Refugee women: when energy transition means emancipation

It takes great courage to leave your own country and set off with few certainties and many obstacles on the horizon. We see this courage in the story of Christiana, now a young professional in Terna (the Italian national transmission grid operator), after undertaking an arduous journey in pursuit of her dream future in digital technology. Christiana's journey was driven by her resilience, in pursuit of a dream. A future built on diversity. «My name is Christiana. I am 25 years old and come from Nigeria. I left my country when I was 16 and battled hardships I will never forget. My dream was to work with technology – a very difficult desire to fulfil in my homeland, but one that was possible here in Italy.» With these words she recounts her journey, built on sacrifice, determination and redemption, towards a better future.

When she arrived in Italy, she was able to take a professional retraining course thanks to the Boost programme. This is a scheme run by Terna in conjunction with Sistech, a non-profit organisation that helps refugee women access sustainable, qualified work opportunities in the digital and tech sector. Terna has chosen to support the initiative by offering nine scholarships in the STEM field and this enabled Christiana to find a new path.

«The meeting with Terna was a turning point. They valued not only my skills, but also my story. I now work in an environment that helps me grow and improve every day,» says Christiana, who has been a controller in the management control team of the North Transmission Department since March 2024. Among her various tasks, Christiana is currently focused on managing and maintaining the IT system used for financial planning and accounting for the key projects implemented locally.

The Boost programme, created to promote female empowerment, focuses on the professional integration of refugee women through STEM training. The participants, women aged from 24 and 54, can access targeted training courses for roles such as Data Analyst or UX-UI Specialist, along with linguistic, psychosocial, and logistical support. A comprehensive assistance package that also sees the involvement of Terna's female professionals. Several national electricity transmission grid operator staff members volunteered to give these women a hand, helping them make progress through mentoring, job shadowing and language tandems.

Boost meets a genuine need: 81% of refugee women are still unemployed five years after arriving in their host countries. This programme not only provides skills retraining but also offers a crucial support network for economic independence and professional inclusion. The project upholds the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including gender equality and the reduction of inequalities.

Her new colleagues also confirm the value she has brought to the company. «Christiana fitted in immediately; she has created bonds with the team and has shown great determination. It is not only she who has learnt; we too have also gotten so much from her journey and her experiences,» says Claudia. «It shows how inclusion has a two-way effect,» commented Raffaele when the Sistech team brought the new Boost programme participants for a visit to Terna's Pero headquarters.

Inclusion is based on recognising diversity and valuing the uniqueness of every individual. «The world needs women who, though they may fall, can get right back up and continue on their way. Today I know who I am, and Terna has helped me to find that out,» says Christiana – a living testimony to the value of inclusion.

For Terna, inclusion is a core value of the new People Strategy and is crucial to the work of the Diversity & Inclusion function, attached to the Human Resources Department. One significant statistic is that, as of 30 September 2024, women made 23.9% of the workforce (excluding blue collar workers), confirming an steadily upward trend thanks to policies to promote equity and inclusion.

Terna's commitment in this area has been recognised with UNI/PdR 125:2022 certification, which attests to the conformity of the Gender Equality Management System. This recognition validates efforts made to create an inclusive environment where diversity is a value and talent is rewarded. Terna takes concrete steps to reduce gender inequality and promote an inclusive culture, especially where need is greatest. This commitment translates into practical initiatives and well-defined strategic plans.

In January 2024, the company set up a Gender Equality Steering Committee, which has since defined a three-year Strategic Plan with specific goals and actions to ensure greater inclusion and equal opportunities: these include training programmes on inclusive language for all company personnel, to help eliminate stereotyping and encourage new communication habits. The company is also committed to combating all forms of gender-based violence: it offers confidential tools such as the Whistleblowing Guideline and organises awareness-raising courses on the subject. This commitment is redoubled also for the International Day against Violence against Women, launched by the United Nations.

As well as backing the Boost project, Terna supports gender equality through its involvement in the Role Model project with ELIS, working to bring female students closer to STEM disciplines, and is a member of Valore D, an Italian association that promotes gender balance in organisations. Christiana's story and Terna's commitment demonstrate that inclusion is not just a principle, but a strength that can generate value, growth and innovation. The company intends to use this same spirit to enhance the talent, merit and uniqueness of its people and to turn challenges into opportunities for growth. The goal is clear: to promote a corporate culture based on respect, equality and inclusion, for a “just transition” – a fair and inclusive energy and digital transition that leaves no-one behind.