The WeAreHERe for Finance: The Future of Inclusive Finance event took place on November 13, 2025, in Room 2P of the Cittadella Politecnica at Politecnico di Torino. It was organized by Starting Finance Club PoliTO in collaboration with WeAreHERe and with the support of Global Thinking Foundation.
The initiative, free of charge and open to the academic community upon registration, addressed the gender gap in the economic-financial sector and in STEM disciplines, with a focus on inclusion, financial education, and female empowerment.
The event was designed as a meeting point between the academic and professional worlds, encouraging a concrete reflection on persistent inequalities and on the opportunities for cultural and structural change.
The Core of the Debate
The debate started from data on the gender gap in the labor market and in STEM disciplines, highlighting that only 27% of new students enrolled in management and finance-related programs at Politecnico are women.
The discussion examined horizontal and vertical segregation, the gender pay gap, and the low female employment rate in Italy, where around half of women are inactive in the labor market.
Financial education emerged as a central tool to reduce the economic power gap, counter economic violence, and strengthen women's decision-making autonomy.
Data on financial literacy in Italy were also presented: only 35% of the population correctly answers questions on inflation, interest rates, and diversification. The discussion also covered the credit gap for women-led businesses, estimated globally between 1.4 and 1.7 trillion dollars.
Finally, the dialogue highlighted the positive relationship between gender equality and economic growth, with studies showing how greater equality affects GDP, productivity, innovation, and corporate performance.
The Protagonists
The main protagonists were the WeAreHERe community, Starting Finance Club PoliTO, and Global Thinking Foundation, with the scientific contribution of Prof. Alessandra Colombelli and Dr. Claudia Segre.
WeAreHERe is a community of female students from Politecnico di Torino created to fight gender stereotypes in STEM and promote the presence of women in technical and scientific fields through events, hackathons, and orientation activities.
Global Thinking Foundation, led by Dr. Claudia Segre, has worked for years on economic inclusion and financial education, with a particular focus on economic violence and female autonomy.
In particular, Dr. Claudia Segre, President of Global Thinking Foundation, delivered a speech focused on women's economic independence, recorded for our members and available at the following link: members-only talk.
Prof. Alessandra Colombelli introduced the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index and illustrated global and structural trends in the gender gap, connecting them to innovation, politics, and economic dynamics.
The Challenges
Among the main challenges that emerged were the persistence of gender stereotypes, low financial literacy among women, and the difficulty women face in reaching leadership roles and accessing credit.
The pandemic increased the care burden on women, reducing their labor participation and slowing progress toward political and wage equality, while segregation in care-related sectors limits access to STEM and finance.
On the academic side, Politecnico di Torino still sees strong female underrepresentation in economics and finance-related programs, despite the presence of women in other fields.
The cultural challenge emerged as the most complex one: transforming individual awareness into systemic actions capable of involving institutions, companies, and policy makers through inclusion policies, flexible work arrangements, and the spread of gender-focused financial education.
Conclusion and Networking
In conclusion, the event reaffirmed that talent has no gender and that financial education is a true lever of empowerment, capable of turning vulnerability into autonomy and opportunity.
The role of a shared approach among individuals, universities, companies, and institutions was emphasized as essential to building a more inclusive and sustainable ecosystem, where gender diversity becomes a competitive advantage rather than a burden.
The event was an important networking opportunity among students, PhD candidates, professors, and professionals, promoting dialogue, exchange of perspectives, and future collaborations.
The organizations expressed their intention to continue this path with new events on inclusive finance, mentorship programs for female students, practical workshops, and awareness initiatives in schools, contributing to the development of a fairer, more inclusive, and more conscious financial culture.