Accredited management system certification for gender equality
Italy has turned accredited certification for Gender Equality Management Systems into a practical lever for innovation, trust and sustainability and a concrete contribution to UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality).
In 2022, Accredia, the Italian Accreditation Body, introduced a dedicated scheme based on UNI/PdR 125:2022, where organisations are verified and assessed against measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) (e.g., governance, human resources [HR] processes, pay equity, parental protection and work-life balance). Certification can be issued only by certification bodies accredited by Accredia for the ISO/IEC 17021-1 accreditation standard, ensuring competence, impartiality and consistency in audits.
Gender Equality Management Systems certification is requested from businesses on a voluntary basis and incentive mechanisms are planned for companies that successfully conclude the certification process. The certification can be requested from accredited conformity assessment bodies by companies of all sizes and sectors. The certification scheme is based on the practice UNI/PdR 125:2022 that was issued by UNI (Italian Standardisation Body) on 16 March 2022.
The UNI/PdR 125:2022 sets out guidelines for a gender equality management system, providing for the structuring and adoption of a set of KPIs inherent to gender equality policies within organisations. The practice provides for the measurements, reporting and evaluation of gender data in organisations with the aim of bridging existing gaps as well as incorporating the new gender equality paradigm into the DNA of organisations and producing sustainable and lasting change over time.
Background
Despite progress, gender equality in the workplace remains a structural challenge in Italy. Policymakers sought a mechanism that could move beyond declarations and translate commitments into measurable organisational change.
To support this, Italy promoted an accredited, KPI-based certification scheme for gender equality, based on accreditation, that is anchored in national legislation and institutional objectives. The Italian Gender Equality Certification System has been introduced by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP, part of the Next Generation EU) and subsequently regulated by specific national Law No. 162 of 5 November 2021 (the Gribaudo Law) and by Law No. 234 of 30 December 2021 (the 2022 Budget Law).
The key organisations and roles of this system are:
- Accredia (Italian National Accreditation Body): accredits certification bodies according to ISO/IEC 17021-1, verifying competence and impartiality, including auditor qualifications and sector-specific expertise.
- UNI (Italian Standardisation Body): published UNI/PdR 125:2022 and later partnered with Accredia to clarify application through guidance/FAQs, updated on a regular basis.
- Department for Equal Opportunities (Presidency of the Council of Ministers): owner of the broader public policy initiative and developer of the digital information system for collecting and analysing certification data.
- Unioncamere (National Union of Chambers of Commerce): involved in managing parts of the incentive mechanism linked to certification costs and technical assistance.
Strategy
Italy’s approach combined standardisation, accreditation, incentives, and digital monitoring to create a reliable ecosystem that organisations could trust and that public authorities could use for policy goals.
1) A measurable, management-system approach (Innovation)
Rather than focusing on isolated initiatives, UNI/PdR 125:2022 frames gender equality as a management system assessed through KPIs across six evaluation areas (including culture/strategy, governance, HR processes, career opportunities, pay equity, and parenting/work-life balance). This design encourages structured planning, implementation, measurement, and continuous improvement.
2) Accreditation as the mechanism of trust (Trust)
Accreditation ensures that certification bodies operate with verified competence and impartiality, including checks on auditors’ qualifications and relevant expertise. In early implementation, Accredia highlighted requirements such as knowledge of ISO 9001, UNI/PdR 125 and HR diversity/inclusion guidance (e.g., ISO 30415), and specific professional competence for audits. A distinctive element of the Italian scheme is that even certification bodies are expected to implement a Gender Equality Management System internally, reinforcing credibility and alignment with the scheme’s intent.
3) Policy alignment and incentives (Sustainability and scale)
To accelerate adoption—especially among organisations that might otherwise postpone investment—Italy linked the scheme to National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) measures and broader market advantages (e.g., eligibility mechanisms and recognition in procurement contexts, as described by Accredia). PNRR funding included €2.5 million for technical assistance and €5.5 million to cover certification costs.
4) Transparent monitoring through a national information system (Innovation + Trust)
Accredited bodies are required to upload data (including KPI values) for certified organisations into a Department for Equal Opportunities digital information system, enabling monitoring and statistical analysis by company size, geography, and sector—supporting accountability and evidence-based policy refinement.
5) Continuous improvement through shared guidance (Trust + Usability)
To reduce inconsistent interpretations and strengthen harmonised implementation, Accredia and UNI issued a joint guidance document (“UNI/PdR 125 FAQ – Indirizzi applicativi”) addressing common questions on requirements, monitoring, and performance evaluation.
Results and impacts
Rapid adoption and market transformation: between 2022 and 2025, the accredited certification for UNI/PdR 125 scaled quickly from launch to widespread uptake.
- In July 2022, Accredia accredited the first three certification bodies for UNI/PdR 125, enabling the scheme to start operating at scale, and positioning accreditation as the “confidence layer” behind the policy tool.
- By December 2023, Italy recorded strong early growth, with 50 accredited certification bodies and initial certification figures reported by Accredia (including certified Italian and foreign sites).
- By December 2024, the system reached 54 accredited bodies and over 16,000 certified sites, consolidating gender equality certification among the most adopted management system certifications nationally.
- By September 2025 (last verified update), national figures cited 62 accredited bodies and 38,652 certified companies, exceeding the PNRR target of 800 companies by 2026—a strong indicator of demand and policy traction.
Trust and credibility for stakeholders:
Because certification is delivered only by accredited bodies, companies, regulators, and the market can rely on consistent, third-party verified evaluations. This is particularly important where certification unlocks incentives or affects procurement decisions: accreditation reduces the risk of “paper compliance” and strengthens confidence that KPI-based assessments reflect real organisational practices.
Innovation in governance and organisational practice:
The KPI framework pushes organisations to adopt modern governance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), linking strategy to measurable outcomes. The national information system adds an additional layer of innovation by enabling structured data collection and analysis, making gender equality progress more observable and comparable across sectors and regions.
Sustainability and long-term societal impact (SDG 5):
This initiative positions accredited certification as infrastructure for the social dimension of sustainability, supporting fairer workplaces and promoting women’s participation, progression, pay equity and work-life balance. Over time, the combination of management-system logic, periodic surveillance, and KPI tracking can help shift organisational culture from one-off initiatives to sustained improvement, contributing directly to SDG 5 while also strengthening resilience and productivity in the economy.