L’empowerment femminile in ambito medico tra processi di segregazione e strumenti innovativi

The aim of this article is to investigate gender differences in training and access to the medical profession in Italy, which is characterized by a high rate of fem-inization. According to the data, a paradox seems to emerge. On the one hand, we observe a professional sector characterized by prestige, high salaries and significant career opportunities, which is largely accessible to women. On the other hand, however, strong gender segregation seems to persist, both in terms of type of specialization and career progression. This article consists of two parts. In the first, we show, using original databases, the persistence of horizontal and vertical segregation with respect to female res-idents and physicians in Italy. In the second part, we propose, as case studies, two Italian gender mentoring initiatives designed to promote women’s empow-erment and counteract horizontal and vertical segregation in medicine and health care.