PWA Milan (The Professional Women’s Association of Milan) is an international network of women with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and occupations. PWA aims to foster personal and professional development and to provide a friendly forum for networking and growth.
PWA’s members are typically independent professionals, entrepreneurs, or women with a corporate background. PWA Milan is a member of a larger network, the European Professional Women’s Network. Thanks to a new partnership agreement with the school, female MBA participants are offered free membership to the PWA, a great opportunity to enlarge their network and to liaise with Italian and international professional women based in Milan, including SDA Bocconi’s faculty and staff.
Several SDA Bocconi MBA alumnae belong to the association. Annalisa Gigante is presently vice president of the European Professional Women’s Network. Joining this network is a great opportunity for our MBA students to make their MBA experience in Milan even more valuable and enjoyable.
The center has conducted research on topics such as the gender pay gap and the costs of maternity to both employees and companies.
As a partner of PWA, SDA Bocconi is also involved in a project called “Ready-for-Board Women”. This project was started in 2008 to tackle the issue of low female representation on company boards, and its association with the supposed lack of suitable female candidates for board-level positions. The project involved identifying ideal candidate profiles, creating a database of matching candidates, and making it available to companies looking for new board members.