(ph. Getty Images)

In recent years, companies have increasingly embraced Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), creating dedicated roles and even a new certified profession: DE&I professionals. International standards like ISO 30415 guide organizations in building inclusive cultures, with training and communication programs involving managers and employees to improve wellbeing, retention, and business outcomes.

Sports are often used in corporate storytelling to promote DE&I, with rugby serving as a strong metaphor: only through diverse body types and skills can a team succeed. Rugby also embodies values such as loyalty, solidarity, respect, and teamwork—principles transferable to the workplace. The Paralympic Games further showcase inclusion, celebrating the right to participate and challenging stereotypes about disability.

Sponsorships and partnerships increasingly connect brands to athletes engaged in social and environmental causes, with gender equality standing out as a pressing issue. While sportswomen inspire younger generations to overcome prejudice, the gender pay gap remains stark. Female athletes earn far less than men due to lower investments and media coverage, with no women in Forbes’ top 50 highest-paid athletes. Tennis is a rare exception, where Grand Slam tournaments have equal prize money since 2007.

Ongoing advocacy by athletes, growing media attention, and tools like the UNI/PdR 125 certification—which already involves thousands of companies—offer hope for systemic change. Achieving true gender equality in sport remains a match still to be won.

(News by Bureau Veritas Italia).

Bureau Veritas Italia promotes an inclusive culture within the company and in its relations with its stakeholders. This commitment, enshrined in the Articles of Association as a Benefit Corporation, also translates into a wide range of training and certification services on DE&I issues.