Women’s access schemes

IULM specifically focuses on providing services and schemes for women’s access in several of the most important mentoring and related support programmes made available by the university.

Mentoring

Women students constituted the vast majority of the student participants in the university’s counseling, mentoring, tutoring, and peer support programmes. 78% of the students availing themselves of the counseling opportunities were women; 85% of the students taking part in the peer mentoring schemes were women; 80% of the students participating in the programmes devoted to mental health issues were women.

The above figures demonstrate the importance given by the university to the provision of women access schemes, enabling women students to take full advantage of all the academic and social programmes offered by IULM and to succeed in their university careers. Indeed, Università IULM has always been committed to the fight for gender equality. Several initiatives and projects are promoted by the university to support women throughout their university career, from the admission process to graduation, in order to lay the foundations for a successful professional life.

Overall, women students constituted 78% of the total participants in the seminars, group meetings, and individual interviews addressing student access, student success, and various issues of mental health and wellbeing related to the challenges and difficulties of a university career.

A specifically targeted approach was adopted in the following meetings: “Orienta-menti”, Seminars on Study Methods, Stress Management, and Expectations, and Seminars about a stress-free graduation, reserved to smaller groups of students with the aim of teaching them how to manage stress and deal with obstacles and failure in a healthy way. Once again, the initiative was enthusiastically received by IULM female students, with 80% of the total participants being women. Moreover, women students constituted 78% of the participants in individually targeted interviews with professional psychologists to address and sort out strictly personal issues.

In the same context, in 2024, IULM promoted participation in the Mentorship Milano initiative, a women-focused empowerment and mentoring pathway for young women (18–30) living in the Metropolitan City of Milan. The programme offers a structured shadowing cycle (three meetings over six months) with high-profile women leaders across business, fashion, design, publishing and institutions, helping mentees explore aspirations, receive practical career guidance, and build confidence.

IULM has also taken a strong stance in combatting violence against women in all and any of its manifestations. In 2024, the University concluded an agreement with the Anti-Violence Center Cerchi d'Acqua, establishing a listening channel open to the entire IULM community (students, teaching staff, and technical-administrative staff) to provide qualified support to women involved in situations of mistreatment, abuse, sexual and psychological violence, and stalking. Additionally, IULM collaborates with Ankyra, an association assisting victims of domestic and relational violence of all genders and sexual orientations, providing multidisciplinary support to address and resolve their difficulties.

This framework fits into the initiatives already in place at the University to combat gender-based violence (Area 4 of the IULM Gender Equality Plan), complementing awareness-raising activities with active listening and support mechanisms.

Scholarships

However, IULM’s commitment does not end there: the university actively supports and promotes targeted access to education for women, particularly those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. In the 2023/2024 academic year, 81% of scholarships were intentionally awarded to deserving female students, reflecting a strategic decision to enhance women’s access to higher education and ensure equitable opportunities for academic and professional development. These scholarships are part of a broader framework of women-focused access schemes, which include mentoring, tutoring, counseling, and practical support mechanisms.

Financial access schemes

In addition to these programmes, IULM encourages women’s participation through institutional agreements that provide practical and financial support for students, staff, and their families, particularly benefiting low-income women and mothers. These access schemes include:

Childcare and Early Education:

• Cooperativa Sociale ALDIA – nurseries and kindergartens
• MILE Bilingual School – bilingual early education

Mobility and Transportation:

• Pikyrent – electric mobility service
• Trenitalia for Business – train travel discounts
• Wayla – sustainable urban transport service

Healthcare and Wellbeing:

• Centro Medico Politerapico Ribor – multidisciplinary healthcare
• Eurosanità Group – private healthcare facilities
• Humanitas Institute – private healthcare services
• Istituto Auxologico IRCCS – specialized clinics
• IEO – specialized treatments
• Studio Dentistico Crippa – dental services
• Studio Dentistico Minnella – dental services