Women’s Empowerment Principles framework and resources, the UN Women Corporate Development programme and the opportunities for corporate engagement and business benefits of engaging with the WEPs
Presentation by Jan Grasty, UN Women UK President, and Laura Haynes, Trustee of UN Women UK (founder Appetite Consultancy) at 'Equality Means Business: UN Women UK Corporate Meeting' a joint meeting with the UNGC to introduce participants to the Women's Empowerment Principles which offer practical guidelines to companies on how to address gender and equality issues, emphasizing the business case for action and drawing on good corporate practice around the globe. 26.02.13
Women’s Empowerment Principles framework and resources, the UN Women Corporate Development programme and the opportunities for corporate engagement and business benefits of engaging with the WEPs
1. “And finally, in our time a beard is the one thing
that a woman cannot do better than a man…”
John Steinbeck,
Travels with Charley: In Search of America
2. So what’s wrong with gender
inequality in the workplace,
after all, it has worked for years
3. “Equality for women and girls is not only a
basic human right, it is a social and
economic imperative.”
Ban Ki-Moon
4. •Eurozone + 13%
GDP
+ 16%
•Japan GDP
+ 9%
• US GDP
5. “…the debate around the topic has shifted
from an issue of fairness and equality to a
question of superior performance. If gender
diversity on the board implies a greater
probability of corporate success then it would
make sense to pursue such an objective
regardless of any government directive.”
Mary Curtis, Investment Banking
Securities, Credit Suisse Research Institute
6.
7. 1 Build strong economies
2 Establish more stable and just societies
3 Achieve internationally agreed goals for development
4 Improve quality of life for women, men, families
and communities
5 Propel business’s operations and goals
8. “Equality may perhaps be a right,
but no power on earth can ever
turn it into fact.”
Honore de Balzac
10. 1 Leadership promotes gender equality
2 Equal opportunity, inclusion and non-discrimination
3 Health, safety and freedom from violence
4 Education and Training
5 Enterprise development, supply chain and
marketing practices
6 Community leadership and engagement
7 Transparency, measurement and reporting
11. 1 Leadership promotes gender equality
2 Equal opportunity, inclusion and non-discrimination
a. Provide deeper differentiation – emphasise differentiating characteristics
3 Health, safety and freedom from violence gender equality
b.
c.
Affirm high-level support and direct top-level policies for
and human rights.
Establish company-wide goals and targets for gender equality and
4 d.
include progress as a factor in managers’ performance reviews.
Education and Training
Engage internal and external stakeholders in the development of
company policies, programmes and implementation plans that advance
5 Enterprise development, supply chain and
equality.
marketingthat all policies are gender-sensitive – identifying factors that
e. Ensure practices
impact women and men differently – and that corporate culture
6 advances equality and inclusion.
Community leadership and engagement
7
12. 1 Leadership promotes gender equality
2 Equal opportunity, inclusion and non-discrimination
3 Health, safety and freedom from violence
4
a. Taking into account differential impacts on women and men, provide safe working conditions and
Education and Training
protection from exposure to hazardous materials and disclose potential risks, including to
reproductive health.
b. Establish a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of violence at work, including verbal and/or
physical abuse, and prevent sexual harassment.
5 Enterprisehealth insurance or other needed services – including for and of domestic
c. Strive to offer
violence – and
development, supply chain survivors
marketing ensure equal access for all employees.
d.
practices
Respect women and men workers’ rights to time off for medical care and counseling for
themselves and their dependents.
6 Communitytoleadershiponand engagement the safety of
e. In consultation with employees, identify and address security issues, including
f.
women traveling and from work and company-related business.
Train security staff and managers to recognize signs of violence against women and understand
laws and company policies on human trafficking, labour and sexual exploitation.
7 Transparency, measurement to both women and men.
g. are by providing services, resources and information
and reporting
13. 1 Leadership promotes gender equality
2 Equal opportunity, inclusion and non-discrimination
3 Health, safety and freedom from violence
4 Education and Training
a. Invest in workplace policies and programmes that open avenues for
5 Enterprise development, supply chain and
advancement of women at all levels and across all business areas, and
encourage women to enter nontraditional job fields.
marketing equal access to all company-supported education and training
b. Ensure
practices
programmes, including literacy classes, vocational and information technology
6 c.
d.
training.
Community leadership and engagement and mentoring.
Provide equal opportunities for formal and informal networking
Offer opportunities to promote the business case for women’s empowerment
7
and the positive impact of inclusion for men as well as women.
Transparency, measurement and reporting
14. 1 a. Expand business relationships with women-owned
enterprises, including small businesses, and women
entrepreneurs.
2 b.
c.
Support gender-sensitive solutions to credit and lending
barriers.
Ask business partners and peers to respect the company’s
commitment to advancing equality and inclusion.
3 d. Respect the dignity of women in all marketing and other
company materials.
e. Ensure that company products, services and facilities are
4 not used for human trafficking and/or labour or sexual
exploitation.
5 Enterprise development, supply chain and
marketing practices
6 Community leadership and engagement
7 Transparency, measurement and reporting
15. 1
2 a.
b.
Lead by example – showcase company commitment to gender
equality and women’s empowerment.
Leverage influence, alone or in partnership, to advocate for
3 c.
gender equality and collaborate with business partners,
suppliers and community leaders to promote inclusion.
Work with community stakeholders, officials and others to
eliminate discrimination and exploitation and open
4 d.
opportunities for women and girls.
Promote and recognize women’s leadership in, and
contributions to, their communities and ensure sufficient
representation of women in any community consultation.
5 Enterprise development, supply chain and
e. Use philanthropy and grants programmes to support company
marketing practices
commitment to inclusion, equality and human rights.
6 Community leadership and engagement
7 Transparency, measurement and reporting
16. 1
2
3
4 a. Make public the company policies and implementation plan for
promoting gender equality.
5 Enterprise development, quantify inclusion of and at all
b. Establish benchmarks that supply chain women
levels.
marketing practices on progress, both internally and externally,
c. Measure and report
using data disaggregated by gender.
6 d. Incorporate gender markers into ongoing reporting obligations.
7 Transparency, measurement and reporting
Women are doing better at work than they ever have and we’ve got women leading thriving businesses across the globe. Haven’t we reached equality by now?Well, no. We’re still squandering women’s talents and letting barriers to women’s advancement hold us all back. Despite progress, across the world women continue to confront discrimination, marginalization and exclusion, even though equality between women and men stands as a universal international precept—a fundamental and inviolable human right.
What’s wrong is that it isn’t working. At least not as well as it should be or could be.
Well first of all – its morally wrong. But ignoring that for a moment, it is bad for families, it is bad for economies, it is bad for society, it is bad for governments and it is bad for companies. We all know that stability is important to help businesses grow and to maintain confidence amongst stakeholders. And there is so much anecdotal evidence to suggest that the economic empowerment of women, with steady work with steady pay not only helps to ensure stable families – and therefore expanding markets, but also stable and functioning society. Additionally – it helps to create economic growth and Numerous studies attest to this including ones carried out by McKinsey & Co, Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs and we are not just talking about the developing world..
In 2007, Goldman Sachs reported that different countries and regions of the world could dramatically increase GDP simply by reducing the gap in employment rates between men and women: the eurozone could increase GDP by 13%; Japan by 16%; the US by 9%.
But it’s not only about employment rates– fully utilising women skills and talents once they’re in work and on the career ladder would bring benefits too. The leading gender equality campaign organisation in the UK, the Fawcett Society, estimates that UK would gain up to £23 billion (the equivalent to 2% of GDP) by better harnessing women’s skills in employment. Two recent studies on gender diversity and corporate performance by McKinsey and Company, conducted in partnership with the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society, demonstrates the link between the presence of women in corporate management teams and companies’ organizational and financial performance. It suggests that the companies where women are most strongly represented at board or top management level are also the companies that perform best. The current research demonstrating that gender diversity helps business perform better signals that self-interest and common interest can come together.
And when we consider the broader impacts on society and the economy as The World Bank, World Economic Forum, UN Global compact, UN Women and other UN Agencies have – it becomes an international imperative
Empowering women to participate fully in economic life across all sectors and throughout all levels of economic activity is essential to:build strong economies; establish more stable and just societies; achieve internationally-agreed goals for development, sustainability and human rights;improve quality of life for women, men, families and communities; andPropel businesses’ operations and goals. However, this won’t just happen on its own. Ensuring the inclusion of women’s talents, skills, experience and energies requires intentional actions and deliberate policies.
As a brand consultant, I spend my professional life helping organisations to change – but as we know, change does not come easily and, if we we were able to legislate for change – it can only really happen and only really create benefit when we bring people along through their (slide) hearts and their minds.
This is why they are principles. Values that make sense and that should be taken on board within all organisations. The principles based onopportunity and
designed to help the private sector focus ways to promotiegender equality in the workplace, marketplace and community. No they are not difficult.Indeed to a certain extent, they are obvious, motherhood and apple pie statements – but we know that if compaies sign up and live by these principles than major, POSITIVE, change will happen. These are values to follow, as important as personal or corporate values.
You can read the detail but each one offers clear direction to help change behaviour and create opportunity. Principle 1 encourages companies to establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality. Leadership from the top is essential to close the gender gaps. For example, a high-level task force may be established to identify priority areas, establish benchmarks and monitor company progress. We know from experience that this can make a big difference. A global accounting and consulting firm determined that the company was losing out on business by failing to attract and retain highly skilled female professionals and, on the basis of these findings, worked to change company culture and policies through leadership and board involvement.
Principle 3 calls on companies to ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men workers. I know it seems obvious, but Companies should adopt and publicize a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of violence at work. - you would be surpised how many don’t Company health programmesshould be equipped to deal with workers needing counseling or other health services as a result of violence. Some companies are already leading the way. For example, two Spanish companies offer victims of domestic violence job placement services specifically tailored to their needs to ease transition to the workplace.
Principle 4 asks companies to promote education, training and professional development for women. In order for women to have the same opportunities for career advancement as men, they must have equal access to education and training; this is especially important for encouraging women to explore non-traditional jobs and industries. For instance, a large European airline company reaches out to youth through education projects to break down the barriers that traditionally limit women to certain jobs in the industry and men to others. It is also critical that company employees, particularly male staff, are trained and educated on the company’s business case for women’s empowerment and inclusion.
Principle 5 calls on companies to implement enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices that empower women. Companies can request information from current and potential suppliers on their gender and diversity policies and include these in criteria for contracting. Companies can analyze their existing supply chain and establish a baseline number of suppliers that are women-owned enterprises. Businesses should also respect the dignity of women in all marketing and other company materials and ensure that they are in no way contributing to or facilitating human trafficking and/or labour or sexual exploitation.
Principle 6 focuses on what the private sector can do to promote equality through community initiatives and advocacy. For instance, a multinational mining company with operations in Ghana implemented a gender mainstreaming programme to encourage female employees to assume greater responsibility within the mine and connect to the local community. Similarly, a large international cosmetics company launched and sold products to raise funds for local organizations working to end domestic violence in their communities. There are many ways that the private sector can positively contribute to women’s rights and empowerment that involve the community and bring benefits to all.
WE all know that what isn’t measured doesn’t happen, so Principle 7 calls on companies to measure and publicly report on progress to achieve gender equality. Although many companies now recognize the business case for gender equality and have launched programmes and initiatives aimed at empowering women, few are monitoring their performance or communicating their progress in a transparent way. However, companies that do report on their progress have found that doing so helps to set gender equality goals and targets. Being able to communicate progress can also create a competitive advantage.
