The code of ethics of Women&Tech® ETS

Women&Tech®️ - Women and Technologies Association - ETS registered with RUNTS (hereinafter Women&Tech® or the Association) is a professional category association organization and non-profit. The initiative was born in 1999 as a CSR project by Gianna Martinengo developed within her company. In 2009, Women&Tech® became an association shared by a network of companies and individuals who offer their skills to achieve its mission: to enhance female talent in technology, innovation, and scientific research, promote projects and actions aimed at fighting stereotypes and gender discrimination, contribute to guiding young people towards future careers and sustainable entrepreneurial models are the objectives of the Association.

Women&Tech® promotes the sharing and exchange of experiences and skills in the fields of technology, social innovation, sustainability, inclusion, human capital, skills, life science, art, culture, creativity, gender gap diversity and inclusion, new trends. Women&Tech® is open to all those who wish to contribute voluntarily and directly to the achievement of shared objectives. It is permeated by the principles of innovation in all its components, starting from those who actively participate, boasting diverse professional experiences and representing excellence in various sectors of reference (entrepreneurship, public administration, research, universities, media, third sector, and freelancing).

DEFINITIONS OF THE WOMEN&TECH® CODE OF ETHICS

Article 1 - What is the Code of Ethics

The Code of Ethics is a voluntary institutional agreement, entered into between the Members of Women&Tech® and their representatives (hereinafter, collectively, Members), in order to ethically regulate the relationships between them and between the Association and external stakeholders, including those who, through funding and sponsorship, enable it to achieve its goals.

Belonging to Women&Tech® implies compliance with current general regulations as well as acceptance and full adherence not only to the Association's statute, but also to the regulations and the ethical code adopted by the Association.

Art. 2 - Motivation of the Associates

Members possess a strong motivation that drives them to impact the improvement of the quality of work and society through their professional role, experience, and personal value.

Women&Tech® pursues the ideal of the non-profit organization and Associates consider the development of the Non-Profit world the dominant principle of the associative life, proposing to exclude any interference deriving from individual interests not compatible with the shared purposes.

Art. 3 - Structure of the Code of Ethics

The Code of Ethics consists of three main parts:

• The first indicates the general principles to which Women&Tech® inspires its mission.
• The second one sets the rules of conduct for the various types of recipients.
• The third defines the structure of implementation and control of the effective application of this document.

Article 4 - Responsibility of Members

Associates are ethically responsible towards the Association in providing their contribution, putting their professionalism and expertise at the service of the Association without compromising their personal beliefs or those of the Association and its members for speculative purposes.

Art. 5 - Protection of the name and Independence of Women&Tech®

In carrying out their activities, Members must not take actions that contravene the statute, regulations, and this code of ethics or compromise the Association's core values and image.

In pursuing its associative goals, Women&Tech® does not accept or tolerate any external conditioning of any kind and rejects any preferential financial relationship with third parties interested in financing projects developed by Women&Tech®, which could compromise its independence.

Art. 6 - Accuracy

The regulation subject of this Code is aimed at promoting, realizing and protecting the correctness of the work of both the individual Associate and the Association and in general of all those subjects who, directly or indirectly, establish any kind of collaboration relationships or operate in the interest of Women&Tech® and its individual Associates.

Article 7 - Transparency (within the Association and towards third parties)

The Code reflects the commitment of the Members to comply with current laws, but also the willingness to operate according to transparent and correct behavioral norms, ensuring that the necessary financial resources are sourced and used in an ethical, professional, and transparent manner, in the exclusive interest of the Association and never for personal gain.

Art. 8 - Confidentiality

The Members undertake to process data (personal and non-personal) and information related to the Association or other Members (including company information) exclusively within the scope and for the purposes of their association activities and, in any case, not to disclose them without the explicit consent or authorization of Women&Tech®.

Article 9 - Value of people

Women&Tech® acts with respect and enhancement of the individual characteristics of people, diversity, and primarily bases internal relationships on dialogue. Associates commit to respecting the fundamental rights of individuals, such as dignity and moral integrity, and ensure respect and equal opportunities.

In internal and external relationships, discriminatory behaviors based on political and union opinions, religion, racial or ethnic origins, nationality, age, gender, sexual orientation, and health status are not tolerated.

Article 10 - Use of funds

The Association guarantees that financial resources will be used according to the criterion of transparent management for purposes in line with those statutorily indicated. The destination of the funds must be clearly specified and linked to the survival of the Association and the realization of projects and associative activities.

Art. 11 - Sustainability

The Association and its Members commit to taking actions consistent with the principles of sustainability: respecting the association's governance principles, managing relationships with stakeholders, favoring counterparts that provide disclosure on sustainability commitments adopted, with particular reference to social and environmental dimensions.

Art. 12 - Relations with Stakeholders

Women&Tech® aims to develop, also thanks to the Code of Ethics, a relationship of trust with its Stakeholders, that is, with those categories of individuals, commercial companies, groups, associations or institutions that, in various ways, can contribute to the pursuit of its mission.

Women&Tech® maintains constructive, continuous, and transparent relationships with all parties it interacts with, with particular attention to public administrations, professional and institutional organizations, media, sector organizations, and universities in order to improve the quality of training and professional development for women.

Article 13 - Relationships with financiers

In order to avoid the emergence of competitive or conflicting interests and private and/or collaborative relationships, Women&Tech® commits to accepting funds aimed at supporting the Association and specific projects from the same, designed and carried out in a completely autonomous and independent manner for the implementation of predetermined activities.

All this in compliance with the independence and transparency of the Association which, since its foundation, while recognizing the primary role of funding provided by third parties (or sponsorship or partnerships), is committed to maintaining its Non-Profit character in managing its financial resources and activities.

Art 14 - Relations with suppliers

Women&Tech® develops relationships with its suppliers based on fairness and integrity, avoiding any risk of conflicts of interest, and drawing inspiration solely from criteria of professionalism and competence.

Suppliers are sensitized to carry out their activities following conduct standards consistent with those indicated in the Code of Ethics, in particular they must ensure respect for the rights of their workers and responsibly manage environmental and social impacts. Information regarding employees, suppliers, administrators, Associates, is treated confidentially by Women&Tech® in compliance with privacy protection legislation.

Article 15 - Communication

Activities such as the publication of documents, granting interviews, public presentations, or communication activities that are in some way connected to, or representative of Women&Tech®, must not damage the image of the Association, respecting a language and an approach that are in line with the ethical code and values of the Association on any communication channel, whether offline or online. These activities, if they involve or are directly or indirectly connected to the Association, are also allowed with prior authorization from the Board of Directors.

The Association ensures that the intellectual property rights owned by Women&Tech® and third parties, including copyrights, trademarks, logos, patents, and confidential information, are respected.

Article 16 - Web and Social Media Policy

This procedure aims to invite Associates to maintain a correct and responsible approach towards new means of communication and suggests an appropriate and conscious use of digital communication channels (social media, blog, website etc.) and any future generation channel, especially when the activity may have an impact, even potential, on the responsibility and reputation of Women&Tech®.

In addition to using language appropriate to the style of the social media platform being used, the rules for web writing of any other text remain valid: verify sources, write in correct Italian (or other language), write only about certain and verified facts, transparency, do not disrespect individuals and/or companies (public or private), groups or categories of people and institutions, avoid comparative communication.

Finally, the rules of good manners must always be respected, especially netiquette on the web (Netiquette of the Network). The incorrect use of such means, in fact, can also seriously damage the image and reputation of the Association and consequently the professional figures collaborating with it.

Article 17 - Issuance and amendments of the Code of Ethics

The adoption of this code is deliberated by the Board of Directors and approved by the Ordinary Assembly.

Any subsequent updates are proposed by the President and must be submitted for approval by the same Board of Directors.

They will then be possibly brought to the attention of the Recipients and Associates through distribution, in paper and/or electronic format, publication on the website, and any other form that the Association deems appropriate.

Art. 18 - Subscription of commitment and acceptance of the Code of Ethics Each Associate views and accepts this Code, expressing explicitly the commitment to not contravene this Code of Ethics in any way and to not hinder the work of the bodies responsible for safeguarding its effectiveness.

The Board of Directors will consider the requests of users who may address it to report, in writing and anonymously, any behaviors that may be inconsistent with this Code.

The confidentiality of the reporter's identity is guaranteed, subject to legal obligations. Within the scope of the verification activities on compliance with the Code of Ethics, the Board of Directors:

- provides instructions on alleged violations of the Code by submitting sanction proposals for which, in its opinion, the allegations or reports of Code violations have been found to be valid.

- provides advisory opinions on the application of the Code and appears at least once a year before the Assembly of Associates to provide a report on its activities

The Board also performs a preventive recommendation function in relation to certain behaviors that, although not constituting blatant violations of the Code of Ethics, do not appear to conform to the general principles of the Code itself or the associative principles of Women&Tech®.

Article 19 - Function of evaluating conflicts of interest

The Board of Directors is responsible for assessing the actual and concrete existence of conflict of interest situations in order to prevent anyone, among the Members or collaborators of Women&Tech®, from benefiting from distorting situations or indirectly causing discredit to the professionalism, independence, and transparency of the Association and its activities. The Member who becomes aware of a potential conflict of interest situation is required to promptly inform the Board, which will conduct the necessary checks.

Conflict of interest will occur when an Associate or collaborator of Women&Tech® finds themselves in a concrete and specific conflict situation, one that compromises their autonomy of judgment in relation to a specific activity to be carried out in favor of the Association.

In order to avoid the emergence of potential conflicts and ensure the transparency of the Association, Women&Tech® Associates must always inform the Board of Directors of their participation in conferences, meetings, or activities in general, if the participation is as a Women&Tech® Associate, and obtain authorization from the Board.

Art. 20 - Sanction proposals

If the Board of Directors has verified the existence of a specific violation of the Code, it proceeds to adopt a proposal for sanctions and communicates it to the interested Associate.

Art. 21 – Sanctioning Measures

The measures that can be imposed, in case of proven violations of the rules of the Associative Code of Ethics, are as follows:

a) formal warning with a request for immediate cessation of the behavior;

b) suspension of membership for a period that the Board of Directors will define based on the seriousness of the infringement.

c) expulsion from the Association.

The application of the sanction referred to in letter c) must be formally approved by the Board of Directors, with the exclusion, in the event that the recipient of the measure is a member of the Board, of their vote.

The Council determines the execution and the related implementation times of the sanction.

For any questions or clarifications, Associates can contact the email address info@womentech.eu.