of the 199 students participating in individual psychological counselling sessions were women, representing 82% of participants.

These figures demonstrate the continued importance of IULM's psychological counselling and listening services for female students and provide measurable evidence of the University's ongoing monitoring of participation in student support services.

Academic mentoring, personal development and wellbeing

IULM complements its broader mentoring offer with targeted academic and personal development activities designed to help students address common barriers to academic progression and strengthen their autonomy and confidence.

These include seminars on study methods, stress management, expectations, and preparation for the final examination.

In the 2024/2025 academic year, the programme was further developed through dedicated seminars including:

• Study Methods, supporting students in developing effective approaches to learning and academic preparation.
• Study Skills, Time Planning and Motivation, providing practical tools for organising study activities, managing time and maintaining motivation.
• Understanding My Emotions: When I Feel OK and When I Don't, encouraging emotional awareness, self-understanding and strategies for managing challenging situations.

These initiatives complement the University's seminars supporting students in preparing for their final examinations and its psychological counselling and listening services.

Together, these activities provide students with practical tools to manage academic demands, organise their studies effectively, recognise and manage emotions, and support their wellbeing.

Women's empowerment, leadership and professional mentoring

IULM also continued to promote women-focused empowerment and mentoring opportunities beyond the University, including participation in the Mentorship Milano initiative.

The programme is aimed at young women aged 18–30 living in the Metropolitan City of Milan and combines structured shadowing with meetings involving women leaders from different professional sectors.

It supports participants in exploring their aspirations, developing professional awareness, receiving practical guidance, and strengthening confidence.

IULM's commitment to women's professional development is further reflected in initiatives connecting female students with women leaders, professionals and role models.

These include the W Leadership Summit 2025, dedicated to women's leadership and professional development, and the separate inspirational talk with Virginia Stagni, offering students an opportunity to engage with a female professional role model.

These initiatives complement structured mentoring activities by encouraging women students to develop professional aspirations, leadership skills, self-confidence and awareness of career opportunities.

Support for women experiencing discrimination or violence

In parallel, IULM has strengthened the support dimension of its mentoring framework through its collaboration with the Anti-Violence Center Cerchi d'Acqua, open to the entire IULM community.

The initiative provides women experiencing mistreatment, abuse, sexual or psychological violence, or stalking with access to welcome interviews, psychological support, psychotherapy, legal counselling, employment guidance, and financial education.

IULM also collaborates with Ankyra, providing a multidisciplinary support pathway for people experiencing domestic or relational violence.

In December 2025, IULM further strengthened its commitment by joining the “Milano per la prevenzione e il contrasto alla violenza maschile contro le donne” interinstitutional Protocol, promoted by the Municipality of Milan.

The Protocol brings together Milanese universities and local institutions to coordinate awareness-raising, training, research and support activities, including cooperation with the Milan Anti-Violence Network.

These measures ensure that students facing particularly serious personal and social barriers can access specialised support alongside the University's broader mentoring, counselling and wellbeing services.

Gender awareness, representation and empowerment

These initiatives are complemented by IULM's wider gender-equality activities, including awareness-raising and empowerment events addressing women's participation, leadership, gender representations, and personal and professional development.

Examples include “IULM al femminile”, activities dedicated to gender representations and women's participation, and initiatives addressing gender-based violence and prevention.

These activities provide opportunities for reflection, dialogue and engagement with issues that can influence women's confidence, academic participation and professional aspirations.

Together, these measures demonstrate that IULM's approach to women's mentoring extends beyond a single programme and combines peer mentoring, individual psychological counselling, academic guidance, seminars, workshops, wellbeing support, women's empowerment and pathways to personal and professional development.

Through the Strategic Plan 2025–2027, the Gender Equality Plan, and its continued monitoring of participation, IULM strengthens the conditions that enable women students to participate fully in academic life, overcome barriers to progression, and develop their academic and professional potential.

Università IULM systematically measures and tracks the likelihood of women graduating compared to men's, in alignment with the IULM Strategic Plan 2025–2027 and the Gender Equality Plan. Gender-disaggregated data are regularly collected and analysed throughout the student journey, allowing the University to monitor women's and men's progression from admission and enrolment through academic progression, completion, and dropout, and to identify areas where additional support may be required.

IULM's monitoring framework covers both the overall student population and specific groups that may face additional barriers to successful completion, including first-generation students, students from developing countries, refugees, students with disabilities, and students with specific learning disorders (SLD). This enables the University to assess participation and progression patterns across different student groups and to inform targeted support measures.

Gender-disaggregated monitoring of student progression

The latest available data for 2025 show that women consistently represent the majority of IULM's student population, applicants, students entering degree programmes, and graduates:

In 2025, women represented 80% of IULM graduates, compared with 78% in 2024 and 76% in 2023. The proportion of women among graduates has therefore increased by 4 percentage points over the three-year period, demonstrating the strong representation of women among students successfully completing their degree programmes.

The monitoring of progression is complemented by gender-disaggregated analysis of dropout rates. For the cohort enrolled in 2024/25, 99 women and 43 men subsequently discontinued their studies, corresponding to dropout rates of 6.3% among women and 8.7% among men. For the previous cohort, enrolled in 2023/24, 143 women and 55 men discontinued their studies, corresponding to dropout rates of 8.4% among women and 11% among men. For the cohort enrolled in 2022/23, the corresponding rates were 9.6% among women and 9% among men.

These figures highlight an improvement in student retention in 2024/25, with female dropout rates decreasing by 2.1 percentage points and male dropout rates by 2.3 percentage points compared with 2023/24. They also demonstrate that women's dropout rates have remained consistently lower than men's over the two most recent academic years. IULM systematically monitors these trends to identify potential differences in academic progression and determine whether additional support measures are required.

Monitoring of students facing additional barriers

IULM tracks first-to-second-year dropout among students with disabilities and students with specific learning disorders (SLD), alongside the overall university dropout rate.

The monitoring considers students who leave IULM after their initial enrolment, either explicitly, through withdrawal or transfer, or implicitly, by not enrolling in the second year.

The latest available figures cover four consecutive entry cohorts:

For students with disabilities, the underlying figures are:

For students with specific learning disorders (SLD), the corresponding figures are:

The 2024/25 data show a substantial improvement in retention among students with SLD, whose first-to-second-year dropout rate decreased from 14.0% in 2023/24 to 6.1% in 2024/25, a reduction of 7.9 percentage points.

Over the same period, the overall IULM dropout rate decreased from 11.4% to 8.8%, an improvement of 2.6 percentage points.

For students with disabilities receiving H/H-50 exemptions, the dropout rate increased from 6.5% to 10.5%. However, the underlying population is relatively small, with 2 students discontinuing their studies out of 19 first-year students in 2024/25. These figures are therefore interpreted with particular attention to the limited cohort size.

This longitudinal monitoring provides an additional mechanism for identifying students who may require enhanced academic, psychological, or organisational support.

IULM's diversaMENTE support services form part of the University's broader commitment to ensuring accessible and inclusive academic participation for students with disabilities and specific learning disorders.

Measures supporting successful completion

Data monitoring is complemented by a range of measures designed to address potential barriers to academic progression and completion. These include:

• Mentoring, counselling, tutoring and peer-support programmes, in which women represent the majority of participants. In 2025, 20% of the female student population participated in IULM's broader mentoring and counselling activities, including seminars, workshops and individual support.
• Targeted scholarships and financial support, with 868 of the 1,065 financial aid recipients in 2025 being women (82%), compared with 81% in 2024 and 84% in 2023.
• Academic guidance and personalised tutoring, supporting students in managing academic difficulties and progressing through their degree programmes.
• Flexible study arrangements, including part-time enrolment, supporting students who need to reconcile their studies with work or family responsibilities.
• Childcare and family-support measures, including the on-campus nursery and agreements with external childcare providers.
• Support services for students experiencing violence or other serious personal difficulties, including IULM's collaboration with Cerchi d'Acqua and Ankyra.
• Dedicated inclusion and accessibility services, supporting students with disabilities and specific learning disorders in overcoming barriers to academic participation and progression.

These measures provide mechanisms through which the University can respond to the patterns identified through its monitoring activities. In particular, the combination of gender-disaggregated data, longitudinal dropout monitoring, academic support, mentoring, counselling, financial assistance, and flexible study arrangements enables IULM to identify potential barriers to completion and provide targeted forms of support.

Through this integrated approach, IULM treats the monitoring of women's graduation likelihood as an ongoing institutional process rather than a one-off statistical exercise. The combination of systematic measurement, longitudinal analysis, and support schemes provides the basis for identifying and addressing differences in academic progression between women and men, in line with the University's commitment to gender equality and student success.

Università IULM has a clear policy in place to protect individuals reporting discrimination from educational or employment disadvantage. This protection forms part of the University’s broader institutional framework for equality, inclusion, and non-discrimination and is supported by the IULM Strategic Plan 2025–2027 and the Gender Equality Plan, which provides the strategic framework for preventing discrimination and promoting equal treatment within the IULM community.

The protection is operationalised through IULM’s whistleblowing framework, which applies to employees, students, and other individuals connected to the University. The framework provides a formal channel through which concerns and reports can be submitted and establishes safeguards designed to protect individuals who report misconduct or discriminatory conduct from retaliation or disadvantage in their educational or professional relationship with the University.

In particular, IULM provides a dedicated online whistleblowing platform through which reports can be submitted in a secure environment. The procedure is designed to ensure confidentiality and, where applicable, anonymity, protecting the identity of the reporting person throughout the reporting and assessment process. Reports are handled by the competent institutional body, including the Supervisory Body (Organismo di Vigilanza), in accordance with the applicable procedures and confidentiality requirements.

The framework is implemented in accordance with Italian Legislative Decree No. 24/2023, which regulates the protection of persons reporting violations and transposes the relevant EU legislation into the Italian legal framework. Within IULM, these safeguards provide a formal mechanism through which members of the University community can raise concerns without being exposed to retaliation or adverse consequences as a result of making a protected report.

IULM also provides for the possibility of external reporting to the National Anti-Corruption Authority (ANAC) where the conditions established by the applicable framework are met. This provides an additional safeguard for reporting individuals and complements the University's internal reporting mechanism.

The protection of individuals reporting discrimination is further supported by IULM’s broader equality and inclusion framework, including the Gender Equality Plan, the work of the Equal Opportunities Committee, and institutional measures aimed at preventing discrimination and promoting a safe and inclusive university environment. These mechanisms contribute to ensuring that students, teaching staff, and technical-administrative personnel can raise concerns through formal channels without fear that doing so will negatively affect their studies, employment, or participation in university life.

Through this integrated framework, IULM combines a formal reporting mechanism, confidentiality and anti-retaliation safeguards, institutional oversight, and external reporting options to protect individuals who raise concerns. The policy therefore provides a concrete mechanism for ensuring that reporting discrimination does not result in educational or employment disadvantage.

Università IULM has adopted a paternity policy that fully supports women’s participation by ensuring that non-gestational parents can actively share childcare responsibilities. This commitment forms part of IULM’s broader institutional approach to gender equality and work-life balance, as reflected in the IULM Strategic Plan 2025–2027 and the Gender Equality Plan (GEP). By supporting fathers and other non-gestational parents in taking an active role in childcare, IULM seeks to reduce the unequal distribution of family responsibilities that may otherwise affect women’s academic and professional participation.

Support for staff

IULM guarantees the rights provided under Italian legislation on maternity, paternity and parental leave. In particular, under Article 27-bis of Legislative Decree 151/2001, as amended by Legislative Decree 105/2022, employees who are entitled to mandatory paternity leave can take 10 working days of fully paid leave, from two months before the expected date of birth until five months after the birth. The entitlement also applies to adoptive and foster fathers and is increased to 20 working days in the case of multiple births.

The legislation explicitly recognises paternity leave as a measure supporting a more equitable distribution of parental responsibilities. The leave may also be taken during the mother’s maternity leave, thereby enabling fathers to be involved in childcare from the earliest stages of the child’s life.

IULM complements these statutory rights with measures supporting the reconciliation of professional and family responsibilities, including:

• Part-time employment and flexible working arrangements, where applicable;
• Smart working/teleworking and flexible working hours, supporting employees with family and caregiving responsibilities;
• Access to the ALDIA Kindergarten, including reduced fees for IULM staff;
• Agreements and welfare measures providing access to educational, mobility, healthcare and family-related services;
• Tax relief and fiscal benefits for employees with dependent children, in accordance with applicable Italian tax legislation, helping to reduce the financial burden associated with raising children and supporting employees with family responsibilities.

These measures contribute to creating an institutional environment in which taking parental leave and assuming childcare responsibilities are compatible with continued participation in working life.

Support for research contract holders

Paternity and parental protection also extend to academic research activities. In particular, Article 12(5) of IULM's Regulation on Research Contracts explicitly provides that research activities and the corresponding research contract may be suspended in cases of compulsory maternity leave, parental leave or serious illness.

Furthermore, justified absences totalling fewer than 30 days in a year do not constitute a suspension of the research contract and therefore do not need to be made up.

These provisions support the reconciliation of research responsibilities and parenthood, allowing research contract holders to exercise their parental leave entitlements while benefiting from a defined institutional framework for managing interruptions to research activities.

Support for students and student parents

IULM also recognises the needs of students who are parents. Measures supporting student parents include:

• Access to the on-campus nursery;
• Part-time enrolment, allowing students with caregiving responsibilities to extend the duration of their studies while benefiting from the applicable fee arrangements;
• Childcare agreements and services available through IULM’s welfare network;
• Tutoring, counselling and academic support, helping students combine family responsibilities with their studies;
• Access to international mobility and internship opportunities, supported by personalised guidance where necessary.

These measures apply to student parents regardless of gender and therefore contribute to creating conditions in which fathers can participate actively in childcare without compromising their educational pathway.

Shared parenthood and gender equality

IULM’s approach goes beyond the provision of statutory leave by promoting shared parenthood as an element of gender equality. Paternity and parental support measures are complemented by childcare services, flexible study and working arrangements, counselling, family-related fiscal benefits and welfare initiatives.

The University's Regulation on Research Contracts further strengthens this approach by establishing explicit provisions for the suspension of research activities and contracts in cases of parental leave, ensuring that research contract holders can reconcile academic responsibilities with parenthood.

These measures are consistent with the University's commitment to equal opportunities and work-life balance, as established in the Strategic Plan 2025–2027 and the Gender Equality Plan.

The combination of statutory paternity rights, institutional work-life balance measures, support for research contract holders and services for student parents contributes to reducing the practical barriers associated with caregiving responsibilities and supports the continued participation of women in education and employment.