In this article, we are privileged to engage with the experiences and insights of our esteemed interviewee, an expert in ecology, progressivism and sociology. With her remarkable background as former President of Legambiente and Vice-President of the Environmental Commission of the Italian Chamber of Commerce, Rossella Muroni has unparalleled expertise in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development. She is currently President of Nuove Ri-Generations, an association dedicated to urban and social renewal. Our interviewee offers valuable perspectives on women’s experiences in STEM fields and strategies to encourage greater participation.
Rossella Muroni, President of Nuove Ri-Generations
- Can you tell us a little about your background?
I am a trained ecologist, progressive and sociologist. I was president of Legambiente (the largest Italian non-governmental organisation for environmental protection) and vice-president of the Environmental Commission of the Italian Chamber of Commerce; today I am president of the Nuove Ri-Generations association, which deals with urban and social renewal. I am an expert on environmental sustainability issues in the tourism sector and in the organisation of local services, and I work as a consultant and trainer on sustainable development issues.
- One of the main assets of the SKILLBILL project is the involvement of women in STEM. Can you tell us about your experience as a woman in the sector STEM?
I do not work exclusively in the sectors STEM, but I can testify that women are one step ahead when given the space to express themselves. Thank you to Legambiente’s experience, I have worked in many areas of environmental innovation. For example, the Italian scientist Catia Bastioli is the woman who declared war on plastic with the discovery of mater-bi, the compostable bioplastic.
Telling stories of women entrepreneurs and scientists could be a good start, because people learn through good examples to follow.
- What can be done to increase women’s participation on STEM and reduce the gender gap? Do you have a suggestion you can pass on to Skillbill?
We need to overcome gender stereotypes, starting with the ones we learn by osmosis from a young age, and start looking at science subjects as basic areas of knowledge that are equally suitable for girls and boys. Telling stories of women entrepreneurs and scientists could be a good start, because people learn through good examples to follow.
Empowering women in STEM fields isn’t just about closing the gender gap; it’s about unlocking the immense potential and diverse perspectives that they bring to scientific innovation and technological progress.
