Women in Localization – Italian Chapter launches online

On 28 May, over 100 experts from the localization industry came together online to launch the Italian Chapter of the Women in Localization initiative.

Fittingly, for a sector in which technology plays such an important role, the event went ahead despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The inaugural event – which heralds the creation of the Italian community of Women in Localization – was originally planned to take place in person, but measures were quickly put in place to convert the launch to a digital format, resulting in last week’s engaging video conference.

“We’re pleased to have been able to launch the Italian Chapter despite the delay and the change in format,” said Chapter Manager Noemi Clark. “We were delighted to see so many people get involved. Let’s hope we can get together soon in person for future events.”

The event was initially planned to take place on 26 February here at the Way2Global offices in Milan, which is the city chosen as the “base camp” for the community. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced us redirect our energy from the honor of hosting the hotly anticipated event to the task of assisting with the organization of the conference in its new, digital format.

We still don’t know when we’ll be able to meet up again and shake hands, whether at our offices or elsewhere, but it’s still a huge thrill to be able to officially announce that Women In Localization – a global initiative first launched in the USA – has finally arrived in Italy.

And though the inaugural meet-up was a virtual one, that did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm and energy of an already large and active community. Our hope is that the community can continue to grow and champion the causes of female empowerment and gender equality – two battles on whose front line we fight on a daily basis.

The online presentation set out a packed program of events, projects, coaching activities, mentoring and initiatives designed to help and support women operating in the localization sector. The goal is for Women in Localization to become a space for networking, communication and learning – a forum within which companies and individuals alike can progress side by side and ultimately promote the evolution of the language industry.

The launch event was a chance to toast an international movement that we’ve been following for years and that now – with the launch of the Italian Chapter – we intend to make a key contribution to supporting. We will take an active role in helping the movement develop, drawing on our status as the only Benefit Corporation in the sector and working with the entire Italian and international community built by Women in Localization over the years.

And one final point, which may bring some comfort. We like to believe that the Italian Chapter’s launch, coinciding with the most serious crisis of the post-war period, may provide a sign of hope – hope that, as we rebuild and heal, we will bring about a sea change and secure a better future.