The size S problem: female workers confront a male-focused industry

MILAN, Feb 19 : On the slopes and in the arenas, the Winter Olympics have long doubled as a global launchpad for new sportswear — a showcase where technical innovation and style collide, and trends ripple far beyond the mountains.

But at the construction sites of the Milano Cortina 2026 Games, a different wardrobe battle is unfolding. Female engineers overseeing venues and infrastructure say ill-fitting safety gear and oversized protective clothing are exposing a workwear industry still built to male proportions.

The latest data from the National Council of Engineers (CNI) Study Centre show the presence of women in Italy’s engineering profession has risen steadily over the past decade. Women accounted for 23 per cent of engineers in 2010, a figure that had increased to 30.8 per cent by 2021.

Veronica Vecchi, a professor at Milan’s Bocconi University and chair of SIMICO, the public company managing projects planned ahead of the Olympics, told Reuters she had discussed the issue at the highest levels of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

"I suggested we should think about dedicated garments for the women engineers who supervise the construction sites, both for safety reasons and to highlight gender diversity," she said in an interview.

"The women are often smaller in build (than men) and even the harnesses are difficult to adjust. Then there is the fashion aspect: women should be appropriately supported and represented through clothing that is properly tailored to their needs."

Vecchi oversees around 60 people at SIMICO, half of them women. Around 20 regularly visit or supervise construction sites linked to the Games, ranging from transport upgrades to mountain‑venue works.

A LARGE SIZE S 

Eleonora Tambozzo, SIMICO's head