March 8: Together to Transform Talent into Opportunity

On March 8, International Women’s Day, Università Bocconi marks a moment of recognition and renewed commitment: valuing female talent means creating concrete opportunities, breaking down barriers, and investing in the future.

In recent years, this vision has been translated into tangible actions thanks to the generosity of our community. Among these, the Changed by Women initiative represented a particularly significant milestone: 199 Alumnae shared their stories, describing how their experience at Bocconi helped shape paths of leadership, expertise, and impact in society.

From this collective narrative came not only inspiration, but a concrete commitment. The donations raised through the initiative gave life and strength to the Women Fund, created to support deserving female students and offer them the opportunity to pursue their academic journey with greater peace of mind.

Thanks to the contribution of more than 500 donors, between 2024 and 2025 the Women Fund exceeded €43,000, transforming a message of empowerment into real opportunities. This result was further strengthened by the matching gift from Mariafrancesca Carli, Alumna and Ambassador of the project, who doubled every donation up to €50,000, amplifying the impact of each contribution.

Behind these numbers are stories like that of Lavinia D’Alberto, the first beneficiary of the Fund, now in her first year of the Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management:

International Women’s Day is extremely important: for a long time we were not able to show what we are capable of, and today we finally have that opportunity. […]
When I learned about being awarded the Women Fund tuition waiver, the first word that came to mind was: Gratitude. Knowing that I am a beneficiary of the Fund fills me with a sense of responsibility to do well at university; I will always be grateful for this, and the least I can do is show how much I truly care.

In her words we see the most authentic meaning of our donors’ commitment: offering female students the opportunity to study with greater peace of mind, nurture their ambitions, and build their future with determination.

Alongside the Women Fund, philanthropy continues to support numerous projects dedicated to Bocconi’s female students.

Among the active support funds, we recall:

• WE Dream Bocconi Scholarship Award, intended for female students from Calabria admitted to Bachelor’s degree programs.
• Donna Javotte Women’s Scholarship Fund, supporting deserving female students in highly specialized academic paths.
• Anna Bonomi Award, which will accompany 18 female students over six years, in the spirit of a philanthropic tradition that began in the 1940s.

These initiatives are complemented by the generous choices of many Alumnae, Alumni, and individual donors who have personally committed to women’s empowerment by establishing named tuition waivers and scholarships, and by supporting academic paths in specific fields of study.

This commitment also extends to research: the AXA Research Lab on Gender Equality, directed by Professor Paola Profeta and established thanks to a donation, promotes research on gender inclusion with the aim of guiding public and private decision-making.

On this symbolic day, we wish to recognize the value of those who have chosen to stand with us. It is also thanks to your support that gender equality can be translated into accessible opportunities, nurtured talent, and female leadership capable of making a meaningful impact on society.