EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN, WHO WITH THEIR CONTRIBUTION HAVE SHAPED THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF OUR COUNTRY, EMBODYING VALUES OF INTELLECTUAL, TECHNOLOGICAL, AND MORAL EXCELLENCE.
THEIR NAMES WILL NOW TRAVEL ON THE ITALIAN ROUTES OF ITALO TRAINS AS SYMBOLS OF INNOVATION, SPEED, QUALITY AND COMMITMENT TO THE FUTURE
March 8th, International Women's Day, was more than just a celebration for Italo. A project was born to celebrate Italian women who have left their mark on history. These women, not always known to the general public or students, will be the focus of an awareness and recognition campaign promoted by the company.
To begin with, Italo has decided to dedicate one of its own trains to Laura Bassi Veratti (Bologna, 1711 – 1778), the first female university professor and the first European woman to hold a university position in physics (at the University of Bologna). This symbolic gesture pays tribute to Laura Bassi's extraordinary contribution to science and education, while also inspiring new generations. Over the course of the year, other outstanding Italian women will be selected to name additional trains after: through a contest among employees, the Italo community will select the individuals who will give names to the company's trains.
The list of great personalities that Italo will present to the employees includes Cristina Roccati (Italian physicist and poet who graduated in Bologna in 1751; hers was the third academic title awarded in Italy to a woman), Giuseppina Aliverti (Italian geophysicist graduated in 1919 in Turin, Director of the Geophysical Observatory of Pavia and among other things corresponding member of the Accademia dei Lincei) or Cesarina Monti (biologist, physiologist, limnologist, and zoologist; in 1907, she was the first woman to obtain a university chair in the Kingdom of Italy). The information and awareness campaign will continue throughout the year: Italo is establishing synergies with leading Italian universities to support the study paths of female STEM students, in addition to collaborating on the project. “Women in STEM” launched by Fabiana Giacomotti, a costume historian and journalist, who will dedicate her monthly column in Italo Magazine to the figures of these Italian women who have contributed to scientific and technological research and development.
A concrete commitment from the railway company, which boasts 50% women among its 1,500 employees. Women are present in both operational and staff roles. Italo aims to promote young women's access to subjects and educational programs that are still too heavily skewed toward men. The latest ISTAT report, in fact, highlights that 25% of young people (25-34 years old) with a tertiary education have a degree in scientific and technological disciplines, known as STEM degrees; the percentage rises to 37% among men, while it drops to 16.8% among women, highlighting a marked gender gap.
The project will end onFebruary 11, 2026, coinciding with the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
We are a company that has always placed people at the center of its strategy. We believe that every role is tailored to the individual's skills, abilities, and educational background.
There is no such thing as a male or female profession. We want to pass this culture on to our entire community by naming our trains after Italian women who have made history and who are still not widely known today," comments Italo's CEO. Gianbattista La Rocca.
