11th Ipazia Workshop

11th Ipazia Workshop on Gender Issue

SUSTAINABLE GOVERNANCE AND CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY DISCLOSURE

Department of Business Law and Economics

Sapienza University of Rome – Italy

17 April 2026

The Ipazia Scientific Observatory on Gender Issues is delighted to announce the upcoming event on the theme “Sustainable governance and corporate responsibility disclosure”. Founded to promote interdisciplinary, comprehensive, and updated research on gender issues, the Ipazia Observatory encourages national and international debate on emerging and challenging gender-related dynamics. This workshop aims to explore the impact of sustainable governance and sustainability disclosure in strengthening equality and social inclusion, underscoring how these areas can contribute to a fair and inclusive future.

The evolving global context has required a reconfiguration of traditional governance and reporting frameworks to align stakeholders’ interests with changing informational expectations (Paoloni and Cosentino, 2024).

The spread of regulations and standards aimed at facilitating the transition towards business models rooted in the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) paradigm (Widyawati, 2020), such as those introduced by EU Directive 2022/2464 (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, or CSRD) and its subsequent amendments, has driven organizations to join toward innovative systems of governance and reporting (Paoloni et al., 2025; Sharma, 2025; Aluchna, 2024; Farkas and Matolay, 2024). These systems are designed to integrate heterogeneous information that differs in nature, origin, and ways of representation. Corporate sustainability dimensions encompass a wide array of information related to environmental factors, human resources, and both formal and substantive elements of corporate governance, as well as internal and external relational contexts (Peng and Chen, 2024). This includes risks in their broadest sense, both general and specific risks that extend beyond the financial domain (Gillan et al., 2021; Baldini et al., 2018; Sassen et al., 2016).

Within the ESG framework, gender-related issues primarily affect the ‘S’ (Social) and the ‘G’ (Governance) dimensions, as they directly relate to organizational structures, decision-making processes, and the broader socio-cultural dynamics within and around organizations.

In the social dimension (S), gender equity intersects with themes such as equal pay, workplace diversity, inclusion policies, and the protection of rights and tackling all forms of violence, such as economic violence. These aspects are critical in fostering a fair and collaborative environment (Qureshi et al., 2020; Manita et al. 2017; Velte 2016).

Simultaneously, in the governance dimension (G), gender concerns are increasingly linked to board composition, leadership representation, accountability mechanisms, and transparency in reporting and disclosure practices. The underrepresentation of women in executive roles, the persistence of the glass ceiling, and phenomena such as the glass cliff and pinkwashing underscore the systemic barriers that persist within corporate governance (Ragazou et al., 2025; Connell, 2023).

Addressing gender disparities in these two ESG dimensions represents an ethical commitment but also a strategic value, capable of fostering inclusive governance and socially equitable practices that improve organizational performance, enhance stakeholder trust, and long-term sustainability goals.

In this evolving context, the lack of consolidated models and the proliferation of several rules and practices hinder organizations from identifying best practices to adopt and, at the same time, create space for opportunistic behaviors related to gender issues (Ahmad et al., 2024).

The root of this complexity can be traced back to the evolving notion of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) (Carroll, 1991), which now entails accountability not only for economic and financial outcomes, but also for environmental, social, and governance performance, encapsulated under a single “corporate ethical umbrella” (Odongo and Wang, 2018). Nevertheless, the term CSR is often used interchangeably with broader and more nuanced concepts (Carroll, 1999) such as good governance, transparency, equity, democracy, efficiency, responsiveness, and integrity.

This conceptual expansion frequently lacks concrete and standardized rules to guide its implementation.

Addressing these gaps requires considering corporate responsibility as an integral component of overall corporate strategy, with the potential to influence member behavior toward mechanisms that ensure quality and social equity. In this context, a clear need emerges, both theoretical and practical, to define the concept of good governance as sustainable governance, and to identify the most material reporting and disclosure techniques capable of translating actions into meaningful information for stakeholders.

Accordingly, this workshop aims to foster awareness and knowledge of sustainable governance and reporting practices, with specific attention to gender-related issues that promote social equity and counteract discrimination.

Conference Objectives

The 11th Ipazia Workshop aims to explore the actions undertaken to concretely implement gender-oriented sustainable governance within organizations, as well as the disclosure practices adopted to communicate such efforts to stakeholders.

This call for paper aims to provide new empirical evidence, theoretical advancements, and case studies, offering new insights into best practices, regulatory implications for sustainable practices related to governance and disclosure activities. We encourage diverse methodological approaches, including quantitative studies, qualitative studies, case studies, and experimental research, to build a robust understanding about sustainable corporate governance and the best disclosure activity. We encourage submissions that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Gender Diversity Management;
  • The impact of gender-board inclusion on organizations’ performance;
  • Board composition and internalization paths of organizations;
  • Innovation for sustainable governance;
  • Ethics and policy for gender equality;
  • Discriminatory phenomena within organizations related to gender issues (economic violence, gender pay gap, glass ceiling, glass cliff, pinkwashing, etc);
  • Actions and tools to promote equity and counter inequality (financial education, ethic finance, microcredit, and alternative financing sources linked to gender issues, etc).
  • Gender issues in enhancing sustainability reporting and ESG performance;
  • Gender budgeting and Positive action plan;
  • Gender in sustainability standard (GRI, ESRS, etc.).

Review Process and Publication Plan

Submitted papers will follow a double-blind peer-review process, and selected authors will be invited to present their work in parallel sessions. The workshop will be held in a hybrid format (physical and virtual) and will involve multiple national and international academics and practitioners.

Selected papers presented during the 11th Workshop on Gender Issue “Sustainable governance and corporate responsibility disclosure” will be considered for publication in the “SIDREA Series in Accounting and Business Administration” by Springer International Publishing. Additional special issues may be activated for other best-selected papers.

Paper Submission Guidelines

  • Abstract submission deadline: 13 February 2026
  • Full paper submission deadline: 31 March 2026

All papers will have a discussant. Each presentation will be allocated a 20-minute slot (15 minutes for discussion plus 5 minutes for Q&A).

Full papers should include:

  • Cover sheet (title, name, affiliation, address, and email for each author, indicating the corresponding author)
  • Short Structured Abstract (structured as Purpose, Design/Methodology/Approach, Originality/Value, Practical Implications, max 100 words each)
  • Keywords (max 5)
  • Paper type (academic research or practical paper)
  • Text, acknowledgments, tables, and figures included in the manuscript
  • References in APA Style

To submit your abstract, please use the dedicated button available below.

After the abstract review period has concluded, authors will be able to submit their full papers through the same platform, using the ID number previously assigned by the system. The maximum length of each manuscript, including all sections, is 5000 words.

Registration

The 11th Workshop on Gender issues “Sustainable governance and corporate responsibility disclosure” is free of charge. However, due to limited capacity, registration is required by emailing info@ipaziaobservatory.com no later than 10 April 2026. The program details will be available on the websites Sapienza University and Ipazia Observatory ten days before the event.

Key Dates

  • Abstract submission deadline: 13 February 2026
  • Abstract Acceptance notification: 13 March 2026
  • Full paper submission: 31 March 2026
  • Full paper Acceptance notification: 03 April 2026
  • Registration deadline: 10 April 2026
  • Workshop and parallel sessions: 17 April 2026

Scientific Chief

Paola Paoloni

Organizing Committee

  • Antonietta Cosentino
  • Serena De Rosa
  • Alessandro Galli
  • Silvia Ievolella
  • Giuseppe Modaffari
  • Palmira Piedepalumbo
  • Veronica Procacci
  • Alejandra Paola Sevilla Guzman

PROGRAMM

Work in progress

​​​​​Contacts
info@ipaziaobservatory.com

Download the call
Submit your Abstract

Before starting the abstract submission process, please download the template provided below

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