Empowering Womenat WorkCompany Policies and Practices
for Gender EqualityEmpowering Womenat WorkCompany Policies and Practices
for Gender Equality

Copyright © International Labour Organization 2020
First published 2020

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Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality

Contents
Acknowledgements .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . vExecutive summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vi
List of acronyms. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . vii
Introduction. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 1

PART 1: GUIDING FRAMEWORKS FOR COMPANY POLICIES TO PROMOTEGENDER EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 71.1 Normative Instruments.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 71.2 Other Normative Instruments.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 10
1.3 International Initiatives. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 11
1.4 G7 and EU policy frameworks.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 14

PART 2: TAKING ACTION FOR GENDER EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 17
2.1 Achieving equal pay for work of equal value .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 21
2.1.1 Key International Labour Standards and other instruments. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 22
2.1.2 Guiding principles for companies.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 23
2.1.3 Illustrative practices .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 25
2.2 Preventing and ending gender-based violence and harassment in theworld of work .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 30
2.2.1 Key International Labour Standards and other instruments. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 31
2.2.2 Guiding principles for companies.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 33
2.2.3 Illustrative practices .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 36
2.3 Promoting work–family balance and equal sharing of care responsibilities. . . . . . . .39
2.3.1 Key International Labour Standards and other instruments. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 39
2.3.2 Guiding principles for companies.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 41
2.3.3 Illustrative practices .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 44
2.4 Supporting women in business and management. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 54
2.4.1 Key International Labour Standards and other instruments. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 55
2.4.2 Guiding principles for companies.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 56
2.4.3 Illustrative practices .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 57
2.5 Building a future of work that works for women.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 64
2.5.1 Key International Labour Standards and other instruments. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 66
2.5.2 Guiding principles for companies.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 66
2.5.3 Illustrative practices .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 68

Conclusions.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 73
ANNEXESANNEX 1: Principles of the ILO MNE Declaration.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 77
ANNEX 2: The women’s empowerment principles and targets.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 80
ANNEX 3: Helpful resources.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 84

Endnotes .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 89

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List of figures
Figure 1. Countries Ranked on 19 Gender Equality Criteria, Equileap, 2019. . . . . . . . . . . . .  1
Figure 2. The Principles of the MNE Declaration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Figure 3. The Women’s Empowerment Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12
Figure 4. The Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Journey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  13
Figure 5. Share of survey respondents who experienced changes in productivity
as a result of flexible working and/or remote or teleworking
arrangements by world and region, 2018. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Figure 6. The Baby Decalogue Program by Danone Nutricia ELN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Figure 7. Share of women on the boards of the largest publicly listed companies,
G7 countries, 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

List of tables
Table 1.

Illustrative practices by topic, geographical coverage and sector/industryof economic activity.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 3

Table 2.

The Business Case for the WEPs. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 18

Table 3.

Workplace guidance on empowering women at work.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 75

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality

Acknowledgements
This document was developed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) under the WE
EMPOWER – G7 programme funded by the European Union and jointly implemented by theUnited Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
and the ILO.
WE EMPOWER – G7 convenes multi-stakeholder dialogues in G7 countries and the EU to
exchange knowledge, experiences, good practices and lessons learned. The project isguided by the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), as well as international labour
standards on gender equality, and the ILO’s Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning
Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration). See more at ILO website on
the project.
This technical report was drafted under the technical guidance and overall coordinationof Laura Addati, Annie van Klaveren and Emily Sims, ILO specialists at the Multinational
Enterprises and Enterprise Engagement Unit (MULTI) at the ILO Enterprise Department. The
preliminary draft and illustrative practice review was prepared by Angela Goulovitch (ILO
consultant). Camilla Bober, Rana Alotaibi and Sombul Munshi conducted further researchand drafting and helped finalize the publication while ILO interns. The report was reviewed
by the following experts from several ILO departments: Vic van Vuuren, Githa Roelans,
Emanuela Pozzan and Irini Proios Torras; and from UN Women: Anna Fälth, Meral Guzel,
Diana Rusu, Diana Ranola, Carla Kraft, Mariko Saito, Stephanie Dei, Stephanie Foster,Madison Bailey, Nancy Mitchell and Sarah Merusi. Their inputs and contributions, whichhave enriched the report, are highly appreciated.

Disclaimer
This publication was produced with the generous financial support of the European Union.
The contents do not necessarily represent the views of the European Union, the ILO and its
constituents, UN Women, the United Nations or its member States.

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Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality

Executive summary
Over the last 20 years, equality between women and men in the world of work has seen someencouraging improvements, but there remains scope for further progress. The private sector,
including employer and business membership organizations, plays an important role inaccelerating progress on closing gender gaps in the workplace. Women represent more than
50 per cent of the population worldwide, but only 45.3 per cent of women had a job in 2018.1
Women accounted for less than 4 per cent of board chairs across nearly 7,000 companies
in 44 countries in 2017.2 Therefore, it is crucial to examine how key players in the private
sector can implement policies that promote a future of work that is decent by design and isanchored in genuine and substantive gender equality.
This document focuses on five key areas where companies can contribute:
1. achievement of equal pay for work of equal value
2. prevention and elimination of violence and harassment
3. creating a harmonious work-life balance for both women and men
4. equal representation of women in business and management roles
5. investment in a future of work that works for women.
Part 1 provides an overview of the guiding frameworks for company policies to promote genderequality in the workplace. It includes an introduction to the leading normative instruments
and initiatives concerning women’s economic empowerment and gender equality at work,and a brief summary of the international labour standards that underpin expectations
for companies concerning gender equality. For easy reference, annexes provide further
information on the normative instruments, initiatives and international labour standards.
Part 2 sets out the business case, provides 38 illustrative company practices and indicatessources from which companies can obtain further information. The examples are drawn frompublicly available sources and do not assess impact. The objective is to present a range ofmeasures companies can take – from more modest to more ambitious – to inspire companies
of varying sizes, sectors and financial situations to identify ways in which they might be able
to contribute to gender equality, in both the short and medium term, based on their unique
circumstances.
Despite the commendable efforts of companies to promote women’s economic empowerment
in the workplace, renewed and transformative efforts are needed, especially in the context of
COVID-19 policy responses and crisis recovery.
This document was prepared as part of a series of publications on key stakeholders’ illustrative
practices on gender equality at work under the EU, UN Women and ILO project “Empowering
women at work through responsible business conduct in G7 countries” (WE EMPOWER –G7). WE EMPOWER – G7 aims at supporting sustainable, inclusive and equitable economic
growth by promoting women’s economic empowerment in the public and private sectors in
G7 countries. Hence, this report has a particular focus on companies operating in G7 and EU
countries, but can be of use to companies regardless of where they are located.

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality

List of acronyms
AI

Artificial intelligence

BSDC

Business & Sustainable Development Commission

CEDAW

Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination
Against Women

COBC

Code of Business Conduct

CSR

Corporate Social Responsibility

EBMO

Employer and Business Membership Organizations

EPIC

Equal Pay International Coalition

EU

European Union

G7Group of 7

G20Group of 20

ICT

Information and Communication Technology

ICESCRInternational Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

IFC

International Finance Corporation

ILO

International Labour Organization

ILO MNE Declaration ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational
Enterprises and Social Policy
OSH

Occupational Safety and HealthOECD

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

SDGs

Sustainable Development Goals

SMEs

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

STEM

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

UDHR

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

UN Guiding Principles UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
W7

Women 7WE EMPOWER – G7

EU, UN Women and ILO project “Empowering women at workthrough responsible business conduct in G7 countries”

WEPs

The Women’s Empowerment Principlesvii© Photo by ThisisEngineering RAEng on Unsplash

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Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality

Introduction
Equality between women and men in the world of work has seen some encouraging
improvements, but progress on closing gender gaps has stalled.3 Persistent disparities
remain between women and men, including in labour market participation, pay for workof equal value, representation of women in high-paying occupations and managerial
positions, and the distribution of unpaid care work. Violence and harassment, including
sexual harassment, also remains a reality for many women in the world of work.4 Achieving
economic empowerment and gender equality for women will require proactive andtransformative policies from a variety of global stakeholders, including governments,
companies, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and civil society.
However, private-sector performance on gender equality varies widely depending on
country, sector and company size, as well as corporate leadership and culture, with small
and medium-sized enterprises experiencing the greatest challenges. The Equileap Indexof the top publicly traded companies leading on gender equality shows how countries
rank in producing top company performers. The index is built on the Gender Scorecard
methodology that was inspired by the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). It reviews
data on 3,519 companies from 23 countries and is based on 19 criteria linked to a numberof workplace policies on gender equality (Figure 1).5
X Figure 1. Countries Ranked on 19 Gender Equality Criteria, Equileap, 2019

Note: The dataset represents companies from 23 countries. Countries for which there are less than 50 companies inthe dataset have been excluded from the ranking.
Source: Equileap, Gender Equality Global Report & Ranking, 2019, 14.

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Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality

Companies that operate in G7 countries have total gender-equality scores ranging between
42 (France) and 21 per cent (Japan). The ranking indicates that areas in which all of the G7 countries
tend to display the highest scores include “Safety at work”, “Training and career development” and“Recruitment strategies”, while the challenges are more significant in respect of transparency on
gender equality, closing the gender pay gap and providing living wages.6 Legal frameworks playa key role in enabling better gender equality scores. Companies in Japan, France, Germany and
Italy tend to have the most comprehensive parental leave policies, in line with national legislation.
Furthermore, women’s representation in the workforce, including in higher echelons of job categories
and company leadership positions, varies across companies in G7 countries. Companies in Canada,
the United States and Japan have the lowest proportion of women in the workforce. In France and
Italy, these proportions improve as women move into higher level positions such as directorships,
while these numbers are low for Japan across all levels. The greatest challenge for companies in
G7 countries in this area is the promotion of women to executive and senior management positions.
The private sector, including employer and business membership organizations (EBMOs), plays acentral role in fostering an enabling environment in which women can meaningfully participate andthrive in the economy through proactive, transformative and measurable workplace policies andpractices. Company policies are key in complementing, strengthening and enhancing national laws
and policies and help stimulate transformative change within societies.
This report is divided in two parts. Part 1 provides an overview of the normative instruments andinitiatives to guide companies in adopting and implementing the most up-to-date frameworks ongender equality. Part 2 presents the business case for gender equality and illustrative company
practices touching on one or more of the following issues: achieving equal pay for work of equalvalue, preventing and ending violence and harassment in the world of work, promoting a work–
family balance and the sharing of childcare responsibilities, promoting women in business andmanagement, and building a future of work that works for women.
This compilation of company illustrative practices on gender equality has been prepared under the
auspices of a European Union (EU) funded project to promote the economic empowerment of womenat work through responsible business conduct in G7 countries—WE EMPOWER G7. The project isguided by the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) as well as international labour standards
on gender equality, and the ILO’s Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational
Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration). Further information on the MNE Declaration, theWEPs and WE EMPOWER G7 is contained in Annexes 1 and 2.

Methodology
This report relies on a variety of sources. It draws on research carried out by the International
Labour Organization (ILO), the European Commission, Eurostat and the OECD; and on researchfrom Equileap, a Dutch organization that collects data on gender equality in the corporate sector.
Publicly available company documents were reviewed, in particular Communication of Progress(CoP) reports submitted by companies that are signatories to the UN Global Compact’s 10 Principles
and by signatories of the WEPs, principally larger companies headquartered in G7 countries and
EU Member States. Particularly helpful in this regard were the 2018 and 2019 Equileap Gender
Equality Global Reports,7 which review over 3,500 publicly traded companies from 23 high-income
countries to create a selection of 100 companies that are outperforming on gender equality.8

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality

The selection of illustrative company practices featured in this document was made in the lightof their transformative and replicable nature, their positive impact on gender equality, whereassessed, and their alignment with the principles contained in international labour standards
and other normative frameworks.
The examples come from publicly available reports and hence are skewed towards larger companies,
which generally have more resources available to provide such disclosure. A variety of economic
sectors were selected in order to illustrate a wide range of efforts and promising practices acrossdifferent private-sector contexts. The WE EMPOWER G7 programme aims at supporting sustainable,
inclusive and equitable economic growth by promoting women’s economic empowerment in the
public and private sectors in G7 countries. Hence, this report has a particular focus on companies
operating mainly in G7 and EU countries, with examples from outside these groups that are notablein terms of gender-equality policies. Nonetheless, we hope they will provide inspiration for a wide
range of enterprises to adapt to their own circumstances. Table 1 categorizes the 38 illustrative
practices by topic, geographical location and sector of economic activity.
X Table 1. Illustrative practices by topic, geographical coverage and sector/industryof economic activity
Topic

Company Headquarters Country

Sector/Industry of economic activity

Equal Pay for Workof Equal Value

FranceGermanyJapan
Netherlands
SwedenUnited States• Financial services, Banking• Retail, Furniture production• Retail, Restaurants• Technology, IT equipment and services• Technology, Software services• Utilities, Energy

6

Violence andHarassment in theWorld of WorkFranceSpain
United Kingdom
United States• Retail , Apparel• Retail, Beverages• Retail, Supermarkets• Technology, Cybersecurity• Utilities, Electricity

5

Work–family Balance

CanadaFranceGermanyJapan
Italy
Switzerland
TurkeyUnited Kingdom
United States• Automotive Manufacturing• Chemical production, Sales• Financial services, Banking• Food processing• Pharmaceuticals• Professional services, Accounting• Professional services, Analytics• Professional services, Consulting• Retail, Household and personal products• Retail, Real estate• Retail, Footwear• Retail, Sportswear

13

Women in Businessand Management

CanadaItaly
Germany
NorwayUnited States• Communication, Telecommunication services• Financial services, Banking• Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology• Postal and courier services• Professional services, Consulting• Technology, Software services

8

Future of Work

CanadaIreland
Spain
SwedenUnited States• Communication, Telecommunication services• Retail, E-commerce• Technology, Business services technology,
IT services• Utilities, Energy

6

Total

Total

38

3

© Photo by ThisisEngineering RAEng on Unsplash

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality

PART 1:GUIDING FRAMEWORKS FORCOMPANY POLICIES TO PROMOTEGENDER EQUALITY IN THE
WORKPLACE
The resources available to companies seeking to promote gender equality in the workplacecome in two broad forms: normative instruments and initiatives. Normative instruments
derive their universal authority from the process by which they were developed.
International labour standards and other ILO normative instruments are adopted by theInternational Labour Conference, which consists of delegates from the governments andmost representative employers’ and workers’ organizations for each of the 187 ILO Member
States. The UN Guiding Principles were adopted unanimously by the 193 UN Member States.
Initiatives build on normative instruments to make them more operational for business. The
most comprehensive of these initiatives is the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs),9
which builds on international labour standards and UN treaties that address gender equality,
most importantly the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against
Women (CEDAW).10

1.1 Normative Instruments
Normative instruments set out the broad objectives of gender equality, identify key
obstacles that need to be addressed and advocate for a systemic approach to tackling
gender discrimination. In the world of work these consist mainly of ILO conventions andrecommendations. Although directed at governments, conventions and recommendations
can nonetheless serve to guide company policies; and they are referenced in othernormative instruments and initiatives, serving to standardize and coordinate approaches.
Other normative instruments – most notably the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles
concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (ILO MNE Declaration) and the
UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UN Guiding Principles) – address
business directly and reference conventions and recommendations concerning particular
aspects of gender equality.

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Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
PART 1: GUIDING FRAMEWORKS FOR COMPANY POLICIES TO PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACEILO conventions and recommendations on gender equality
Numerous ILO conventions and recommendations set out international labour standards
related to gender equality at work. These include: the Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951
(No. 100) and Recommendation No. 90; the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation)
Convention, 1958 (No. 111) and Recommendation No. 111; the Workers with Family
Responsibilities Convention, 1981, (No. 156) and Recommendation No. 165; the Maternity
Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183), and Recommendation No. 191; and, more recently,
the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) and Recommendation No. 206.11
The gender perspective is mainstreamed through many other ILO instruments on working
time, part-time work, home-based work, social security, occupational safety and health, anddomestic work.

ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
Adopted in 1998, the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work commits
Member States to respect and promote principles and rights in four categories, whether or
not they have ratified the relevant conventions. These categories are: freedom of associationand the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, the elimination of forced
or compulsory labour, the abolition of child labour, and the elimination of discrimination in
respect of employment and occupation and the principle of equal remuneration of men andwomen for work of equal value.
The ILO has worked hard to promote the ratification of the relevant conventions, withgreat success. 173 countries have ratified Convention No. 100 on equal pay for work ofequal value12 and 175 countries have ratified Convention No. 111 on non-discrimination in
employment and occupation.13

ILO MNE Declaration
The ILO promotes synergies between government and business policies to promoteresponsible business conduct, including gender equality in the world of work, through its
Multinational Enterprises (MNE) Declaration. It is the only global instrument in this area thathas been elaborated and adopted by governments, employers and workers from aroundthe world. It was adopted close to 40 years ago and most recently updated in 2017.
The principles of the MNE Declaration are addressed to multinational and national
enterprises, governments of home and host countries, and employers’ and workers’organizations. Areas covered include employment, training, conditions of work and life, andindustrial relations (Figure 2).14 A summary of the principles directed to governments andcompanies is provided in Annex 1.

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
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X Figure 2. The Principles of the MNE Declaration

1. General policies

2. Employment
8 Employment promotion
8 Social security
8 Elimination of forced or compulsory labour
8 Effective abolition of child labour: minimum age and worst forms
8 Equality of opportunity and treatment
8 Security of employment
3. Training

4. Conditions of work and life
8 Wages, benefits and conditions of work
8 Safety and health

5. Industrial relations
8 Freedom of association and the right to organize
8 Collective bargaining
8 Consultation
8 Access to remedy and examination of grievances
8 Settlement of industrial disputes
Source: Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration).

The ILO has developed “A manual for gender audit facilitators: The ILO participatory gender
audit methodology (2nd Edition)”,15 which helps organizations to put the principles containedin ILO normative instruments into practice.

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1.2 Other Normative Instruments
The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
In 2011, the UN Human Rights Council unanimously endorsed the United Nations Guiding
Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), which implement the UN “Protect,
Respect and Remedy Framework”. They provide global guidance to prevent, mitigate andremediate business-related adverse human rights impacts.16 The Council also establishedthe UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights and the UN Forum on Business andHuman Rights to disseminate examples of good practices, assist in capacity-building, makeon-site visits, and maintain a consistent multilateral dialogue that is then reported to theUnited Nations General Assembly.17
The Working Group and the Forum play an important role in stimulating dialogue andformulating recommendations to tackle every stage of women’s economic empowerment
within companies, from inception to implementation to analysing efficacy. In 2019, theUN Working Group and the UNDP published guidance for companies concerning genderequality.18

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sets
out the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) tolift large portions of humanity out of poverty while
protecting human rights and the planet. Genderequality and women’s empowerment are integral
to the achievement of all 17 Goals. The SDGs “seekA 2017 flagship report
Better Business, Better Worldof the Business & Sustainable
Development Commission (BSDC)
estimates that achieving the SDGs
could create 380 million jobs
and open at least $12 trillion inopportunities for business by 2030.

to realize the human rights of all and to achieve
gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”. Some SDGs are particularly
relevant to achieving women’s economic empowerment and gender equality at work:
8 SDG 3 on ensuring healthy lives and promoting wellbeing for all at all ages
8 SDG 4 on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong
learning opportunities for all
8 SDG 5 on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls
8 SDG 8 on promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full andproductive employment and decent work for all
8 SDG 10 on reducing inequalities within and among countries
8 SDG 16 on promoting justice and peace in implementing the SDGs
8 SDG 17 on strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing global
partnerships for sustainable development

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
PART 1: GUIDING FRAMEWORKS FOR COMPANY POLICIES TO PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Decent work for all women contributes not only to making poverty history, but also toachieving better education, peace and safety, as well as food security and improved nutritionand health outcomes for children and all members of households.19

1.3 International Initiatives
All international initiatives recognize the importance of gender equality as a key contributionthat business can and should be making to economic and social development and respect forhuman rights. The most important initiatives concerning gender equality are the Women’s
Empowerment Principles (WEPs) and the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC).

The Women’s Empowerment Principles
Launched in 2010 by UN Women and the UN Global Compact, the Women’s Empowerment
Principles (WEPs) have been endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly, the G20
and the G7.20 They provide a platform to mobilize business action for implementation of the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG5 on gender equality and women’s
empowerment. The seven Principles offer guidance to business on how to promote genderequality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and community.
Informed by international labour and human-rights standards, the WEPs are grounded in
the recognition that businesses have a stake in, and a responsibility for, gender equality andwomen’s empowerment.
By joining the WEPs community, a CEO signals commitment to this agenda at the highest
levels of the company and to working collaboratively in multi-stakeholder networks to foster
business practices that empower women. These include equal pay for work of equal value,
gender-responsive supply chain practices and zero tolerance against sexual harassment in
the workplace. The full list of WEPs targets and a more detailed description are available inAnnex 2.

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The principles are:X Figure 3. The Women’s Empowerment Principles

Source: The Women’s Empowerment Principles at weps.org.

The WEPs Journey is a learning ecosystem of resources and tools designed to assist WEPs
signatories through an effective journey of implementation, driven by accountability andtransparency. This ecosystem offers WEPs signatories a menu of actions so that they can
begin their WEPs journeys with a bold gender-equality action plan.
The WEPs Journey represents the five stages of a company’s engagement with the WEPs:
Sign, Action, Capture, Engage and Report. This step-by-step engagement, offered tosignatories in the form of capacity-building, encouragement and assistance, forms thebasis for incentivizing companies to report. Finally, when companies reach the reporting
phase, they feature their progress publicly on the WEPs reporting platform.

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
PART 1: GUIDING FRAMEWORKS FOR COMPANY POLICIES TO PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE

X Figure 4. The Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Journey
Become a global role model forgender equality

1. Sign: Apply, formalize and communicate
your commitment – welcome kit andprofile page. HQ & regional and country
offices welcome

Sign

Share

2. Action: Develop and communicate the
WEPs action plan and start implementing
3. Capture: Develop and communicate
experiences, lessons learned throughan Interview or Case Study – workplace,marketplace & community

EngageActionCapture4. Engage: Activate your business partners,
vendors and suppliers to foster a genderresponsive and inclusive value chain
5. Report: Share your company’s progressagainst your WEPs action plan

Source: The Women’s Empowerment Principles at weps.org.

The Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC)
The Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) is an initiative driven by stakeholders committed
to reducing the gender pay gap and making equal pay for work of equal value a reality
across all countries and sectors. Led by the ILO, UN Women and the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Coalition engages with governments,
employers, workers and their organizations, the private sector, civil society and academia
to take concrete steps to accelerate the closing of the gender pay gap and the achievementof pay equity.
EPIC provides a platform for member companies to express their views, experiences
and ideas on how to tackle the gender pay gap. The ILO, UN Women and the OECD offer
resources to address this challenge through their expertise and convening power. EPIC also
has a network of experts in the field of equal pay and opportunities to provide teaching andinputs from a tailor-made perspective. Companies currently belonging to EPIC include theIngka Group (IKEA), Powher New York, The Fair Pay Innovation Lab (FPI) and The Equal Pay
Company.

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1.4 G7 and EU policy frameworks
The G7 and the EU have both fostered on-going dialogue, often tripartite, and adopted
policy frameworks and calls to action to accelerate progress towards gender equality in theworld of work.

G7 Recommendations on Gender Equality at Work
Combining international standards and goals with social and economic dialogue, theGroup of 7 (G7) promotes the connection between gender equality and increased
prosperity.21 At Taormina in 2017, the G7, along with Women 7 (W7), published a roadmap
of recommendations for different parties. They proposed positive action plans to fullyrecognize the beneficial effects of women’s activity in the workplace,22 as well as the effects
of unpaid care work, violence, stereotyping and a lack of representation in leadership on
gender equality at work.23
The G7 Social Communiqué of June 201924 called for a tripartite approach (engaging
government and employers’ and workers’ organizations) to identify market barriers thatcreate labour segregation based on gender; increase women’s representation on boards,
in management and in entrepreneurship; invest in skills development and education in all
fields (especially science, technology, engineering and mathematics – STEM); formulate
a gender-balanced care system; and close gender gaps in employment, pay (especiallyafter leave) and workplace participation.25 To ensure success in these initiatives in both the
public and private sectors, the G7 additionally recommends prior and post-activity public
assessments to ensure transparency and the positive development of women’s economic
empowerment 26 and international cooperation.

European Union Frameworks
Gender equality is one of the core values of EU legal frameworks, embedded in theTreaties, the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Pillar of Social Rights. Thereis extensive EU legislation related to gender equality, particularly in the workplace, thattouches on issues such as maternity and parental leave; equal opportunities and equal
treatment of men and women in employment and occupation, including equal pay, social
security, working conditions and harassment; as well as equal opportunities for workers in
self-employment, including access to maternity leave benefits.27 In June 2019, the European
Parliament adopted a Directive on the work–life balance for parents and carers, which sets
out the conditions for paternity, parental, and carers’ leave, and extends current provisions
on flexible working arrangements for workers with young children and other carers.28

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
PART 1: GUIDING FRAMEWORKS FOR COMPANY POLICIES TO PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACEThe European Commission has adopted a Gender Equality Strategy 2020-25, which focuseson: ending gender-based violence; challenging gender stereotypes; closing gender gaps inthe labour market; achieving equal participation across different sectors of the economy;addressing the gender pay and pension gaps; and closing the gender care gap andachieving gender balance in decision-making and in politics. As one of the first deliverablesof the Strategy, the Commission has prioritized binding pay transparency measures, to be
proposed by the end of 2020.29

15© Photo by Science in HD on Unsplash

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality

PART 2:TAKING ACTION FOR GENDER
EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACEThe Business Case
International instruments and frameworks, together with national laws, are crucial to therealization of gender equality at work and women’s economic empowerment, but theyalone cannot address all the gaps that contribute to inequality. No amount of progressive
legislative solutions could work without meaningful and proactive action from social
partners and, in particular, employers in the public and private sectors. Remedying genderinequalities is an end in itself, but also a critical means of achieving broader economic
growth and social justice.
ILO estimates indicate that, were the G20 “25 by 25” target (to reduce the gap in participation
rates between men and women by 25 per cent by the year 2025) to be realized globally, suchan outcome would raise global GDP by 3.9 per cent, or US$5.8 trillion (equivalent to raising
average global GDP growth over the next eight years by almost half a percentage point per
annum).1 Gender inequality restricts the talent pool employers draw from and impedes thedevelopment of new ideas, which is critical for entrepreneurship and economic diversification,
the important drivers of sustainable growth.2 Research by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
shows that if the gender pay gap were lowered, even to 13 per cent, OECD nations could
experience a boost in GDP of US$6 trillion.3 The causes of this anticipated large jump in
GDP, according to the ILO, include “increased female participation in the labour market,
entrepreneurship and women moving into higher-paid and higher-skilled jobs”.4

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Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
PART 2: TAKING ACTION FOR GENDER EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACEX Table 2. The Business Case for the WEPs

To uphold human rights and be inclusive, just and fair: It is really as simple as that. Gender equality in theworkplace, marketplace and community advances the Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development. It isgood for society; it is good for the economy; and it benefits everyone.
To improve corporate performance: Women’s equal participation at every level of the company – fromthe factory floor to the corporate board – leads to better financial performance, and raises returns on
investment, market share and stocks.
To attract and retain talent: Companies with fair HR systems that respond to both women’s and men’s
needs lead to inclusive recruitment practices, improved retention rates, reduced absenteeism andturnover rates, and an equitable promotion system.
To attract investments: Investors know that companies that promote gender equality are moreproductive, more profitable and maintain a positive reputation. They are holding companies to more
rigorous standards and choosing to invest in sustainable companies that balance purpose and profit
and meet the needs of both shareholders and stakeholders.
To increase innovation capacity: A diverse workforce fosters diverse ideas and generates dynamics thatencourage creativity and lead to innovation.
To diversify the supplier base: A diversified pool of suppliers enhances supplier availability and security;
promotes innovation through the entrance of new products, services and solutions; drives competition;and increases market penetration and access to new markets. Investing in and engaging with womenowned businesses in corporate supply chains also boosts the reputation of companies among theirstakeholders and shareholders.
To meet the needs and demands of consumers: Increasingly, consumers are demanding products
and services from companies with transparent, responsible business practices that advance genderequality. Women influence the majority of purchasing preferences and decisions. A diverse workforce
and supplier base, representing the composition of its consumer base, can help a company meet the
product and service needs of its consumers.
To end harmful gender-based stereotypes in advertising and outreach materials: An unstereotyped
world is no longer only a social imperative, but a business one. Advertisements which portray women
respectfully as progressive and modern, authentic and multi-dimensional helps advance genderequality, while improving customer perception and brand reputation.
To fully integrate into communities: Companies that undertake community consultations with local
leaders – women and men – establish strong ties and programmes that benefit all community members
and advance gender equality and sustainable development.
Source: The Women’s Empowerment Principles at weps.org.

Growing evidence for the specific benefits of gender equality for business is also compelling.
According to the consulting firm Accenture, “the power of a workplace culture of equality
to drive employees’ innovation mind-set – or their willingness and ability to innovate – isstrong. It has more impact than age or gender and leads to an increase in innovation in allindustries and all countries. Furthermore, a company culture of equality is associated withgreater levels of innovation in its workforce.”5This translates into more productive and profitable companies. The ILO report “The Business
Case for Change”, which surveyed nearly 13,000 enterprises across the world, shows there
are longer-term and strategic benefits to the bottom line connected with gender diversity.
Enterprises with an equal-opportunities or diversity-and-inclusion policy are 3.8 per cent

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
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more likely to report increased productivity and profitability.6 Increased profits range from
5 to 20 per cent.7
Statistically, gender diversity is a predictor of increased profits and productivity (62.6 percent); an increase in recruitment and retention (59.7 per cent); greater creativity, openness
and innovation (59.1 per cent); enhanced company reputation (57.8 per cent); and theability to better gauge consumer interest and demand (37.9 per cent).8 When employees
feel that they will be valued equally, they are more likely to feel safe in making their uniquecontributions and are more likely to remain with the company.
A commitment to equal pay for work of equal value also benefits companies. By making thiscommitment, a company attracts talents and experiences a higher retention rate of women
employees. Closing gender pay gaps helps increase the performance and productivity of
the workforce. It also contributes to increased growth and sustainability for companies andthe economy at large.9
A proactive approach to ensuring employees’ work–family balance, including in times ofcrisis, promotes the well-being and equality of a company’s workforce and enhances thecompany’s bottom line.10 Research by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) finds that mostbusinesses with paid family-leave policies report a positive return on their investment in
implementing the policies.11 Employers reported benefits such as “… improved employee
retention, the ability to attract the best talent, reinforced company values, improved
employee engagement, morale, and productivity, and enhanced brand equity”.12 Similarly,
according to an EY survey, over 90 per cent of employers that offered paid family-leave
benefits found that the impact was positive or neutral on costs.13 These positive effects
are probably linked to improved employee satisfaction, which enhances recruitment andretention. A survey found that 77 per cent of workers agreed that the availability of paid leave
can affect where they choose to work.14 A study by the International Finance Corporation(IFC) showed that the provision of childcare benefits increased employee retention, andmade for better recruitment, higher productivity and improved reputation.15 Finally, an ILO
study showed that small investments by SMEs in supporting breastfeeding yielded returns
on investment by maintaining employee retention and satisfaction.16
Being able to balance work and life is essential for everyone’s success, both in and outside
the workplace. Conversely, the idea that top-level figures must be available “anytime,
anywhere”17 can hinder the career advancement of women, who face a “motherhood
penalty” with respect to employment, pay and pensions.18 In some companies, policies that
increase inclusivity and promote a better work–life balance have already shown increased
sustainability and effectiveness. Flexible working arrangements can also foster productivity(Figure 5) and allow all employees to feel more valued at work and involved in contributing
to the success of the enterprise.

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X Figure 5. Share of survey respondents who experienced changes in productivity as aresult of flexible working and/or remote or teleworking arrangements by world andregion, 2018

Source: ILO, Women in Business and Management: The business case for change, 2019, 67.

Companies stand to lose when violence and harassment, including sexual harassment anddomestic violence, are not addressed. Violence and harassment may lead to low productivity
and increased absenteeism and turnover. By some estimates, for each employee who wassexually harassed, a company lost an average of US$22,500 in lost productivity alone.19 Nor
does this include the high cost of litigation and reputational damage,20 which can impact
the market value of the company and deter valuable talent.21 Victims of violence andharassment, including domestic violence, may end up leaving their jobs, which leads totalent loss.22
As women now surpass men in tertiary education graduation,23 the pool of potential
employees widens as companies recruit talented individuals for management roles.
Research shows that a broad range of talents and skills on executive teams contributes
to better decision-making, corporate governance and company profitability, which drives
economic growth.24 On average, an increase in inclusivity increases creativity, openness andinnovation by 59.1 per cent, which can lead to smarter and more longitudinal businessdecisions, and enhances the company’s image by 57.8 per cent among consumers.25 Multiple
studies have found that gender balance in company leadership is correlated with enhanced
financial performance.26 Increasing gender diversity in leadership roles, for instance on
boards, has even higher outcomes, with enterprises 20 per cent more likely to experience
better business outcomes.27 There is mounting evidence around the globe that promoting
gender diversity among employees, management and boards can boost the performanceof a business.28 Globally, only 27.1 per cent of managers and leaders are women – a figurethat has changed very little over the past 30 years.29

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
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Concerning technological transformations in the world of work, as women increase theirtechnological skills, their productivity improves. Combining technology with changes inworkplace structure can increase company productivity, as both male and female employees
can work remotely and at different times to optimize their focus and balance work with other
responsibilities, thereby improving personal productivity.30 Focusing company policies on
women during the digital revolution will also aid recruitment and retention. Transparent andeffective policies against online gender-based violence and harassment will help women to
feel safe in cyberspace, expanding a company’s customer or user base.

Workplace Policies and Practices
This section reviews policies aimed at companies, sets out useful steps that can foster
commitment and action towards gender diversity, and provides illustrative company
examples. The five key aspects covered here that drive the promotion of gender equality
are:8 achieving equal pay for work of equal value
8 preventing and ending violence and harassment in the world of work
8 promoting work–family balance and an equal sharing of childcare responsibilities
8 fostering women in business and management
8 building a future of work that works for both women and men.

2.1 Achieving equal pay for work of equal value
Achieving gender equality and women’s economic empowerment at work requires that thework done by women and men is valued equally, and that they receive equal pay for workof equal value. Despite the widespread support for the principle of equal pay, the genderwage gap persists at about 20 per cent on the global level.1
The pay gap prevails at all levels of employment, including management, and gap rates
vary based on employment level and region.2 Gender pay gaps among women show wide
variations across countries and between different groups of women, depending on theirage, race, ethnicity, migration status and other categories of disadvantage. Women cannot
be treated as one homogenous group. For example, the gap between mothers and nonmothers, known as the “motherhood pay gap,” ranges from 1 to as much as 30 per cent.
Women from ethnic minorities and other groups at risk of discrimination, such as lesbian,gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) workers, face multiple barriers and evenwider gaps in pay and advancement in the workplace.3

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The gender pay gap tends to grow at higher income levels, particularly in high-income
countries. To take the example of Belgium, while the gender pay gap at the lowest income
levels is only 3 per cent, it widens to 13 per cent in the top quartile.
The ILO Global Wage Report4 identifies various contributing factors, which are often
interrelated:
1. occupational segregation and undervaluation of feminized industries;
2. the “motherhood penalty” versus the “fatherhood premium” and the disproportionate
burden of unpaid care work driving women into lower-paying occupations;5 and3. differences in participation in full-time wage employment.6
The motherhood penalty contributes to the gender pay gap through a variety of factors,
including career interruptions or reductions in working time; over-representation in lowerpaying but family-friendly jobs; or discriminatory hiring and promotion practices that
disadvantage women who are or may become mothers.7 To effectively address the gender
pay gap, efforts must encompass policies that enable both women and men to succeedin their work, while thriving as parents and care-givers, and increase the expectation that
unpaid care work is a shared responsibility of both women and men.
Gender pay gaps can be partly explained by factors such as education and training, care
responsibilities, work experience, enterprise size and union density. However, other factors
may also be involved, in particular discrimination, implicit biases and social norms, further
replicated at the company level. These gaps lead to substantive disparities in lifetime
earnings, which continually reinforce women’s unequal position in the labour market andthe workplace.8 The ILO has proposed a new methodology for calculating pay gaps: the“factored weighted gender pay gap”, which aims to take into account some of these factors.

2.1.1 Key International Labour Standards and other instruments
The principle of equal pay for work of equal value is enshrined in the ILO Equal Remuneration
Convention, 1951 (No. 100) and Recommendation No. 111. The right to equal remuneration
applies not only in cases where men and women do the same or similar jobs, but also when
they perform work that is different but of equal value, based on objective criteria, such as
skills, working conditions, responsibilities and effort. Remuneration is not limited to thebasic pay or wage that the worker receives, but also other forms of compensation, such as
bonuses, stock options or overtime pay.9
The principle of equal remuneration applies to all workers. Through their representative
organizations, enterprises should work with government and workers’ organizations toestablish job evaluation criteria. They should apply appropriate techniques for objective job
evaluation to determine value, comparing factors such as skill, effort, responsibilities andworking conditions.10

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
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Other instruments
Women’s Empowerment Principle 2 calls for action by its signatories to pay equal
remuneration, including bonuses and benefits, for work of equal value and to ensure atleast a living wage for all women and men employees.11 For its part, the Equal Pay Directive
75/117/EEC prohibits both direct and indirect pay discrimination.

2.1.2 Guiding principles for companies
Through the adoption, effective implementation, monitoring, evaluation and public reportingof comprehensive equal pay policies, companies can ensure that workers’ contributions
are valued equally, regardless of their gender. Comprehensive equal pay policies are more
effective when they:
1. Ensure commitment and leadership from the top
2. Promote social dialogue and collective bargaining
3. Establish and implement a comprehensive equal pay policy
4. Measure the gender pay gap and perform gender-neutral job evaluations
5. Promote pay transparency and reporting

Ensuring commitment and leadership from the top
Consistently communicating from the top that equality and inclusion are company priorities
contributes to creating an organizational culture and ensuring that any accompanying
initiatives will succeed. Demonstrating commitment and leadership in promoting genderequality also involves engaging with other members of the business community andstakeholders to share best practices and collaborate on building momentum for positivechange.
Leadership should extend to ensuring that adequate policies and practices are put in place.
Policies should include the necessary pay adjustments to close gender pay gaps and require
regular pay equity reviews. In addition, they should provide for the allocation of a special(temporary) budget to eliminate any identified differences in wages between women andmen.12

Promoting social dialogue and collective bargaining
Although it is ultimately up to each company to determine how it wishes to develop andimplement gender equality policies, companies are encouraged to use social dialogue
and collective bargaining. These mechanisms provide a channel for management toacquire the best possible information about existing obstacles to gender equality, and to
generate creative solutions that can be implemented in partnership with workers and theirrepresentatives.

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Social dialogue and collective bargaining are most likely to promote inclusive and genderequal employment systems when such bargaining is coordinated and conducted at anational or sectoral level.13 Becoming a member of an employer or business organization,and engaging in social dialogue and the formulation of collective bargaining agreementsthat proactively address inequalities, can be an effective mechanism for closing gender wage
gaps.14 Ensuring that a collective agreement covers workers in the lowest-paid categories
can also help to narrow the gender pay gap, particularly in highly feminized occupations or
sectors.15

Establishing and implementing a comprehensive equal pay policy
If well designed, equal pay policies are powerful tools for achieving the equal pay principle.
Collaboration between management, workers and their representatives is at the core ofsuch workplace action.16
In order to be effective, equal pay policies should promote sex-disaggregated pay datacollection and adopt job evaluation methods using gender-responsive and objective criteria,
as well as estimates of pay gaps between jobs of equal value. They should also provide forthe necessary pay adjustments to close gender pay gaps and require regular pay equity
reviews. Policies should also provide for the allocation of a special (temporary) budget toeliminate any identified differences in wages between women and men.17
Equal pay policies should also set out improved recruitment and selection procedures thatrefrain from requesting an employee’s pay history. Basing current wages on previous wages
perpetuates the existing gender pay gap. In other words, a woman’s (or man’s) pay historyor past salaries should not determine the level of her or his present or prospective salary,but rather the value of the job itself (as outlined in the preceding section). Governments are
increasingly adopting laws and regulations that prohibit employers from requesting salaryhistory information from job applicants.18

Measuring the gender pay gap and performing gender-neutral job evaluations
Evaluating and comparing the relative value of jobs helps determine whether they are fairly
and equally remunerated. Gender-neutral job evaluations help to establish the relativevalue of jobs and thus determine whether their corresponding pay is just. The process takes
into account a variety of factors across different jobs, such as skills, the effort involved,
responsibilities and working conditions.19 Objective job evaluations can be used to compare
work performed by men and women in different places or enterprises, or between different
employers, and the process achieves greater pay equity when it is systemic, formal andinclusive, particularly in large organizations. It is a highly technical process, with multiple
methods available, requiring utmost care to eliminate gender bias during the classification
process (please refer to Annex 3 for introductory guides to gender-neutral job evaluations
and other resources and tools relating to equal pay).

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Once the gender pay gap has been identified, an efficient way to close it is for companies
to identify which employees are contributing the most to the gap, then allocate raises as
efficiently as possible to close the gap (as opposed to across-the-board equal raises), taking
managerial objectives such as fairness and equality into account.
Although determining an overall gender pay gap figure for a company is a good start, an
overall figure may obscure more persistent pay inequalities at different levels within theorganization. Hence, best practice also includes examining pay disparities across different
employee categories, or pay bands, and disclosing this information publicly.20

Promoting pay transparency and reporting
Transparency is particularly important in closing the gender pay gap, as it facilitates
discussion, both internally and externally, of what does and does not work and promotes
knowledge-sharing. Transparency is central to eliminating pay inequality. It gives employees
confidence that their pay is fair and non-discriminatory, which has been shown to provide
motivation for greater productivity and team collaboration.
Pay transparency helps both employers and employees obtain the information necessary toassess gender discrimination and rectify pay gaps, as well as negotiate fair remuneration,individually or through collective bargaining. This will also reduce the risk of unequal pay
claims being made against companies. Conversely, not disclosing pay can reinforce gender
discrimination in business practice and create doubt and mistrust among colleagues or
between employees and employers.21
A recent study shows that when companies disclose gender pay gaps (in this case as
mandated by legislation), gender pay gaps shrink. Moreover, pay transparency also
increases the company’s gender balance and the number of women promoted to moresenior positions, while reducing overall labour costs due to reduced growth of male wages.22
There are many global partnerships and initiatives available to support companies inachieving equal pay for work of equal value, such as the Equal Pay International Coalition(EPIC).23

2.1.3 Illustrative practices
Areva Group (now Orano)
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Utilities, Energy
Headquarters: France
Number of employees: 41,84724
Share of women employees: 21.1 per cent25

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A WEPs signatory since 2010, the Areva Group, a multinational company in the energy
sector based in France, signed a European framework agreement on equal opportunities
in 2006 with the European Works Council and the European Metalworkers’ Federation. The
agreement included provisions for equal pay, equal access to promotion, training, and nondiscrimination during recruitment. The agreement also created a Women’s Forum to bring
together women in the company from all areas and positions.26
To further progress, in late 2012 the company also signed a group agreement on genderequality, including guarantees in respect of equality in hiring, career paths, compensationand promotions, training, work–life balance, and awareness-raising among employees.
The agreement also created a budget specifically for the remediation of any “unjustifiedcompensation gaps at equal levels of responsibility”. Furthermore, it allows workers who
are on parental leave to continue to contribute to their retirement fund.27
In 2009, 35 per cent of new technical staff hired by the company were women, while only
17 per cent of young engineering graduates in France were women.28 Achieving a better
gender balance in the talent pipeline is an important step in overcoming the occupationalsegregation that keeps the numbers of women in industrial enterprises, such as Areva, at
low levels. In 2014, the number of women workers in the company globally was 21.1 per
cent, with figures of nearly 22 per cent in management, 16 per cent in executive positions
and 33 per cent in board membership.29 These figures show, in relation to 2005 levels, anincrease of 17.5 per cent among the general workforce, nearly 16 per cent in management,
and about 6 per cent in executive positions.30

Fujitsu
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Technology, IT equipment and services
Headquarters: Japan
Number of employees: 32,96931
Share of women employees: 16.7 per cent32
A WEPs signatory since 2017, the UK & Ireland branch of Fujitsu, a multinational IT
equipment and services company based in Japan, has a holistic approach to promoting
gender equality and tackling the gender pay gap. This includes gender pay gap analysis andreporting, striving for a better work–family balance and supporting the childcare needs of
its workforce, as well as measures to achieve a better gender balance in the talent pipeline
and increase the number of women in leadership roles.33
In Japan, the company’s efforts to support the care responsibilities of its workers include
a teleworking policy, implemented in 2017, which makes telework available for all 35,000
employees in Japan. Policies are also in place to support employees who are pregnant,have children or are nursing. These include a babysitter subsidy, three in-house childcare

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facilities and support groups for new parents. Furthermore, workshops have been held for
employees who are nursing, as well as training seminars for managers on how to support
employees who are nursing.34
The company has a variety of initiatives to decrease the long working hours that are an
endemic issue in Japan, one that hinders career advancement for women, who shoulder
disproportionate care responsibilities at home.35 The company also offers 14 weeks’paid paternity leave for new fathers36 and has seen a 40 per cent increase in its take-up
between 2015 and 2017.37 Fujitsu has received the “Platinum Kurumin mark” award fromthe Japanese government in recognition of its work–life balance policies, the highest levelof such certification.38

IKEA
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Retail, Furniture production
Headquarters: The Netherlands
Number of employees: 208,00039
Share of women employees: 52.5 per cent in the UK40
IKEA has been a WEPs signatory since 2018 and is a member of EPIC. It has spent years working
to reduce the gender pay gap and, as a member of the UN High Level Panel on women’s
economic empowerment,41 has committed to securing equal pay for work of equal value
by 2020. On 1 January 2019, an 18-month project was rolled out in all 30 countries of IKEA’s
franchise42 to conduct annual assessments of differences between men and women in IKEA’s
employment, and of base-pay policies. The company has committed to public reporting ofthese results in publications such as the IKEA Group Yearly Summary.43 In all countries in which
it operates, IKEA is taking part in pay-equity programmes, but many of these programmes differ
according to region and country. Some examples include: equalizing pay between part-timeand full-time workers in Japan,44 especially because women hold 90 per cent of IKEA Japan’s
part-time positions;45 offering childcare services for employees in South Korean facilities;46
adopting a gender-inclusive recruitment process and running a childcare programme in India;47
and prioritizing equal parental leave for men and women in the United States and India.48
In 2010, IKEA focused on pay equality in relation to diversity and intersectionality, developing
principles to reduce multiple pay gaps.49 Two years later, IKEA analysed gaps in the pay of
executive management. Adjustments were made to promote equal pay regardless of gender,
nationality and other factors.50 Between 2013 and 2014, IKEA focused on five countries,
which required greater attention to women’s economic empowerment.51 A supervisory board
convened in 2016 to focus on budgeting with a view to closing the pay gap; this group meetsannually.52 In 2017, it established a task force to create a pay-assessment tool with the help ofan external auditor, which is used by IKEA stores worldwide to analyse their internal pay gaps.53

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Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Technology, Software services
Headquarters: Germany
Number of employees: 96,49854
Share of women employees: 33 per cent55
Work to assess potential pay inequality at SAP US started in 2016 with an external gap analysis
that reviewed all applicable laws and best practices, and analysed the total compensationfor employees in the United States beyond base pay. According to Jennifer Morgan, thenCEO of SAP North America, the analysis found a 99 per cent rate of equal pay (for equivalentwork) and the company immediately addressed the remaining 1 per cent gap by increasing
compensation to affected employees, of whom 70 per cent were women and 30 per centmen.56 In 2018, SAP further examined the company’s gender-equality performance at global
level.
Moreover, SAP set a target (and measured progress toward it) of having 25 per cent womenin leadership by 2017, enabling women’s upward trajectory through leadership acceleration
programmes, digital professional development opportunities, and community networks.
After meeting the target, SAP extended its commitment by setting an additional milestoneof reaching 30 per cent by the end of 2022.57 The company has been a WEPs signatory since2015 and is ranked first for gender equality among the top 10 companies in the technology
sector, according to the Equileap 2019, Top 100 Companies rankings.58

Starbucks
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Retail, Restaurants
Headquarters: United States
Number of employees: 291,00059
Share of women employees: Store partners 68 per cent, retail leadership 66 per cent,directors 50 per cent, VPs 49 per cent, senior leadership 40 per cent60
In March 2018, Starbucks announced that it had achieved 100 per cent pay parity for
employees of all genders and races in the United States, the culmination of a 10-year
effort.61 The company credits this achievement to implementing the following policies andprinciples:
8 stop asking candidates about their salary history
8 remove any caps on promotional increases
8 be transparent about wages, provide a position’s pay range if a candidate asks for it
8 report annually on pay equity progress across the organization

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8 conduct comprehensive analyses of compensation
8 analyse all compensation decisions before they are adopted
8 have an accessible pay calculator with transparent standards and calculation methods
8 adopt a policy of no retaliation or discrimination against employees who ask about or
discuss wages
8 address unexplained differences in pay between women and men performing similar
work.62
These principles were adopted under the umbrella of a company goal to achieve andmaintain 100 per cent gender pay equity globally and to maintain 100 per cent pay equity
in the United States.
Starbucks has also committed to encouraging other multinational companies to work
towards pay equity by sharing their knowledge and tools with the support of the Billie JeanKing Leadership Initiative (BJKLI) and leading national women’s organizations, such as the
National Partnership for Women and Families (National Partnership) and the American
Association of University Women (AAUW).63

Swedbank64
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Financial services, Banking
Headquarters: Sweden
Number of employees: 16,430
Share of women employees: 61 per cent65
In 2014, Swedbank’s leadership team decided to go above and beyond the law, which
in Sweden requires companies to perform an equal-pay analysis and work towards
eradicating the equal pay gap. A new plan was adopted to tackle the gender pay gap in
the four countries in which it operates (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden). It set an
ambitious target: to reduce the pay gap to zero by 2017 for all employees in every part ofthe Bank, and to maintain that figure. One of the measures taken was to put in place a job
evaluation system to map out, evaluate and compare each job in the organization. This wasa significant step forward for the bank, moving from simply looking at job titles towards
a more comprehensive exercise that took into account each job’s complexity and level of
responsibility. This job evaluation exercise is now performed regularly.
The next step was to ensure that employees doing work of equal value were receiving
the same salary. If gaps were found, immediate corrective measures were taken withthe help of a special budget set aside for this purpose. Although not all companies canallocate additional funds to close the gender pay gap, for Swedbank it was an option and a
conscious decision. Prioritizing spending on closing the gap was a useful exercise in itself

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and demonstrated that the leadership team recognized and were serious about tackling the
problem.
The Bank’s HR Compensations and Benefits team conducts a pay gap assessment of eachpart of the organization three times a year and shares the findings with each business area
to make sure that no pay gap has been created. This assessment prevents pay gaps fromreappearing once they have been eradicated. HR also works with managers throughout
the annual salary review process, making sure that equal pay is considered at every step.
It again provides a checkpoint, calculating the impact on equal pay if salaries are raised as
proposed by managers. If the calculation reveals that a gap will be created, managers are
asked to modify their salary review proposals.
Education and training for HR professionals, who are leading the drive for equal pay, wascrucial to the programme’s success. This allowed them to effectively support managers andcompetently tackle questions on equal pay raised by staff. Induction and periodic training
for managers, starting at the highest levels, on both equal pay and on broader topics ofgender equality and diversity, also played a key role. Over time, equal pay has become adeeply embedded norm in the culture of the organization. It is part of the Bank’s scorecard
and a key performance indicator for the whole organization.
By 2017, the overall gender pay gap for all four countries was approximately 0.4 per cent.
The zero pay gap target has been achieved in Sweden, with work ongoing in the othercountries. Close monitoring and reporting of the programme means producing reports
on a regular basis and distributing them to the management teams. This allows for earlyintervention if a gap starts to emerge. In 2019, Swedbank signed the WEPs and was ranked
among the top three companies in Sweden for gender equality, according to the Equileap
2019, Top 100 Companies rankings.66

2.2 Preventing and ending gender-based violence andharassment in the world of work
Gender-based violence and harassment, including sexual harassment, are incompatible
with decent work yet remain pervasive around the world, irrespective of sector or income.
Over a third of Canadian women reported that they experienced sexual harassment at work,
while 12 per cent of men reported the same in a 2018 survey.1 In the European Union (EU),between 40 and 50 per cent of women reported that they had experienced a form of sexual
harassment in the workplace.2 Unfortunately, the experiences of many victims go unheard,
as four out of five women do not report instances of harassment to their employers.3

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Violence and harassment negatively impact the organization of work, workplace relations,worker engagement, enterprise reputation, and productivity. Those experiencing violenceand harassment at work can suffer harm to their psychological, physical and sexual health,including physical injuries, anxiety, depression, stress and other lasting impacts of trauma,
as well as harm to their dignity and their family and social environment.
Women’s economic empowerment is also affected, as research has found that victims are
more likely to change jobs, and therefore suffer financial stress, rather than report incidents
to escape an abusive situation. Such desperate job changes can negatively impact women’s
career success and companies’ turnover4 and may prevent persons, particularly women,from accessing, remaining and advancing in the labour market.5 Women may also be
reluctant to move or have greater difficult in moving into leaderships roles due to high levelsof sexual harassment. EU research shows that over 70 per cent of women in leadership roles
have experienced sexual harassment.6 Sexual harassment results in an unsafe and hostilework environment, undermines equality at work and reinforces stereotypes about women’sabilities and aspirations.7 Domestic violence also can affect employment, productivity andthe health and safety of workers.
Companies can take proactive measures to combat harassment and violence in the worldof work. The think-tank Business Fights Poverty (BFP) has produced a five-step frameworkthat businesses can implement in daily company functioning: raise prevention awareness;
commit to all aspects of women’s empowerment; implement supportive and destigmatizing
policies; collaborate with other sectors; and ensure transparency and accountability.8 These
steps, when combined, optimize the workplace as a safe haven for all individuals andcan have positive social and cultural impacts. BFP has also produced a diagnostic tool forassessing the strength of company policies to combat harassment and violence.9
In addition, the ILO and UN Women have jointly developed a handbook on addressing
violence and harassment against women (see Annex 3).10

2.2.1 Key International Labour Standards and other instruments
The Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) and the accompanying
Recommendation No. 206 recognize that violence and harassment take a huge toll on
individuals, businesses, society and governments. Women are disproportionately impacted.
The concept of “violence and harassment” in the world of work is defined as “unacceptablebehaviours and practices, or threats thereof, whether a single occurrence or repeated, that
aim at, result in, or are likely to result in physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm,and includes gender-based violence and harassment”.11 It includes sexual harassment andcovers work-related communications (including email and online platforms), work-relatedsocial events, commuting to and from work, and domestic violence12 within private homes
when they are a place of work.13 Protection should cover all sectors, occupations and types of

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work arrangements, including job-seekers, interns and volunteers, and persons exercising
the duties of an employer.
Employers should commit to eliminating violence and harassment at work and adopt a
policy to:
8 affirm that violence and harassment will not be tolerated;
8 establish violence and harassment prevention programmes with, if appropriate,measurable objectives;
8 specify the rights and responsibilities of the workers and the employer, including the rightof the worker to remove her or himself from a situation involving violence or harassment
without fear of retaliation;
8 establish complaint and investigation procedures;
8 ensure that all internal and external communications related to incidents of violence andharassment will be duly considered, and acted upon as appropriate;
8 specify the right to privacy of individuals and confidentiality, while balancing the right ofworkers to be made aware of all hazards;
8 include measures to address domestic violence: awareness-raising, leave for victims,
flexible work arrangements, temporary protection against dismissal for victims ofdomestic violence and referral to public mitigation measures; and8 institute measures to protect complainants, victims, witnesses and whistle-blowers
against victimization or retaliation.14
Workers and their representatives should take part in the design, implementation andmonitoring of workplace policies on violence and harassment. Associated psycho-social
risks should be incorporated into the management of occupational safety and health.
Workplace risk assessments should take into account factors that increase the likelihoodof violence and harassment, including psycho-social hazards and risks. Particular attention
should be paid to the hazards and risks that:
8 arise from working conditions and arrangements, work organization and human resource
management, as appropriate;
8 involve third parties such as clients, customers, service providers, users, patients andmembers of the public; and8 arise from discrimination, abuse of power relations, and gender, cultural and social
norms that support violence and harassment.15
So far as is reasonably practicable, employers should provide workers and other persons
concerned with information, tools and training, in accessible formats as appropriate, on theidentified hazards and risks of violence and harassment, and the associated prevention andprotection measures, including rights and responsibilities.

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There are other international and regional instruments that address violence and harassment
at work. In interpreting the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination(CEDAW), the Committee on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW Committee) considers workplace sexual harassment as a formof gender-based violence that can reduce gender equality in the workplace and result in
health and safety issues.16 The European Social Charter (revised) of 1996, the Convention
on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (known as
the Istanbul Convention), 2011, and several EU Directives also seek to prevent and prohibit
various forms of violence and harassment.17
Principle 3 of the WEPs calls for actions by its signatories to establish a zero-tolerance policy
against all forms of violence and harassment at work.18

2.2.2 Guiding principles for companies
Enterprises – both directly and through their employers’ organizations – can play, and are
already playing, a key role in ending violence and harassment, including sexual harassment,by helping to shape public policies, calling on governments to ratify ILO Convention No. 190
and participating in social dialogue.19 Individual enterprises have the ability to influencesocietal norms and behaviours on gender-based violence and harassment throughadvertising and campaigning, particularly when the issues align with core business aims
and include culturally relevant reference points or actors.20 Company policies that have
proved successful include plans that:
1. Demonstrate leadership commitment to a company culture of zero-tolerance
2. Adopt, implement and monitor a comprehensive and effective workplace policy on
violence and harassment
3. Promote occupational safety and health and systematic workplace assessment
4. Foster guidance, training and awareness-raising
5. Mitigate the impact of domestic violence in the world of work
6. Address unequal gender-based power relations

Leadership and commitment to a company culture of zero-tolerance
Organizational culture is one of the leading factors in the occurrence of sexual harassment.21
Leadership shapes that culture. When leaders take sexual harassment seriously and makeprevention a high-priority, it impacts the way employees see the issue.22 As a U.S. Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Task Force on the Study of Harassment in
the Workplace expressed it: “… leadership and commitment to a diverse, inclusive, andrespectful workplace in which harassment is simply not acceptable is paramount”, and “thisleadership must come from the very top of the organization”.23

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PART 2: TAKING ACTION FOR GENDER EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE“Clear and consistent” anti-harassment messaging from organizational leadership is“essential” to combating sexual harassment.24 Company leadership should communicate
strongly and frequently the tenets of the company’s policies, implement accountability
measures at all levels of leadership, reiterate zero-tolerance for violence and harassment,
prevent and protect against retaliation, and create a climate of civility and respect.
Management commitment indirectly encourages victims to report, particularly those who
fear reprisals. One of the recommendations of the EEOC Task Force was to implement asystem that rewards managers for an increased rate of harassment reporting, at least in the
short-term, in order to incentivize the creation of a climate in which employees feel safe toreport misconduct.25

Adopt, implement and monitor a workplace policy on violence and harassment
To eliminate violence and harassment in the world of work, robust and comprehensive
workplace policies on violence and harassment, including gender-based violence andharassment, are key. The recommended elements of an effective workplace policy include:
a definition of what is considered violence and harassment illustrated by examples, acommitment to zero-tolerance, prevention, access to an effective complaint and investigation
procedure, access to remedies and assistance (including support and services for victims,
counselling and information, 24-hour hotlines, emergency services, medical care andpsychological support) and appropriate provisions to protect privacy and confidentiality.26
The system established by the policy should foster trust in the complaints procedures.
Measures include providing clear information about the complaints process, ensuring
anonymity through a variety of reporting platforms27 and protecting against retaliation.28
The workplace policy should establish an integrated approach addressing all related aspectsof the phenomenon (health, safety, equality, discrimination, sanctions and so on). It should be
drafted in consultation with workers and their representatives, using culturally appropriate
language,29 and should be available in accessible formats. It should also be reflected inbroader policies such as equality policies, collective agreements or codes of conduct.

Promote occupational safety and health and systematic workplace assessment
Ending violence and harassment in the world of work is inextricably linked to the promotionof occupational safety and health (OSH). Certain factors may increase the risk of violenceand harassment: working at night in isolation, in contact with the public or working in
intimate spaces and private homes;30 contract work;31 intersectional factors such as race,
ethnicity, gender, disability, age and HIV status.32
OSH programmes and risk assessments are key tools for integrating these issues into
prevention and mitigation strategies.33 An honest and thorough qualitative and quantitative

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assessment of policies, hazards and risks, enforcement mechanisms, and the prevalence
and nature of complaints about violence and harassment helps to identify gaps inprotection and remediation mechanisms.34 Information on any complaints made should
also be meticulously and confidentially recorded. It is good practice to track numbers ofcomplaints by department, gender, outcomes and remediation options.35 This data can thenbe analysed to identify patterns and better understand where more proactive measures
may be needed.

Foster guidance, training and awareness-raising
Training is important in improving understanding of what constitutes violence andharassment, and ensuring that measures to prevent and address it are enforced.36 Frequent,in-person, interactive training seem to be the best approach,37 particularly when it featurescontent that is tailored to a specific department, company or cohort of employees.38 Various
approaches may be required to transform the workplace culture, including implicit (orunconscious) bias training, bystander intervention training, training to change stereotypes
and social norms, and peer-to-peer training, which empowers employees to help each otherdisseminate information and change harmful practices.39 Training should be evaluated toassess its short- and long-term effects and ensure that the best methods are implemented,
based on staff characteristics and composition, and feedback.

Mitigate the impact of domestic violence in the world of work
The world of work can play an important role in mitigating the effects of domestic violence
on individuals and workplaces. Companies are encouraged to take a number of measures,
including leave for victims of domestic violence, flexible working arrangements, and theincorporation of domestic violence into workplace risk assessments and workplace policies
on all forms of violence and harassment in the world of work.40 They can also provide
safety and support for survivors of domestic violence, for example by referring a worker
to local counselling support.41 Companies can also refer to the effects of domestic violence
on individuals and the workplace when disseminating information to raise awareness onviolence in the workplace.42

Address unequal gender-based power relations
Gender imbalances in an occupation or industry tend to increase the risk of sexual
harassment.43 A male-dominated and hierarchical workplace culture poses risks,44 as dofemale-dominated occupations with gender stereotypical roles of care and service, inwhich women are viewed as subservient.45 Taking steps to increase gender diversity at alllevels and address unequal power balances would help to reduce this vulnerability. These
efforts will also involve engaging men as allies in proactive measures for equal gender
representation.

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2.2.3 Illustrative practices
Carrefour Hypermarkets
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Retail, Supermarkets
Headquarters: France
Number of employees: 360, 93046
Share of women employees: 58 per cent47
In 2012, the retailer Carrefour set up “Psya”, an active listening and psychological support
service for victims of sexual harassment. The service is free and anonymous, and can beaccessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by telephone.
Carrefour signed the WEPs in 2013 and collaborated with UN Women in 2017 to publish“Tackling violence against women in the workplace”, which explains how violence ismanifested and how to actively listen to people affected. Copies were distributed not only to
managers but also to all employees in order to raise their awareness, keep them informed
and support them. It will also direct victims of violence to appropriate bodies in both thecharity and public sectors. Carrefour employees in leadership positions based in non-G7
nations have received training on reducing bystander effects and on victim support.48
Carrefour has signed the WEPs and works with UN Women and a number of other local NGOs
on awareness-raising and prevention campaigns in Italy, Romania and Spain. A campaign inArgentina resulted in the establishment of a “gender-based violence committee”, and 200
store managers and directors have been trained so they can identify instances of violenceand provide the victims with support.49

DiageoBasic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Retail, Beverages
Headquarters: United Kingdom
Number of employees: 29,91750
Share of women employees: 31.8 per cent (34 per cent in leadership positions, 40 per cent at
executive level and 50 per cent of board members)51
As part of a partnership with CARE International, a UK-based charity, Diageo performed anassessment across its entire business to find out to what extent the company was tackling
violence and harassment, including sexual harassment. The analysis compared Diageo’s
current violence and harassment mechanisms with the – at that time – proposed text of ILO

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Convention No. 190, as well as CARE’s best practice recommendations. This benchmarking
exercise was then validated by Diageo’s global team across multiple countries and business
functions, and the results were used to strengthen its global Dignity at Work policy.52
Additionally, as a result of extensive human rights impact assessments in 12 markets,
Diageo identified the risks of sexual harassment faced by workers in the hospitality sector,
implemented initiatives aimed at preventing harassment, and developed contractor
standards in line with the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.53
Diageo has been a WEPs signatory since 2013 and was ranked #1 in Equileap 2019, Top 100
Companies for gender equality.54

EndesaBasic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Utilities, Electricity
Headquarters: Spain
Number of employees: 1,29555
Share of women employees: 65.9 per cent56
Endesa, a Spanish multi-national electricity company, has been a WEPs signatory since2010. It includes a commitment to tackling gender-based violence in its Plan for Equal
Opportunities and has taken action accordingly.57 Employees who are victims of genderbased violence, including domestic violence, are eligible for psychological support, medicalcare and legal aid. They can also receive support to manage the multidimensional effects ofviolence, including flexible work arrangements, childcare, and financial assistance with thecosts of relocating to ensure safety, such as the rent of a new home and the fees involvedin a child changing schools.58

Fortalice Solutions
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Technology, Cybersecurity
Headquarters: United States
Number of employees: 11–5059
Share of female employees: 44 per cent60
Fortalice Solutions investigates cybersecurity breaches and provides prevention systems forbusinesses, governments and individuals.61 Fortalice also does pro-bono work for victims ofsex crimes and human trafficking, and to combat violence against women and girls in andoutside the digital world.62

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Fortalice created #HelpASisterUp to increase the number of women in cybersecurity,
who account for only 10 per cent of the industry workforce.63 The LinkedIn group allows
women and girls to contact Fortalice professionals to set up potential mentorships. Women
wanting to embark on a cyber-career can utilize the #HelpASisterUp programme to findresources and discuss industry prospects, whether this is their first career track or a change
in labour force status.64 Increasing the presence of women in the heavily male-dominatedcybersecurity industry can lead to innovative company policies, especially to protect theprivacy of women and girls, who are at high-risk of online harassment in cyberspace.65

Gap Inc.
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Retail, Apparel
Headquarters: United States
Number of employees: 135,00066
Share of women employees: 76 per cent67
Gap has been a WEPs signatory since 2015. Its “Zero Means Zero” sexual harassment policy
demands zero-tolerance for sexual harassment, emphasizing that every complaint will bequickly and thoroughly investigated, and that the company strictly prohibits retaliation.
The policy stresses that it is “everyone’s responsibility” to voice any concern about potential
discrimination or harassment, whether as a target or a bystander.68
The global policy applies to all employees and business partners, including directors,
managers, applicants, customers, contractors, vendors and suppliers.69 Gap has establisheda 24-hour Code of Business Conduct (COBC) hotline, which is managed by an independent,
third-party vendor and provides interpretation. The hotline access page stresses that
individuals submitting a complaint are protected by the company’s “strict enforcement of
the company’s zero tolerance for retaliation”.70

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2.3 Promoting work–family balance and equal sharing of care
responsibilities
According to the ILO’s Care Work and Care Jobs report: “In no country in the world do men andwomen perform an equal share of unpaid care work”.1 The burden falls disproportionately
on women. In developed countries, women spend a daily average of 4 hours and 20 minutes
on unpaid care work, as against a daily average of 2 hours and 16 minutes spent by men.2
In most countries, this divergence begins during a woman’s child-rearing years and persists
throughout her lifetime. 3
The disparity between women and men in care responsibilities has significant ramifications
for women’s economic empowerment. In every country around the world, women’s labour
market participation is lower than that of men, largely due to the unequal distribution ofhours of unpaid work in the household.4
When women do work, “they tend to have more limited access than men to high-quality
employment opportunities”, in large part due to the disproportionate burden of unpaid
work in the household.5 The need for more flexibility to fulfil their care responsibilities
prompts many women to take up paid work that is part-time or in the informal economy,
where wages are usually lower, perpetuating the gender pay gap.6
Pregnant women are more likely to be discriminated against in hiring and firing. They
are also more likely to be denied the right to return to work once their maternity leaveis finished. Maternity discrimination pushes more women into gig employment or the
informal economy, where wages are low and hours less stable.7
Gender equality and women’s economic empowerment are intimately intertwined withachieving work–family balance, ensuring a more balanced sharing of family responsibilities
and investing in the care economy, as called for by the ILO Centenary Declaration for the
Future of Work. Moreover, family-friendly policies, such as supporting breastfeeding at work,
positively impact broader social well-being since they are correlated with lower mortality
rates and healthier mothers and babies, and hence lower healthcare costs.

2.3.1 Key International Labour Standards and other instruments
The ILO’s first maternity convention (Maternity Convention, 1919 (No. 3)) was adopted soonafter the organization’s founding in 1919, pointing to its centrality in advancing genderequality at work and social justice. International labour standards on maternity protection
have two main goals: to “preserve the health of the mother and her newborn” and to “provide
a measure of job and income security: protection from dismissal and discrimination, the rightto resume work after leave, and maintenance of wages and incomes during maternity”.8

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The more recent Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183) applies to all women,
including those in atypical forms of dependent work. It focuses on providing adequate
financial and other support; protecting pregnant workers and those with newborns fromdiscrimination; and supporting workers (both women and men) with family responsibilities.
The minimum length of maternity leave should be 14 weeks. Recommendation No. 191
recommends 18 weeks. The mother should receive financial support equal to at least two
thirds of previous earnings provided through compulsory social insurance or public funds,
with no more than one third to be provided through employer liability, so as not to incentivize
employers to avoid hiring pregnant workers or women of child-bearing age.9
Health protection in the workplace should be provided for pregnant and nursing workers.
This includes time off for medical examinations, workplace risk assessments, and prevention
and protection measures. It also encompasses accommodating and supporting workers
who are breastfeeding, allowing them time off to feed or pump and an appropriate space
to do so. These elements should be incorporated into the occupational safety and healthmanagement system.10
The ILO Workers with Family Responsibilities Recommendation, 1981 (No. 165) and theMaternity Protection Recommendation, 2000 (No. 191) call for parental leave and leave for
adoptive parents. This serves both to expand the opportunity for all parents to bond with
their new-born or newly adopted child and to destigmatize maternity leave.
Actions deemed discriminatory include: refusal to hire; dismissal or denial of the opportunity
to return to work following maternity leave; the use of temporary contracts or non-standard
forms of employment to discriminate against pregnant women; and mandatory pregnancy
testing. 11
Recommendation No. 165 also encourages measures to enable workers to reconcile theirwork and family life. These include adequate and appropriate childcare and family services
and facilities; more flexible work schedules, rest periods and holidays; and vocational
guidance and training to enable workers with family responsibilities to become and remain
integrated in the labour force, as well as to re-enter the labour force after an absence due
to such responsibilities.
Many workers with family responsibilities work from home, where they often lack legal
protections and bargaining power. The Home Work Convention, 1996 (No. 177) andRecommendation No. 184 promote equality of treatment between home workers and otherworkers.

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Other international and regional instruments
Maternity protection is also enshrined in key human rights treaties, including the 1948
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), 1966, and the Convention for the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), 1979.12 The WEPs include indicators on
paid maternity and parental leave.
In 2019, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union adopted a Directive
to support a healthy work–life balance for parents and carers.13 It introduces at least ten
days’ paid leave for a baby’s second parent, five days’ paid leave per year for workers whoneed to care for a sick or dependent family member, and the right to request flexible working
arrangements.14 Furthermore, the Directive includes guidance to ensure protection against
discrimination for workers with family obligations and pregnant women; promote a moregender-balanced use of family-related leave and flexible work arrangements; and improve
long-term and childcare services.15 This legislation means that parents and carers will bebetter able to reconcile their professional and private lives, and companies will benefit from
more motivated workers.
Women’s Empowerment Principle 2 calls on its signatories to offer flexible working
arrangements, gender-sensitive recruitment and retention practices, and leave and reentry opportunities to positions of equal pay and status, and to support women and men’s
access to child and dependent care through services, resources and information.16

2.3.2 Guiding principles for companies
Effective company policies that can promote a better work-life balance for all include:
1. Providing maternity protection in line with or over and above international labour
standards
2. Preventing discrimination against pregnant women and workers with family
responsibilities in hiring, job assignment, training, conditions of work and firing
3. Providing paid paternity leave and encouraging uptake
4. Facilitating a smooth return to work after leave
5. Supporting breastfeeding in the workplace
6. Assisting with on- or near-site subsidized childcare
7. Supporting other care responsibilities
8. Providing flexible working arrangements
9. Extending coverage to all workers and families

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Providing maternity protection in line with or over and above international labour
standards
To promote the equal sharing of care responsibilities between women and men, maternity
leave should be part of a comprehensive and integrated care-leave policy, as a minimum
guaranteeing maternity protection to all women in line with ILO international labour
standards (see Section 2.3.1). A review of research on maternity leave duration by New
America’s Better Life Lab found that periods of leave shorter than 12 weeks were associatedwith negative health and well-being outcomes for mothers and infants, and that longer paid
leaves had long-term benefits.17 Research shows that periods of leave of less than one year
are optimal, to avoid long-term negative impacts on women’s labour market participationand career development.18

Preventing discrimination against pregnant women and workers with family
responsibilities
Workers are often discriminated against in hiring, job assignment, access to training andpromotion because of actual or expected maternity and family responsibilities. Enterprises
should avoid direct and indirect discrimination against pregnant and nursing women andworkers with family responsibilities. While having regard to operational needs, enterprises
are encouraged to guarantee healthy and safe environments and working conditions for
pregnant and nursing women. They should avoid excessively long hours and unpredictable
overtime, which makes it difficult to plan for care of family members, and scheduling workon traditional days of rest.19

Providing paid paternity leave and encouraging uptake
Paternity leave recognizes a father’s right and responsibility to care for his new child. Studies
show that there is a direct positive relationship between the duration of a father’s leaveand his ongoing involvement in household chores and childcare.20 Easing of the burden
on women helps them to more fully integrate into the labour market. It also benefits childdevelopment and well-being, and contributes positively to children’s future attitudes tomore equal gender norms.21 The ILO Global Wage Report finds that paternity leave canreduce the gender wage gap by countering “…the perception held by employers – both
women and men – of women wage employees as mothers.”22
Some companies are going beyond the maternity and paternity divide and offering
generous parental leave for all parents. This is very helpful in further reducing unconscious
or conscious bias against women during recruitment and in challenging gender stereotypes.
However, the particular needs of mothers to recover from childbirth should be factored into
the formulation of such policies.

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Facilitating a smooth return to work after leave
Facilitating a parent’s return to work after leave is crucial for both employer and employee.
Return-to-work policies can differ, depending on an organization’s structure. They may
include gradual change from a part-time to a full-time schedule, flexible hours, working from
home, coaching and online communications. The integration of technology into daily worktasks can support a fluid return to work, while not sacrificing any skills during the periodof leave. However, safeguards should be put in place to avoid pressuring the employee towork during maternity, paternity or other types of leave for carers.

Supporting breastfeeding in the workplace
Support for breastfeeding workers is important for both the worker and her baby andshould at least include permitting breast pumping or feeding in or near the workplace,and paid lactation breaks.23 Other important means of support include educating staff todecrease stigma and discrimination in respect of breastfeeding, and providing a lactation
space or paid breaks. These measures can be adopted with relatively low cost, so they arefeasible for all sizes of enterprise.24
A basic and appropriate breast feeding/lactation space should have a door that can belocked from the inside, a flat surface other than the floor on which to place supplies, proper
lighting and ventilation, cleaning wipes and paper towels, and an electrical socket. It should
also be accessible to individuals with disabilities.25 Many companies go beyond these basics
and include a sink with soap and running hot and cold water, a breastmilk-designatedrefrigerator, a microwave to sterilize supplies and a comfortable chair.26

Assisting with on- or near-site childcare
The needs of employees who are parents go beyond the first few months of their child’slife. Smart, secure and good-quality childcare helps parents to return to the workplace withpeace of mind that their child is being taken care of. Employer-supported childcare canallow fathers to share the role of caretaker equally if their business offers this service, which
can help “remove stigma against men who embrace their roles as fathers”.27
The quality of childcare services is linked to the qualifications and working conditions ofchildcare workers. The ILO has adopted Policy Guidelines on the promotion of decent workfor early childhood education personnel.28 Employer-supported childcare is not intended
to replace the primary role of the public sector. There are multiple workplace solutions
to support working parents that can be adapted to the characteristics and size of eachcompany at zero or low cost.29

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Providing flexible working arrangements for a healthy work–life balance
Flexible working arrangements, such as adjusting working hours or working from home,
can be beneficial for both workers and employers. They are valuable in enabling workers tobalance their work and personal life. Flexibility is especially important to women’s economic
empowerment, in that it enables workers to balance their care and career commitments,
and allows men to be more involved in caring for their children or other family members.
However, gender stereotypes will be reinforced, rather than challenged, if workplace culturescontinue to favour working on site and working long hours, and if women disproportionately
utilize flexible working arrangements. Moreover, workers need to be confident that they
will not be penalized for making use of such accommodations: research by the European
Commission shows that 27 per cent of Europeans express this concern, and thus leadersand managers must play a key role in decreasing this pressure.30 A company culture thatencourages and enables all employees to make use of such arrangements without detriment
to their career is therefore an important element of any such policies.

Extending coverage to all workers and families
Ensuring broad coverage of employee categories, such as part-time workers and thosein low-skilled and low-paid occupations, is very important, given that women are moreprevalent in these job categories.31 An increasing number of companies are extending leave
benefits and family-friendly policies to part-time and hourly employees.32 It is also essential
to ensure that coverage supports all family types (single parents, parents who adopt or use
surrogacy, same-sex couples and so on), so none is left behind.

2.3.3 Illustrative practices
AdidasBasic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Retail, Sportswear,
Headquarters: Germany
Number of employees: 57,01633
Share of women employees: 57 per cent34
Adidas, a worldwide sportswear company based in Germany, signed the WEPs in 2020 andhelps its employees to achieve a healthy work–life balance through its multiple flexible
working arrangement options. Measures in support of new mothers and parents include
parental leave, activity camps when children are not in school, back-up childcare, lactation
rooms (in select branches) and subsidies for childcare if no on-site facility is available.35

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
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Adidas has also implemented programmes for all employees, regardless of whether or
not they are parents, ensuring that all employees are accommodated and parents are notstigmatized. Measures include individualized working hours and days, part-time hourly
models, work-from-home, and “myTime” (a salary-conversion option at their headquarters
for sabbaticals, early retirement and other needs).36 Women staff can advance themselves
educationally, socially and financially through this programme. Adidas makes sure employees’
voices are heard be establishing a “People Pulse” employee satisfaction database, which
over 90 per cent of employees have used,37 empowering workers to help create an optimal
work environment.

BMO Financial Group
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Financial, Banking
Headquarters: Canada
Number of employees: 45,45438
Share of women employees: 54 per cent39
BMO Financial Group, a WEPs signatory since 2019, offers a wide range of work–family
benefits. Broadly open to all staff with any sort of family responsibilities, the programme
encourages both women and men to make use of the benefits. Employees who give birth
receive up to 17 weeks of maternity leave and an additional 61 weeks of parental leave,
making a combined total of 78 weeks’ leave, while fathers and parents of a newborn or
adopted child benefit from 61 weeks of parental leave. Employees also receive a top-up of
public payments for six weeks from the date a child is born or comes into the care of the
adoptive parent(s), bringing their total net pay to 100% of their pre-leave earnings.
Parents can access up to 10 days of paid back-up childcare services, and paid and unpaid
leave is available for a wide range of family needs. Employees also receive paid time off
to address personal matters that cannot be scheduled outside of working hours and canrequest flexible working arrangements (working offsite, working a shortened week and/or
sharing jobs). Employees can take up to 28 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to provide
care or support to a family member who is gravely ill with a significant risk of death; andpaid time off to help cope with the loss of an immediate family member or close friend.
Moreover, they can request extended unpaid leave of absence for a wide variety of purposes,
including family responsibilities.
In addition to these programmes, the LifeWorks-administered Employee Assistance Program
offers a variety of resources, such as blogs, online toolkits, videos, podcasts, articles, selfassessments and interactive programmes, as well as confidential counselling services to
employees and their eligible dependents.40

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Danone Nutricia ELN
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Food processing
Headquarters: Italy
Number of Employees: Over 100,000 for the whole Danone Group41
Share of female employees: 30 per cent of the entire Danone corporation42
Danone Nutricia ELN is an Italian-based subsidiary of a larger corporation, Danone, a WEPs
signatory. In 2011, Danone Nutricia ELN introduced a Baby Decalogue Program for its employees,
which later inspired the family welfare legislation adopted by the Italian government in 2015.
This initiative was conceived in response to the low rate of women’s labour-force participationin Italy, which is 10 percentage points lower than in other OECD countries.43
The Baby Decalogue Program aims to support both maternity and paternity in the workplacethrough an awareness-raising campaign informing parents of their rights as caretakers atwork (see Figure 6). The programme increases maternity leave pay and offers paternity
leave. Leave for a primary caregiver in all subsidiaries of Danone extends to 18 weeks for abirth parent and 14 weeks for an adoptive parent.44 When a parent returns from leave,
Danone Nutricia ELN streamlines the return-to-work process by providing counselling. Oncethe child enters childcare, the company offers flexible working hours to parents and anannual contribution for any childcare needs.45
X Figure 6. The Baby Decalogue Program by Danone Nutricia ELNBABY DECALOGUE - 10 SIMPLE RULES TO SUPPORT PARENTS IN THEIR JOURNEY
1. Make awaremother and fatherof all the rights and duties
that concern
motherhood and fatherhood

2. Inform the mother of theexistence of CentroPsicheDonnaand offer her the psychological supportof the Association for herself,
her baby and her partner

3. Establsih
a communication channel during
maternity leave to share
information about business andnew Company projects

4. Organize a
Course on Nutrition to accompany
mother, during and after the
pregnancy, in a very delicate momentfrom a physicological point of view

5. Increase

6. Offer

7. Warrant

the pay with an additional economic
contribution during the period of
optional maternity leave
giving 60% instead of 30% of the totalsalary(doubling the social security contribution)

to the working father andmother a Mother package
every year, for three years
containing Mellin’s products
for the baby from zero tothree years oldto the father
10 days of paid paternity
allowing him to experience
the first important momentsof his baby’s life

8. Postpone or anticipate

9. Listenfor mother and father the starting andending working time when children startgoing to nursery or to school

to the mother’s needs when she returns to work
after maternity leave, planning a meetingwith the HR Director

10. Support
families (also in economical terms) inthe education and health care of the children(Welfare)19 November, 2019

Source: Danone, slide presented at the ILO-EU Maternity Protection Centenary Event, November 2019.

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During parental leave, parents can undertake skills training through the “Maternity as a
Master” (MAAM) programme on a PC or mobile device. The low-cost programme has 12
different training modules that can be completed remotely to improve soft skills for theworld of work.46 These skills have had positive effects for new parents and for Danone, inand outside the workplace: 76 per cent of parents on leave use the programme; 83 percent state that their skills have improved; 75 per cent feel more engaged in Danone’s
work; 79 per cent feel more energized. Other skills that have been developed include
empathy (with an increase of 35 per cent), the ability to delegate (35 per cent), better time
management (35 per cent), decision-making (15 per cent), intellectual agility (20 per cent)and the ability to manage complex tasks or situations (10 per cent).47
The long-term effects of Danone’s programmes have been outstanding in terms ofparental take-up, returns to work, rates of promotion for returning mothers and reduced
absenteeism; 51% of the company’s managers, executives and directors are women.48 The
company received Italy’s Best Workplace Award each year from 2013 to 2017.49

Deloitte
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Professional services, Consulting
Headquarters: United States
Number of employees: 286,21450
Share of women employees: 44 per cent51
In 2016, Deloitte, a WEPs signatory since 2010, initiated family leave of 16 weeks for all
employees at full pay. Leave covers care of a child or an ailing loved one (significant other,parent, sibling or grandparent). The leave is also flexible, so it can be taken in its entirety orin fragments. The gender-neutral nature of the policy aims at “relieving some of the oftenseen cultural pressure on women to be the default caregiver”.52
Deloitte reports that over 5,000 workers made use of the programme in the first two years
and there has been an increase in the number of male employees taking family leave, andfor longer periods of time.53

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EY (formerly Ernst & Young)
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Professional services, Accounting
Headquarters: United Kingdom
Number of employees: 261,55954
Share of women employees: 47.655
The consulting firm EY has been a WEPs signatory since 2010. In 2016, it announced arevamped leave policy for its employees in the United States. The company provides 16
weeks of paid parental leave for all employees who are welcoming a child through birth,
adoption, surrogacy, foster care or legal guardianship. This gender-neutral parental leave
replaced its previous 12-week maternity leave provision and 6-week leave for new fathers
and adoptive parents.56 The expansion of leave benefits was accompanied by an effort toencourage fathers to make use of the leave that included supportive messaging by men in
leadership positions.57
The policy has thus far successfully increased the proportion of men taking leave to welcome
a child. Whereas 19 per cent of eligible fathers took paternity leave prior to the expansion,a year after the policy went into effect the take-up rate by fathers taking 6 weeks or moreincreased to 38 per cent.58 The company’s Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Karyn Twaronite,
also credited the expansion and increase in fathers’ take-up of paternity leave to increasing
gender diversity in company leadership.59

L’Oréal
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Retail, Household and personal products60
Headquarters: France
Number of employees: 82,60661
Share of women employees: 69 per cent62
L’Oréal operates in 130 countries, employing 50,500 people.63 L’Oréal runs a “Share &Care” programme, which provides a minimum set of social benefits for all the company’s
permanent employees and encourages local subsidiaries to launch additional initiatives.64
The company provides a minimum of 14 weeks’ maternity leave, paid at 100 per cent ofprevious remuneration, and six weeks of paternity leave on full pay.65 Additionally, thecompany ensures that women on maternity leave are entitled to all of the salary increases
that they would have received, had they not been on leave.66 Employees also have accessto major medical treatments, with 75 per cent of the costs reimbursed and 24 months fully
paid in the event of death or incapacitation of the mother.67 The benefits also include flexible
working arrangements.68

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The global programme serves as a basic platform upon which local operations can build,depending on the needs of employees in different regions. For instance, Canadian employees
receive flexible health benefits; company branches in Central America and Argentina
partake in L’Oréal Mamá (which includes longer maternity leave, a shortened working week
and subsidized childcare); while working conditions in Indonesia have been improved, withnew lactation rooms made available through office relocation.69 The company has been a
WEPs signatory since 2013. In 2016, it received the WEPs Benchmarking for Change CEO
Leadership Award and was ranked #4 in Equileap 2019, Top 100 Companies on genderequality.70

Martur Fompak International
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Automotive manufacturing
Headquarters: Turkey
Number of Employees: 5,700 total, 918 in Kütahya plant71
Share of female employees: 57 per cent (Kütahya plant)72
Martur Fompak has made a strong commitment to supporting workers with families and in
this respect has become a national leader. In addition to complying fully with the labour law
provisions concerning maternity leave and paid breastfeeding breaks, all Martur plants havelactation rooms with amenities such as armchairs, blinds, air conditioning and a refrigerator
for milk storage.73 To ensure women’s safety, Martur provides free transportation home if amother needs to leave to breastfeed.74
Martur learned from exit interviews that childcare would be beneficial to the company
and thus decided to provide a free summer camp for children when school is closed.75
One branch of Martur, the Martur Kütahya plant, pays the fees for near-site childcare
and transportation.76 The results of these policies are striking: 84 per cent of women
who took leave in 2015 and 2016 returned to work and were still employed a year later,77
while absenteeism fell from 4.15 per cent in 2013 to 1.9 per cent in 2016.78 Since more
and more women are returning to work, staff turnover fell by over 3 per cent between
2013 and 2017.79

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Novartis
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Pharmaceuticals
Headquarters: Switzerland (policy is for France)
Number of employees: 1,800 in France80
Share of women employees: 60 per cent81
In 2006, Novartis France launched an internal survey to analyse the influence of care workon its employees. It found that 40 per cent of employees had care responsibilities. Three
years later, the company published a “Guide for Informal Carers” to provide information
and resources to employees with a broad range of care responsibilities, including care forchildren, older persons and sick relatives. Multimedia applications were also developed toprovide more advice on care.
Novartis France offers 27 days of annual leave and 14 days of reduced working time
(up to 50 per cent). Employees have access to a time-credit scheme and those with care
responsibilities benefit from a “credit-hours scheme” to allow for an extra two-hours of paid
leave per month for care activities. Carers can receive an extra stipend by way of financial
support.
To reduce stigma, Novartis France provides training for individuals in leadership positions
on how to better support employees with care responsibilities.82 The Novartis Foundation
has gone even further in educating the public and policy-makers where care is concerned.
In 2008, it created an Observatory of the Family Circle to inform health policy-makers about
the challenges faced by workers with family responsibilities and propose policy solutions.83
Novartis has been a WEPs signatory since 2010 and has recently joined EPIC.

Patagonia
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Retail, Sportswear
Headquarters: United States
Number of employees: 1,72884
Share of women employees: 50.1 per cent85
Patagonia has instilled a family-friendly culture into its workplace since 1983. It provides
16 weeks of paid maternity leave and 12 weeks of paid paternity leave.86 To facilitate thereturn to work and promote a healthy work–life balance, Patagonia provides a subsidized
childcare centre, which can welcome about 100 children ranging in age from new-borns to
9 years old.

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Patagonia has also made a strong commitment to supporting workers who breastfeed
their infants. What started as colleagues using a caravan for nursing breaks and childcare
needs87 has evolved into the Great Pacific Child Development Center at its corporate
headquarters and the Truckee River Child Development Center at its national distribution
centre.88 The company distributes information on prenatal and breastfeeding health89 andprovides paid nursing breaks. Breaks can be taken in a private space in the childcare centre,
where trained staff are available to assist. Mothers can nurse while working, including
during meetings,90 and they can make use of a travel-support programme.91
This combination of policies has been very successful: 100 per cent of mothers return fromleave after having a child. Moreover, Patagonia’s turnover of employees who are parents is
25 per cent less than for employees without children. The company estimates that theseretention rates have offset the annual costs of the facilities by about 91 per cent.92 It may also
be helping with recruitment. When Patagonia published a book entitled Family Business,
which discusses Patagonia’s family-friendly policies, traffic to the company’s recruitment
website increased by 40 per cent.93

RELX
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Professional services, Analytics
Headquarters: United Kingdom
Number of employees: approximately 30,00094
Share of women employees: 51 per cent95
The RELX Group, which is a member of the UN Global Compact and signed the WEPs in2014, began the process of implementing a flexible working policy by mapping existing
workplace measures across the business.96 The company then explicitly endorsed the valueof flexible working as part of its global flexible-working principles and created an enabling
environment where “work–life integration is encouraged and supported”.97
Flexible working arrangements include flexitime, part-time working, job sharing,teleworking, time off for care responsibilities for children and other family members, andcareer breaks.98 This option is available to employees all around the world in their Scientific,
Technical & Medical segment, one of the four parts of the company.99
The use of these options is supported by positive messaging from company leadership,
and the company has profiled female and male employees who have made use of thesearrangements on the company intranet and website. The case studies feature men’s andwomen’s stories of how they work flexibly, the practical realities of using these flexible
working options, and the impact this has had on their careers and well-being.100

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Sumitomo Chemical
Basic Characteristics
Sector: Chemical production, Sales101
Headquarters: Japan
Number of Employees: 9,012102
Share of female employees: 16 per cent103
To support its workers with parental responsibilities, Sumitomo Chemical offers 98 days of
paid maternity leave and 5 days of paid paternity leave. It also allots 28 paid childcare leavedays per child to each parent, days that can be used either in one long period or in separate
short periods until the child is three years old.104
It also subsidizes six on- and near-site childcare facilities, which are managed by a third
party. There are spaces for up to 180 children.105 These childcare facilities allow parents tospend time with their children and know they are safe nearby. The company particularly
encourages fathers to use these facilities, to stimulate greater balance in care responsibilities.
Although users are charged a small fee, it is less costly for parents than the fees of public,
government-run childcare initiatives.106
The combination of a convenient and high-quality childcare facility together with financially
supportive leave policies has had a large impact on recruitment, retention and theadvancement of women in this STEM-field company. The proportion of women employedrose from 11.8 per cent in 2009 to 13.6 per cent in 2016.107 Between 2004 and 2016 (thefacilities have been open for 8 of those 12 years), 90 per cent of women who went onmaternity leave returned to work.108 The company has been a WEPs signatory since 2013
and received the Kurumin Mark in 2008, 2012 and 2015 from the Japanese Ministry of
Health, Labour and Welfare (Platinum Certification in 2015).109

The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd.
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Financial services, Banking
Headquarters: Japan
Number of Employees: 117,321 (May 2019)110
The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi runs a variety of programmes to promote a healthy work–lifebalance. These include paid parental leave, encouragement to fathers to be involved in theirchildren’s lives, a subsidized childcare programme and “Bring Your Child to Work Day”.111

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
PART 2: TAKING ACTION FOR GENDER EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACEThe Bank has also set up a childcare portal for its employees, inspired by The Act on
Promotion of Women’s Participation and Advancement in the Workforce, which came into
effect in 2016 with the aim of improving women’s employment rates and supporting awork–life balance for both male and female employees.112 It finances the programme, which
is managed by an outside company. The online portal enables mothers to keep in touchwith the workplace while they are on maternity leave. A mother can communicate with her
managers and employers and work remotely on skills development and maintenance toensure a fluid return to work.113
The Bank’s work–life balance programmes appear to have positively impacted recruitment,
retention and the promotion rates of women. Women are recruited at higher rates andare now more likely to return to the Bank from leave, ensuring their own career success;the Bank estimates that it has saved US$45 million by retaining staff in this way.114 Womenare more likely to attain leadership roles: the percentage of women middle and senior
managers grew from 5 per cent in 2006 to 19 per cent in 2016.115

Unibail-Rodamco-WestfieldBasic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Retail, Real estate,
Headquarters: France
Number of employees: 2,000116
Share of women employees: 51.5 per cent117
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, a commercial real-estate company based in France, has won
recognition for its proactive support of fathers’ care responsibilities and work–life balance.118
This includes four weeks of fully paid paternity leave and shared parental leave of threemonths at full pay, which can be taken flexibly and is available from day one. The company
also offers three months at half pay and flexible working arrangements.
Furthermore, the company has initiatives in place to support fathers in maintaining ahealthy work–family balance. Its Family Buddy programme brings together new parents
with a colleague who already has children and is able to provide advice and support on
their new role before, during, and after their leave. The company also hosts workshops
specifically for fathers and partners, thus providing a further space where they can shareand gain insights.119
These efforts seem to have paid off: the take-up of paternity leave by “relevant staff” wasreported to be 100 per cent, and a further 40 per cent of eligible fathers made use of theshared parental leave in 2017.120 All requests for flexible work arrangements were granted.121

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2.4 Supporting women in business and management
Achieving gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in business andmanagement requires improving the gender balance at all levels of company leadership,
as well as increasing the numbers of women who are business owners and entrepreneurs.
Women represent more than 50 per cent of the population worldwide, but contribute only
37 per cent of global GDP and represent only 39 per cent of the global labour force.1
Globally, women occupy only 27.1 per cent of managerial positions, a proportion that has
not changed significantly in nearly three decades.2 Only 25.1 per cent of managers withchildren under 6 years of age are women, whereas the figure for women without young
children is 31.4 per cent. However, where men share unpaid care work more equally withwomen, more women are found in managerial positions.3 The highest levels of leadership
remain resistant to gender diversity. Women accounted for less than 4 per cent of board
chairs across nearly 7,000 companies in 44 countries in 2017 4 and globally only 15 per centof board seats are held by women.5 In G7 countries, the average proportion of women on
the boards of the largest publicly listed companies in 2017 was 27.04 per cent. France,
Germany and Italy are the countries where women are best represented on company
boards. These are also the only G7 countries that have established a quota system for
women’s representation on company boards.6
X Figure 7. Share of women on the boards of the largest publicly listed companies,
G7 countries, 2017

Source: WE EMPOWER – G7, based on OECD, 2017.

At the very highest level, the picture is not much brighter. Globally, 22 per of all employers
are women and 21.7 per cent of enterprises reported that they have a female CEO, although
there is a great deal of variance across regions, countries, and sizes of enterprise.7 In manycases, women-run businesses are very small or micro-enterprises with little opportunity

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for growth. According to the ILO Women in Business and Management report, “the underrepresentation of women in management positions becomes more distinct at the highest
echelons”.8 Despite some progress in recent years, women’s under-representation indecision-making positions in European business and industry persists.9
Empowering women in the workforce also means giving them the opportunity to thrive
as investors and entrepreneurs; yet women investors and entrepreneurs remain a small
minority.10 Globally, only 1 in 10 decision-makers at venture-capital and private-equity firms
are women, while private funds identified as operating with a gender-equality approachreport 72 per cent women partners. In Europe, all-men founding teams receive almost
92 per cent of all capital invested.11

2.4.1 Key International Labour Standards and other instruments
The ILO Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) andRecommendation No. 111 cover discrimination in relation to access to education andvocational training, access to employment and to particular occupations, as well as
terms and conditions of employment. Gender-equality policies and measures should beconcrete and specific, and may require treating certain groups differently.12 They should
be continually assessed and reviewed in order to ensure that they remain appropriate andeffective in a constantly changing context.13 Public procurement policies that give preference
to businesses owned by women and to women entrepreneurs have been identified as
particularly effective.14
The ILO MNE Declaration calls on multinationals and other enterprises to make qualifications,skills and experience the basis for the recruitment, placement, training and advancement of
their staff at all levels. They should ensure that relevant training is provided for women andmen employed by them at all levels in the host country, as appropriate, to meet the needs ofthe enterprise, as well as the development policies of the country concerned. Such training
should, as far as possible, develop generally useful skills and promote career opportunities
and lifelong learning. This responsibility should be carried out, where appropriate, in
cooperation with the authorities of the country, employers’ and workers’ organizations andthe competent local, national and international institutions.15
The WEPs are particularly relevant in guiding companies to contribute to gender equality
at all levels of company operations, including women-owned and women-led businesses.
The EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 is focused on improving the gender balanceon corporate boards by introducing a Directive to require a minimum of 40 per cent of
non-executive members of the under-represented sex on the boards of listed companies
in Europe.16 Companies would be required to demonstrate the application of clear andgender-neutral criteria in their selection processes.17

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PART 2: TAKING ACTION FOR GENDER EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACEThe EU cohesion policy supports women’s entrepreneurship, women’s (re)integration
into the labour market, and gender equality in traditionally male-dominated sectors. The
Horizon Europe European Innovation Council (EIC) will develop measures promoting theparticipation of women in start-ups and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises in
2020.18 The European Commission will also promote the presence of women in decisionmaking positions in private-equity and venture-capital funds, and support funds investingwith gender-diversified portfolios through the InvestEU programme, which aims to mobilize
private and public investment in Europe for more sustainable, inclusive and innovative
growth.19

2.4.2 Guiding principles for companies
Companies committed to gender equality should drive change and action that fosters
diversity and inclusion across all levels, and thus contribute to transforming business culture
more generally. Some strategies for empowering women to enter and remain in businessand management roles include:
1. Demonstrating commitment and action on the part of company leadership
2. Diversifying company talent and the executive pipeline
3. Adopting a continuous improvement approach
4. Focusing on communication and transparency
5. Promoting women’s entrepreneurship and closing the gender finance gap.

Demonstrating commitment and action on the part of company leadership
As with any other endeavour to achieve gender equality, the agenda needs to be set fromthe top. To truly succeed, it requires commitment, engagement and meaningful action on
the part of company leadership to ensure that women are equally represented and valued
in executive and leadership positions and on boards. This high-level commitment fosters agender-inclusive enterprise culture and paves the way for policies to enact change.20

Diversifying company talent and the executive pipeline
Increasing women’s presence – at all levels, but particularly in the middle and senior ranks ofmanagement and on boards – necessitates greater diversity in talent pipelines. Companies
should invest in gender-sensitive hiring processes and in promotion and succession
planning.
Offering opportunities adapted to the needs of workers with family responsibilities in areas
such as skills development and executive training is a good example of effective humanresources management. Programmes that provide tailored mentorship, sponsorship andother career development support particularly focused on women can be invaluable ingiving them the tools and resources to attain leadership roles.

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Adopting a continuous improvement approach
Company leadership should frequently revisit current policies and practices to identify
possible areas for improvement. Identifying and addressing areas for further progress,
and addressing any structural barriers, can help companies to fully realize gender equality
across the entire organization.

Focusing on communication and transparency
Implementing an effective policy and specific programmes for promoting gender equality
at all levels requires consultation, particularly with women employees. Ensuring thatwomen’s voices are heard and valued requires action on the part of company leadershipto create an open line of communication that is itself free of gender bias. Companies cancreate opportunities for women to communicate, set goals and discuss challenges with thesupport of human resources. In addition, giving visibility to role models helps to shape andreinforce a culture of gender inclusivity.
Transparency is also important for organizational learning. Enabling women to communicate
not only their successes, but also setbacks impacting their goals and progress is crucial.
Successes, setbacks and challenges should be shared to strengthen good practices andeliminate less useful or counterproductive ones.

Promoting women’s entrepreneurship and closing the gender financing gap
Finally, businesses can also support female entrepreneurs and women-owned enterprises,
for instance by lending support to community organizations and business associations that
support women’s entrepreneurship development, or seeking out women-led enterprises to
do business with. When women employees leave a company, in particular during lay-offs,
those who are interested in starting their own businesses can be supported by, for example,
helping them to access finance, providing business development resources, lending or
donating equipment, and so on.

2.4.3 Illustrative practices
AT&T
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Communication, Telecommunication services
Headquarters: United States
Number of employees: Over 254,00021
Share of women employees: 31 per cent22

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The telecommunications company AT&T has adopted several initiatives to increase gender
diversity at various levels. This starts with the new talent pipeline: in 2017, the internprogramme included 45 per cent women.23
Several leadership tracks have been developed that are either geared specifically towards
fostering women’s leadership or are comprised on average of more than 40 per cent female
participants. To increase the representation of women and people of colour at higher levels,an Accelerated Development Program (ADP) speeds up the professional development andgrowth of mid-level managers, while an Executive Advocate Program targets the executive
and officer levels. The Executive Women’s Leadership Experience programme invests
in 20 mid- and senior-level women leaders with potential to reach the executive level.24
Additionally, 54 per cent of participants in the Leadership Development Program, which
provides career opportunities, hands-on training and mentorship for recently hired college
graduates, have been women.25
AT&T has diversity councils at several levels of the company, including the Chairman’s
Diversity Council, headed by the Chairman and CEO, Randall Stephenson, and comprisedof a team that reports directly to him. This council meets quarterly to review diversity andinclusion measures and to monitor the status of initiatives.26
As of the end of 2017, women accounted for 35 per cent of the management at AT&T. However,
the trend towards greater representation of women in leadership has not significantly
strengthened, and recently there has been a slight decline (women’s representation in
management declined from 37 per cent to 35 per cent between 2013 and 2017).27 A numberof factors may be involved, but this highlights the particular challenge of increasing therepresentation of women in STEM fields, as well as the long-term vision required for pipeline
diversity initiatives. AT&T has been ranked third for three consecutive years in the Diversity
MBA “Best Places for Women & Diverse Managers to Work”.28

A.T. Kearney
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Professional services, Consulting
Headquarters: United States
Number of employees: 3,60029
Share of women employees: 38 per cent30
A.T. Kearney has adopted several initiatives to provide women with the resources andguidance to enable them to reach leadership positions. Among these is a sponsorshipprogramme that pairs female workers of diverse talent who have demonstrated strong
potential for leadership with senior executives who “help these women think through theircareer paths and serve as advocates for their interests, supporting their advancementand development within the firm”.31 The sponsors also provide professional feedback,Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
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facilitate skills development, provide network-expanding opportunities, and increase theparticipants’ visibility to the company leadership.32 Exceptional participants may also be
eligible for a fully-paid MBA degree from a top university, such as Columbia or Harvard.33
The programme has been successful in improving the advancement and retention rates ofwomen: 40 per cent of the female participants have attained leadership roles.34
A.T. Kearney’s “Encore Program” aims to speed the career development of women who reenter the workforce after a long career break.35 The programme tools include a structured
internship plan, training, personal mentoring and access to senior leadership.36 The firm also
has several initiatives to improve the work–life balance of employees, including part-time oralternative-schedule working and innovative ways of enabling teams to accommodate eachother’s work–life balance needs while traveling.37 A.T. Kearney also has a robust Women’s
Network that provides career development opportunities, hosts forums and runs mentoring
programmes.38
The company claims that it has “increased the firm’s diversity profile, particularly global
gender diversity”. Progress is slower, however, where more balanced representation inleadership positions is concerned: women account for only 22 per cent of the managing
partner leadership team and 11 per cent of the board of directors. 39

Deutsche Post DHL Group
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Postal and courier services, Industrials, Mail and Logistics
Headquarters: Germany
Number of employees: 519,54440
Share of women employees: 35 per cent41
In the company’s own words, the logistics industry remains a male-dominated sector, with
only one third of DHL employees being women. Remedying this imbalance is a top priority
for the company.42 To begin with, the company performed extensive research to identify
challenges to women’s advancement in management. The results informed policies focusedon creating a gender-equal culture and mind-set, as well as providing flexible working
arrangements, women’s career support, and monitoring.
These priorities were translated into the Women in Management programme, which
includes initiatives such as training courses, high-profile events to promote diversity andwomen’s leadership, gender-sensitive talent management systems and flexible working
arrangements to accommodate workers with family responsibilities without penalizingthem.43 The programme is tracked and evaluated using data monitoring.
The initiative has been successful in helping DHL to increase the proportion of women in
leadership positions, with growth of 4 per cent at the managerial level and 40 per cent

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representation on the company’s supervisory board.44 The company was a winner of theCatalyst 2019 Award.45

DNB Group
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Financial services, Banking
Headquarters: Norway
Number of employees: 9,63846
Share of women employees: 48.1 per cent47
DNB, a Norwegian bank, set itself a target for women’s representation at the top fourmanagement levels of at least 40 per cent. To reach this target, DNB has implemented several
policies to prioritize gender equality and diversity in their hiring and promotion processes.48
For every management position, the recruiters must identify the best-qualified male andfemale candidates prior to final selection. All internal management-development andtalent programmes are required to have a minimum of 50 per cent female representation.
Additionally, all lists of candidates in succession planning must include a minimum of 40 per
cent women. Restructuring processes also provide opportunities to improve the genderbalance of management teams.
This prioritization also extends to the selection of suppliers. Gender balance at the
management level is a criterion for selecting vendors, and DNB pushes for greater
representation of women at the partnership level when engaging providers of legal
services.49
DNB’s efforts seem to have paid off. Between 2014 and 2018, the percentage of women at
the bank’s top four management levels has steadily increased from 30.5 per cent to 38.1 percent. Women’s representation in the Group’s general management category stands at
46.2 per cent.50 The company signed the WEPs in 2020 and was ranked #8 in Equileap 2019,
Top 100 Companies on gender equality.51

Eli Lilly and Company
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
Headquarters: United States
Number of employees: 38,68252
Share of women employees: 47 per cent53
In 2015, Dave Ricks, then president of Eli Lilly’s largest business units and currently CEO,commissioned a workforce analysis that revealed a significant under-representation of
women in leadership positions (20 per cent). To address this, the company completed an

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external in-depth perceptions survey of 5,000 employees in the United States at all levels
and functions.54 The study showed that many women “did not feel supported or recognized
for their work”.55 Initiatives to overcome the problem included the implementation of
accountability measures, training for managers to recognize and overcome biases, and areview of job promotion and talent management practices.56
As CEO, Dave Ricks has also supported the development of policies to promote women’s
leadership, ensuring that senior leadership, the human resources department and the Lilly
Women’s Network (an employee resource group) are also involved.57
Commitment from the top to improve gender equality in the company seems to have paid
off. Women’s representation in the company’s senior-level bands has increased despite adecrease in the overall size of Lilly’s workforce. Women’s representation has increased from
29 per cent to 40 per cent in the C-suite; from 26 per cent to 29 per cent among senior vicepresidents and vice-presidents; and from 34 per cent to 42 per cent among senior directors.
In the United States section of the company, representation of women of colour at the seniordirector level has increased from 6 per cent to 11 per cent. Additionally, women account for
36 per cent of the board of directors.58 The company was a winner of the Catalyst 2019Award.59

Intesa Sanpaolo
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Financial services, Banking
Headquarters: Italy
Number of employees: 94,03260
Share of women employees: 54 per cent61
The Italian banking group Intesa Sanpaolo decided to establish a “Business Gemma”
programme to provide tailored loans to women who own or run a business, or are selfemployed.62 The programme also includes an insurance policy, which covers areas suchas health, maternity and “help and legal protection in times of difficulty in the private lifeof the businesswoman”.63 Participants in the initiative who head small and medium-sizedenterprises (SMEs) can also participate in the “SMEs Guarantee Fund”, which allows womento suspend repayments for up to one year in certain circumstances, such as maternity leave,
illness or care responsibilities for a child, spouse or other relatives.64 The programme alsooffers participating women access to training courses that support business managementand development.65 Between 2014 and 2017, the programme provided €600 million in loans.
In 2017 alone, 420 loans were granted, worth a total of €16.3 million.66
Intesa Sanpaolo, in partnership with several other banks, including the European Bankfor Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), has established a “Women in Business”
programme, which supports micro, small, and medium-sized businesses run by women in

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the Western Balkan region. The programme provides female entrepreneurs with subsidizedloans, technical advice from the EBRD and informational workshops. The initiative grantedloans to 408 participants in 2017.67
The company also aims to spur greater women’s labour market participation in Italy,
particularly in women-led businesses, through its “Women Value Company - Intesa
Sanpaolo” award, created in collaboration with the Marisa Bellisario Foundation. The award
is for small and medium-sized businesses that not only have great business potential,
but also implement innovative “policies that value women’s work and gender diversity
management”.68 In 2019, two hundred and twenty-one finalists were short-listed fromapproximately 1,000 businesses and multiple events were sponsored to provide them with
opportunities to network and share their knowledge.69
Aside from these noteworthy initiatives, the company has a suite of policies to promote
gender equality and women’s representation in leadership. Women comprise 54 per centof Intesa Sanpaolo’s workforce, with 40 per cent at the upper management level and 25 percent of the executive.70 The company has been a WEPs signatory since 2019 and was oneof the few Italian businesses featured in Equileap’s 2018 Gender Equality Global Report &Ranking, as the top Italian company on the list.71

Salesforce
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Technology, Software services
Headquarters: United States
Number of employees: Approximately 30,00072
Share of women employees: 30.9 per cent73
The CEO of Salesforce, Marc Benioff, has been very outspoken on issues surrounding
gender equality and the need to increase the gender balance of management and executive
leadership. In an interview for 60 Minutes, Benioff shared the experience of uncovering agender pay gap in the company, frankly admitting his initial reluctance to believe in its
existence before he understood that it was “everywhere” in the company, in “every
department, every division, every geography”.74
Consequently, in addition to allocating over $6 million to addressing pay inequality, thecompany decided that a broader approach to gender equality was needed. Benioff introduced
a rule whereby he would not participate in company meetings with less than 30 per cent
women present, his aim being to improve women’s access to company leadership, andultimately increase their numbers within it.75
The company is also committed to transparency in respect of progress on equality, witha stand-alone website on the topic and an annual update, in addition to the annualEmpowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
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Stakeholder Impact Report.76 According to these sources, the proportion of womenin company leadership has increased from 19.4 per cent in 201777 to 22.3 per centcurrently.78
Salesforce has also taken meaningful steps to encourage other businesses to make gender
diversity and equality a priority. In 2017, it launched a $50 million “Impact Fund” to invest incompanies that contribute to positive change by improving diversity, equity and inclusion
through tools that promote “equal opportunity and economic empowerment for womenand under-represented groups”. Thus far, $9.5 million from the Fund has been deployed tocompanies, 70 per cent of which are led by women or representatives of ethnic minorities,
with 27 per cent of that sum directed towards the diversity, equity and inclusion category.79
Salesforce has been a WEPs signatory since 2019 and also adheres to the CEO Action
for Diversity and Inclusion initiative, the largest CEO-driven organization committed toadvancing diversity and inclusion in the workplace.80

TD Bank Group (The Toronto-Dominion Bank)
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Financial services, Banking
Headquarters: Canada
Number of employees: 87,66581
Share of women employees: 58.1 per cent in Canada82 and 63.5 per cent in the USA83
TD Bank group has committed to diversity and inclusion through internal and external
communication. Diversity and equality actions are also formulated in consultation with
employee representatives during the quarterly meetings of TD’s Employee Council on
Employment Equity (ECEE).84 The annual “Pulse” survey includes questions on potential gaps
in the experience of employees based on their gender or other demographic. Concerns
raised in the survey by employees trigger action planning to address the issue.85
The Bank’s internal website contains an “Employment Equity” section, which gives
employees access to the Bank’s employment equity policy, surveys, annual reporting andcurrent equity strategy. The intranet also integrates social media features that are usedby employees and Bank leadership “to provide role models and practical tips on careerdevelopment, leadership, flexibility, and work/life balance”.86 It supports blogs related
to diversity and inclusion, which are highly popular and stimulate much discussion.87
To provide further visibility to role models in the company, TD has helped to enhance
the LinkedIn profiles of individuals in leadership roles “to strengthen their social media
presence so they can act as ambassadors and role models in their communities”.88
The featured role models are also encouraged to become diversity champions and areprovided with a “key messages” guide to increase their visibility and impact in internal andexternal communications.89

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PART 2: TAKING ACTION FOR GENDER EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACEThe Bank has also adopted a number of accountability measures. To increase theirawareness and accountability for progress, the senior executive team and their businesses
are required to provide regular reports on diversity in hiring, promotions, departures andtheir workforces generally. The Bank’s Inclusion and Diversity Leadership Council (IDLC)
manages the measurement and monitoring of diversity and inclusion. The Council focuses
on five priority areas, one of which is women in leadership.90
TD Bank also focuses on transparency. It makes its annual Corporate Social Responsibility
report available to its employees and the public, providing transparent reporting on diversity
governance and diversity on the board, in the general workforce and among suppliers.91
TD Bank has made great strides towards gender balance in leadership. In Canada, womenaccounted for 39.8 per cent of senior management in 2017, a marked increase on the 2016
level of 37.3 per cent,92 and for 44.2 per cent of staff at middle and other managementlevels. In the United States, women comprised 53.2 per cent of the bank’s lower and midlevel management, and 25.8 per cent of its executive category, in 2017.93

2.5 Building a future of work that works for women
Rapid technological changes, such as automation, artificial intelligence and the digital
economy, have already significantly affected the world of work, with mixed implications
for the future of gender equality. Transformative changes that bring economic growth andcreate jobs also risk deepening inequalities.1 Persistent occupational segregation meansthat women and men are likely to be impacted differently by automation. The McKinsey
Global Institute elaborates:
In the automation age, women face new challenges overlaid on long-establishedones. Technology adoption could displace millions from their jobs; many others
will need to change the way they work. Globally, 40 million to 160 million women
may need to transition between occupations by 2030, often into higher-skilledroles. If they make these transitions, women could find more productive, better
paid work; if they don’t, they could face a growing wage gap or leaving the labormarket.2
Nearly 40 per cent of jobs held by men are in routine physical roles, such as machine
operators and craft workers, which could potentially be lost to automation. Where womenare concerned, clerical support and service work are feminized occupations at high risk of
automation, and could give rise to job losses of up to 52 per cent (as compared with 27 percent of male job losses).3

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Women are significantly under-represented in the STEM fields, which generate higherpaying jobs, such as software developers, mathematicians, engineers, IT managers andbiochemists. It is here that the future of work is being shaped, with serious impacts ongender equality. Women are less likely to have digital skills,4 and the digital skills they dohave generate lower returns than for their male counterparts.5 Between 2000 and 2016,
women’s representation in the top three IT occupations actually declined in the UnitedStates, especially in its largest tech hubs, despite gains in overall numbers of women,“making the field even more male-dominated than it used to be”.6 In EU countries, womencomprise only 17 per cent of people in Information and Communication Technology (ICT)studies and careers,7 and only 36 per cent of STEM graduates, although girls outpace boys
in digital literacy.8 Lifelong learning policies that encourage young women to expand theirskills into STEM fields can also help prepare women to meet the challenges associated withthe changing world of work.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is particularly likely to transform the future of work. In the AI
sector globally, only 22 per cent of professionals are female, compared with 78 per cent
who are male, amounting to a 72 per cent gender gap.9 Women who work in AI tend to beconcentrated in areas such as text analytics and mining, speech recognition and national
language processing. They are much less involved in the development of technology, suchas deep learning, artificial neural networks and machine learning, which are more strategic,
higher skilled and better paid.10 The relative absence of women in jobs in these transformative
fields may also risk perpetuating gender stereotypes. Therefore, government policies
should encourage women to enter STEM fields and support them in developing skills sets
and preparedness for success in this field, in particular focusing on reskilling programmes.
Other tech innovations, such as mobile banking and Blockchain, can also help to support
women’s entrepreneurship.11 Women are about as likely as men to participate in gig work,and digital platforms have “opened new opportunities for women entrepreneurs”.12 However,
the gig economy risks perpetuating gender inequality and trapping women in low-paid andinsecure employment if women do not have the necessary skills to obtain higher-paying
gigs or are forced into lower-paying areas because of caregiving responsibilities.13
Technology also poses psychological, emotional and physical safety risks for women.
According to a study by the Pew Research Center, women in the United States are twice as
likely to have been targeted for gender-based harassment, and more than twice as likely tohave been sexually harassed online.14 American women are also more likely to experiencethe most severe forms of online harassment, including cyberstalking and physical threats.15
These types of harassment cause harm and also reduce women’s voice and presence online,
as they self-censor to avoid becoming targets.16

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2.5.1 Key International Labour Standards and other instruments
The ILO Centenary Declaration on the Future of Work commits to the empowerment of
individuals, especially women, at all stages of life, to work with technological advances
without sacrificing their economic and social rights. The Declaration calls on governments
and social partners to promote workers’ qualifications and skills by addressing current andanticipated social, cultural and economic gaps; ensuring that education and training systems
are responsive to market needs, taking into account the evolution of work; enhancing
workers’ capacity to make use of the opportunities available for decent work and increasing
accessible opportunities for decent work; and investing in the care economy.17
The MNE Declaration calls on companies to provide relevant training and lifelong learning
for all levels of workers in their employ in order to meet the needs of the enterprise, as wellas the development policies of the host country. Such training should develop generally
useful skills and promote career opportunities. This responsibility should be discharged,
where appropriate, in cooperation with the authorities of the country, employers’ andworkers’ organizations and the competent local, national and international institutions.18
The EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-25 aims to address gender gaps in STEM-related
occupations through the “Updated Digital Education Action Plan” and the implementationof the Ministerial Declaration of commitment on “Women in Digital”.19 The goal of the
Declaration is to encourage women to play an active and prominent role in the digital andtechnology sectors. EU countries and Norway will work closely with the public and private
sectors and civil society to achieve equality in tech.20
In addition, the “Updated Skills Agenda for Europe” will help address horizontal segregation,
stereotyping and gender gaps in education and training. The European Commission has
put forward a proposal for an “EU Council recommendation on vocational education andtraining”. It will aim to improve the gender balance in traditionally male or female-dominatedoccupations and address gender stereotypes. The reinforced “Youth Guarantee” will also
specifically address women who are not in education, employment or training, with a viewto ensuring equal opportunities.21

2.5.2 Guiding principles for companies
The longer employees are with a company, the more productive they become. Companies
need to make sure each employee is completely engaged with and part of the company’s
ongoing success and development. Companies can play a key role in supporting older
women employees by optimizing their decent work conditions and active education up to
and through retirement. And they can help to promote education and training for decent
work for future generations of women.22

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Companies can help to empower women for the future of work in a variety of ways:
1. Providing gender-sensitive training with a focus on skilling, reskilling and upskilling
2. Supporting the entry of women and girls into STEM fields and the tech sector
3. Ensuring that new technology does not perpetuate gender stereotypes
4. Supporting women entrepreneurs in the gig economy
5. Promoting the privacy and safety of women and girls in cyberspace.

Providing gender-sensitive training with a focus on skilling, reskilling and upskilling
Companies can play an important role by providing lifelong learning opportunities forworkers, especially women, to prepare them for change.23 These opportunities should
be offered to all employees and be responsive to the needs of workers with family
responsibilities. In particular, they should seek to close the digital skills gap between men
and women to ensure that the jobs of the future are more gender balanced.24
Company initiatives might include internships and career advice, awareness-raising andjob fairs on STEM careers for women, competitive grant programmes, financial and inkind support for STEM programmes, and summer camps to encourage female students toenrol in STEM secondary and tertiary education. They could also reach out to young girls,
for instance by running programmes which provide childcare and exposing girls to STEM
learning from as early as 3 to 5 years of age.25

Supporting the entry of women and girls into STEM fields
Companies should also proactively encourage greater numbers of girls and women to study
and enter STEM fields. Companies in the forefront of the future of work can play a crucial rolein ensuring that a better gender balance is achieved at all levels, so that women’s voices areincluded in shaping a more gender-equal tomorrow. To this end, technology companies will
have to engage with their wider communities to encourage women and girls to study andgain STEM skills and so ensure that there is available talent for a more gender-diverse talentpipeline. Through their employers’ organizations, they need to work with governments toensure gender-responsive educational curricula that counteract gendered occupationalsegregation. This is key to promoting the presence of women in such fields.

Ensuring that new technology does not perpetuate gender stereotypes
Emerging technologies, particularly AI algorithms, are increasingly used by companies tomake decisions in areas such as job candidate selection and mortgage eligibility.26 Although
AI is relied on for its accuracy and impartiality, it has become apparent that its algorithms
may reflect the gender bias of their authors. In one high profile case, it was discovered that
Amazon’s AI recruiting tool showed bias against women applying for software developer jobs
and other technical roles. This prejudice seemed to stem from the historical occupational

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segregation of the field, which was baked into the new algorithm.27 As a growing number ofcompanies use AI, diversity and gender-responsiveness will become even more importantin ICT, and technology must not be allowed to reflect and perpetuate the devaluation of
women and other minorities.

Supporting women entrepreneurs in the gig economy
As companies transform their internal make-up, they can continue to implement decent
work principles in their contractual relationships with service providers in the gig economy.
Contracts should take into consideration the costs associated with decent wages, good
health and safety conditions, and social protection contributions.

Promoting the privacy and safety of women and girls in cyberspace
The dangers associated with new technologies that have a negative impact on women
have received extensive news coverage, yet few tech companies are proactively working
to address these problems. A recent review of nearly 500 online articles on the topic oftechnology and women’s safety showed that the vast majority of the literature discussed
how women could use technology to protect themselves, while only 5.9 per cent discussed
policy solutions or company responsibility to protect women – a situation which “perhaps
inadvertently is reinforcing norms that hold women accountable for their victimization”.28
Companies should anticipate these risks and design technologies and platforms withprevention measures already in place to protect individuals, particularly women, at highrisk of cyber violence and harassment.29

2.5.3 Illustrative practices
Accenture
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Technology, IT services
Headquarters: Ireland
Number of employees: 459,00030
Share of women employees: 42 per cent31
Accenture, a WEPs signatory since 2010, has a variety of initiatives to support greater
representation of women in the ICT industry. Through its “Women in Technology”
programme, the company runs a variety of events and resources to support the careers of
women in ICT, and also gives students and recent graduates an opportunity to interact withwomen who are established in the field.32 The company also maintains a webpage featuring
female tech role models and their views as a way of attracting women and girls to STEM.33

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The company also supports the career development of women tech professionals throughits “High-Tech Women” programme. This programme grants female professionals a“tech architect” certification, enabling them to become a part of Accenture’s “technology
leadership”. The initiative has been extended to women outside the company who areprofessionals in the ICT field, partly by creating a LinkedIn group to facilitate networking
and exchange.34
To help make up for the serious lack of women of colour in STEM careers, Accenture also
launched a series of events as part of its “Hidden Figures” campaign. The initiative included
events in several cities that gave new recruits the opportunity to meet leading women in thefield, and to hear about their career journeys and the challenges they had to overcome.35
Accenture has achieved a notable level of gender diversity at all levels: 47 per cent of its
new hires are women, and women account for 40 per cent of the external members of theboard of directors.36 The company has won many accolades for its gender equality efforts,
including ranking in the Top 10 Working Mother 100 Best Companies for 16 consecutive
years.37

Cogeco Communications
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Communications, Telecommunication services
Headquarters: Canada
Number of employees: 5,20038
Share of women employees: 40 per cent39
Cogeco Communications, a Canadian telecoms company, provides training and education to
give workers the necessary “knowledge and skills in current roles while preparing for futureroles”.40 Employees and supervisors together curate an appropriate training programme
to achieve their agreed performance objectives. Cogeco Communications fully funds thetraining, which takes place during working hours. At least 1 per cent of the company’s
annual payroll costs are invested in training. Subsidized continuing education assistanceprogrammes are also available for employees outside of working hours.41
Cogeco Communications has achieved a high level of gender balance at the top level ofcompany leadership, with women accounting for 44 per cent of board membership.42 It is
ranked among the top 10 companies in Canada in Equileap 2019, Top 100 Companies ongender equality.43

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EnagásBasic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Utilities, Energy
Headquarters: Spain
Number of employees: 1,44944
Share of women employees: 27 per cent45
For the Spanish energy company Enagás, a WEP signatory since 2019, workforce training
is one of its top priorities. Providing the appropriate training begins with an assessment of
employees’ competencies and skills, which then informs the individualization of professional
development programmes and training. Training is provided to employees throughout
their time with the company, with over 2,721 courses delivered online, in person, and eventhrough VR technology.46
The company collaborates with academic institutions, such as the Energy Delta Institute,
to offer their workers high quality training. It also offers online English language learning
through its “English Campus” project. Recent graduates are awarded scholarships toparticipate in vocational training programmes at company facilities.47 Through its “Women
with Talent” programme, the company provides participating women employees withtraining to enhance the skills they need to succeed in the company, as well as professional
development guidance.48
The company reports gender-disaggregated data on training expenditures and hours of
training per employee, broken down by occupational category.49 The data shows that alarger proportion of women in management and operational roles benefit from training,
while male employees in the technician and administrative categories receive slightly moretraining than their female counterparts.50 Such reporting and transparency are key toensuring that women have equal access.
Enagás has seen significant improvements in organizational gender diversity, overall
and at the leadership level, though more progress is needed to reach parity. Women’s
representation on the board has nearly doubled, from 13.4 per cent in 2011 to 23 per centin 2016, while female representation in senior management roles has shown a similar rateof growth.51

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Etsy
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Retail, E-commerce
Headquarters: United States
Number of employees: 800+52
Share of women employees: 55.8 per cent53
Number of sellers: 2.1 million54
Share of women sellers: 86 per cent55 as of 2015
Etsy is an online marketplace, enabling individuals to start up their own businesses and sellitems such as handicrafts; it is a crucial player in the rise of the platform economy. About 30 per
cent of Etsy sellers have no other occupation56 and over three quarters of them are women.
This exemplifies the pro-con balance of the gig economy and its effect on women: women areable to become entrepreneurs and enjoy workplace flexibility, but at the same time this typeof marketplace provides no social protection for sellers, rendering many women susceptible
to economic inequity or financial dependency on others. Etsy plans to combat this insecurityby using its influence as a major company and stakeholder in the gig economy to advocate forpolicy reform on the part of the US government with regard to self-employment protection.
Etsy has conducted economic impact studies of the contribution it makes to the national
economy and employment,57 revealing a crying need to protect gig workers. In 2015,
Etsy, with other gig economy companies such as Lyft and Handy, worked with academics,
union leaders and others on an open letter to the US government advocating for portablebenefits.58 The following year, Etsy published “Economic Security for the Gig Economy: A
Social Safety Net that Works for Everyone Who Works”, a white paper of policy proposals
to protect micro-business owners.59 These consist of a Federal Benefits Portal to enable
individuals to view all their benefits, including universal tax withholding, and the creation ofa MyFlex account for pre-taxed savings to manage income volatility arising from the lack ofsocial protections. The account also provides 10 days of paid leave for any need.60

Pymetrics
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Technology, Business services
Headquarters: United States
Number of employees: 51–100 (estimated)61
Share of women employees: Not available
Pymetrics is a tech start-up that develops recruitment tools, including AI applications
designed to avoid potential bias.62 Rather than reviewing CVs, the start-up uses algorithms
in conjunction with neuroscience games to evaluate job candidates, seeking to effectively
match jobs to candidates while avoiding bias and discrimination in the recruitment process.

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Companies that have used Pymetrics for their hiring processes include Accenture, Unilever,Randstad and Mercer. Pymetrics estimates that the use of its technology can help clientsto increase the diversity of hires by between 20 and 100 per cent.63 In the case of Unilever,a company that used Pymetrics to complete the initial screening of 250,000 candidates,
the company hired its “most diverse class to date”, with gender parity and greater diversity
in racial and ethnic background.64 Over half of the leadership at Pymetrics is composed ofwomen, including its CEO and founder.65

Tele2
Basic Characteristics
Sector, Industry: Communication , Telecommunication services
Headquarters: Sweden
Number of employees: 5,18466
Share of women employees: 40 per cent67
The Swedish tech company Tele2, a WEP signatory since 2019, is working to challenge themale-dominated nature of the technology industry, not only within its own business, but also
in its wider community. Tele2 launched its #GirlsmakeIThappen initiative in Latvia “to inspire
an industry that has always been looked at as masculine”.68 The campaign outreach efforts
targeted students and young professionals, as well as their families and teachers, aiming
to encourage more girls and women to study, and ultimately enter, the Information andCommunications Technology (ICT) sector. It included a “Girls Make IT Happen” conference,a scholarship programme in collaboration with the “Learn IT” initiative to enable girls tolearn coding at a young age, and an “Hour of Code” initiative. The campaign was distributed
across a wide variety of platforms, including media outlets and girls’ magazines, to highlightthat programming is a skill that girls can master.69
The campaign has reportedly been very popular in Latvia, and has also gained growing
global visibility. Tele2 reported that its subsidiary in Latvia (Shared Service Center (SSC))
saw a 29 per cent increase in its workforce, of which 42 per cent were women. The initiative
earned the company the TOP Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiative of the Yearaward in the Central & Eastern Europe (CCE) region from the Latvian Investment andDevelopment Agency.70
While not yet at full parity, the company has achieved a high degree of gender diversity
across the entire business, a particularly commendable feat for a tech company. Womenin Tele2 comprise 40 per cent of the overall workforce, 32 per cent of management, 39 percent of senior executives and 32 per cent of board members.71 The company was ranked
among the top three companies in Sweden according to Equileap 2019, Top 100 Companies
on gender equality.72

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality

Conclusions
This report has presented an overview of instruments, guidance and practices shaping
gender equality commitments and actions on the part of the private sector. It has reviewed
specific provisions of international labour standards and other normative frameworks andinitiatives across five key areas, in particular from the Women’s Empowerment Principles
and relevant European Union directives, the better to understand what is expected ofcompanies in contributing to gender equality. It has also provided a breakdown of theprinciples of gender equality as they apply to companies, giving concrete suggestions ofsteps companies can take to boost their contribution, explaining the benefits to companies,
and providing illustrative examples from companies in North America, Europe and Asia,
focusing in particular on companies operating in G7 and EU countries.
This report demonstrates the range of actions companies can take, which often work insynergy and have compounding benefits for women employees, men employees and thecompany, and for society as a whole.
The business case for companies to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment
in the workplace, marketplace and community is clear: achieving full equality and equity isbeneficial on the individual and collective levels, leading to more opportunities and greater
profitability. The companies included in this report, and many other enterprises taking
measures in this area, have demonstrated the ability to lead the way in complying withand going beyond international labour and gender-equality standards and national law.
The findings presented in this document exhibit both successes and areas where greaterattention is needed from companies. Some points for consideration:

Social dialogue and consultation with workers and their representatives
Social dialogue – consultation and collaboration among workers and employers and theirrepresentatives – is of significance in transforming workplaces so they become genderresponsive. Social dialogue can take the form of collective bargaining agreements (alsoknown as enterprise agreements, collective labour agreements or workplace agreements)
and can be the first step in creating policies to foster a culture of trust, respect, diversity
and equality in an organization. Engaging in dialogue and consulting workers and theirrepresentatives across groups of diverse characteristics can help companies accurately
identify the needs of their staff and respond to them effectively. Accounting for staff needs
and employers’ responsibilities in line with international labour standards ensures that both
employers and workers are promoting transparency and accountability in their current andfuture actions on gender equality at work. Social dialogue enables organizations to address
gender-based inequalities and create a truly gender-equal workplace, which can have apositive impact on society at large.

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Conclusions

Public reporting of the effectiveness of gender equity in the workplace
Public reporting of company initiatives to empower women in the workplace, especially the
progress of these initiatives, is crucial for accountability and lasting change. Transparency
is in itself an awareness-raising initiative. A company can analyse which solutions do or do
not work, and other enterprises can follow the company’s example in their own policies.
Sometimes transparency is problematic due to confidentiality considerations, but for themost part transparency is proven to work. For example, the wage gap between womenand men has decreased in companies that are more transparent about the gap.1 If thispolicy transparency is applied to all aspects of women’s economic empowerment (leaveand childcare policies, technology, equal pay and so on), it may lead to a considerable
improvement in a business’s efficacy in achieving these goals.

Universal policies for women’s economic empowerment in all regions of company
operation
The commitment to women’s economic empowerment should be universal if good company
policies are to have a lasting social effect around the world. Companies that model goodpractices in their headquarters or a particular country of operations should strive to export
those practices to the other countries in which they operate.

Shift to a more egalitarian and inclusive company culture and commitment to the
Sustainable Development Goals
Company policies to promote gender equality should start with a change in company
culture at all levels. A change in culture to cultivate a holistic respect for women coincides
with progress on the Sustainable Developmental Goals. Gender equality, according to the
ILO’s report A Quantum Leap for Gender Equality, is the “nexus of all the interconnected andinterdependent SDGs, as decent work for all women contributes not only to making poverty
history but also to achieving education, peace, and safety”.2
The United Nations system and the European Union will continue to encourage companies toimplement policies for greater women’s economic empowerment. This report demonstrates
that gender equality at work is both possible and profitable.
As a concluding snapshot, the following table summarizes the workplace guidance on
empowering women at work as set forth in the company policies and practices reviewed inthis document.

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
Conclusions

X Table 3. Workplace guidance on empowering women at work
Key theme

Guiding actions

Achieving equal pay forwork of equal value• Ensure commitment and leadership from the top• Promote social dialogue and collective bargaining• Establish and implement a comprehensive equal-pay policy• Measure the gender pay gap and perform gender-neutral job evaluations• Achieve pay transparency and reporting

Preventing and ending
gender-based violenceand harassment in theworld of work

• Demonstrate leadership commitment to creating a company culture of zerotolerance• Adopt, implement and monitor a comprehensive and effective workplace policy
on violence and harassment• Promote occupational safety and health and systematic workplace assessment• Foster guidance, training and awareness-raising• Mitigate the impact of domestic violence in the world of work
• Address unequal gender-based power relations

Promoting work–lifebalance and equal sharingof care responsibilities• Provide maternity protection in line with or over and above international
standards• Prevent discrimination against pregnant women and workers with family
responsibilities• Provide paid paternity leave and encourage uptake• Provide paid, gender-neutral parental leave• Support care responsibilities for other family members• Facilitate a smooth return to work after leave• Provide flexible working arrangements• Support breastfeeding in the workplace• Assist with on- or near-site subsidized childcare• Extend coverage to include all workers and family types

Women in business andmanagement• Demonstrate commitment and action by company leadership• Diversify company talent and the executive pipeline• Adopt a continuous improvement approach• Focus on communication and transparency• Promote women’s entrepreneurship and closing the gender finance gap

Building a future of workthat works for women• Provide gender-sensitive training with a focus on skilling, reskilling andupskilling• Support the entry of women and girls into STEM fields and the tech sector• Ensure that new technology does not perpetuate gender stereotypes• Support women entrepreneurs in the gig economy• Promote the privacy and safety of women and girls in cyberspace75© Photo by ThisisEngineering RAEng on Unsplash

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Conclusions TAKING ACTION FOR GENDER EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACEEmpowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality

ANNEXESANNEX 1: Principles of the ILO
MNE Declaration
PRINCIPLES DIRECTED TO GOVERNMENTS

General Policies • Further the aim of the Declaration by
adopting appropriate laws and policies,
measures and actions, including in thefields of labour administration and publiclabour inspection [paragraph 3]• Ensure equal treatment between
multinational and national enterprises[paragraph 5]• Ratify all the Fundamental Conventions[paragraph 9]• Promote good social practice in accordancewith the MNE Declaration among MNEs
operating in their territories and their
MNEs operating abroad [paragraph 12]• Be prepared to have consultations withother governments whenever the needarises [paragraph 12]
Employment

PRINCIPLES DIRECTED TO ENTERPRISES• Respect the sovereign rights of the stateand obey national laws and respect
international standards [paragraph 8]• Contribute to the realization of thefundamental principles and rights at work[paragraph 9]• Carry out due diligence, taking accountof the central role of freedom of
association and collective bargaining,industrial relations and social dialogue[paragraph 10]• Consult with government, employers’
and workers’ organizations to ensure that
operations are consistent with national
development priorities [paragraph 11]

Declare and pursue, as a major goal, an
active policy to promote full, productive
and freely chosen employment, anddecent work [paragraph 13]

Endeavour to increase employment
opportunities and standards, taking theemployment policies and objectives ofgovernments into account [paragraph 16]

Develop and implement an integrated
policy framework to facilitate thetransition to the formal economy[paragraph 21]

Before starting operations, consult thecompetent authorities and the national
employers’ and workers’ organizations
in order to keep employment plans,
as far as practicable, in harmony withnational social development policies[paragraph 17]

Establish and maintain, as appropriate,social protection floors within a strategy
to progressively ensure higher levels ofsocial security [paragraph 22]
Take effective measures to prevent andeliminate forced labour, provide victims
with access to an appropriate remedy,
develop a national policy and action plan,and provide guidance and support toemployers [paragraphs 23-24]

Give priority to the employment,
occupational development, promotion
and advancement of nationals of the hostcountry [paragraph 18]
Use technologies which generate
employment, both directly and indirectly;
and take part in the development ofappropriate technology and adapt
technologies to the needs of andcharacteristics of the host country[paragraph 19]

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ANNEXES ANNEX 1: Principles of the ILO MNE Declaration

PRINCIPLES DIRECTED TO GOVERNMENTS

PRINCIPLES DIRECTED TO ENTERPRISES• Develop a national policy designed toensure the affective abolition of childlabour, take immediate measures to secure
the prohibition and elimination of theworst forms of child labour as a matterof urgency, and progressively raise theminimum age of admission to employment[paragraph 26]• Build linkages with local enterprises bysourcing local inputs, promoting the local
processing of raw materials and local
manufacturing of parts and equipment[paragraph 20]• Pursue policies designed to promoteequality of opportunity and treatment in
employment, with a view to eliminating
any discrimination based on race, colour,
sex, religion, political opinion, national
extraction or social origin [paragraph 28]• Promote equal remuneration for men andwomen workers for work of equal value[paragraph 29]• Never require or encourage multinational
enterprises to discriminate and provide
guidance, where appropriate, on the
avoidance of discrimination [paragraph 31]• Study the impact of multinational
enterprises on employment in different
industrial sectors [paragraph 32]• In cooperation with multinational andnational enterprises, provide income
protection for workers whose employment
has been terminated [paragraph 36]

Training• Develop national policies for vocational
training and guidance, closely linked with
employment, in cooperation with all theparties concerned [paragraph 37]• Contribute to the transition to the formal
economy [paragraph 21]• Complement and help to stimulate further
development of public social security
systems [paragraph 22]• Take immediate and effective measures
to secure the prohibition and eliminationof forced labour in their operations[paragraph 25]• Respect the minimum age of admission
to employment and take immediate andeffective measures to secure the prohibitionand elimination of the worst forms of childlabour [paragraph 27]• Be guided by the principle of nondiscrimination and make qualifications,skills and experience the basis forrecruitment, placement, training andadvancement of staff [paragraph 30]• Endeavor to provide stable employment
for workers and observe freely negotiatedobligations concerning employment
stability and social security, promotesecurity of employment, providing
reasonable notice of intended changes inoperations and avoiding arbitrary dismissal[paragraphs 33-35]• Provide training for all levels of workers
employed to meet the needs of theenterprise as well as the development
policies of the country [paragraph 38]• Participate in programmes aiming at
encouraging skill formation, lifelong
training and development, as well as
providing vocational training, and makeskilled resource personnel available[paragraph 39]• Afford opportunities within the enterprisefor local management to broaden theirexperience [paragraph 40]

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
ANNEXES ANNEX 1: Principles of the ILO MNE Declaration

PRINCIPLES DIRECTED TO GOVERNMENTS

Conditions ofWork and Life

PRINCIPLES DIRECTED TO ENTERPRISES• Endeavour to adopt suitable measures
to ensure that lower income groups andless developed areas benefit as much as
possible from the activities of multinational
enterprises [paragraph 42]• Across their operations, provide wages,
benefits and conditions of work not lessfavorable than those offered by comparable
employers in the country concerned, taking
into account the general level of wages,
the cost of living, social security benefits,• Ensure that both multinational and national
economic factors and levels of productivity
enterprises provide adequate safety[paragraph 41]
and health standards and contribute toa preventive safety and health culture,• Maintain highest standards of safetyincluding taking steps to combat violence atand health at work, make known special
work and attention to building safety; andhazards and related protective measuresthat compensation is provided to workers
associated with new products andwho have been victims of occupational
processes, provide information on good
accidents or diseases [paragraph 43]
practice observed in other countries, andplay a leading role in the examinationof causes of industrial safety and healthhazards. [paragraph 44]• Cooperate with international andnational safety and health organizations,
national authorities, workers and theirorganizations, and incorporate mattersof safety and health in agreements withrepresentatives of workers [paragraphs
45-46]

Industrial
Relations• Apply the principles of Convention No. 87,
Article 5, in view of the importance, in
relation to multinational enterprises, ofpermitting organizations representing
such enterprises or the workers in theiremployment to affiliate with internationalorganizations of employers and workers of
their own choosing [paragraph 51]• Throughout their operations, observe
standards of industrial relations[paragraph 47]• Not include in their incentives to attract
foreign investment any limitation of theworkers’ freedom of association or theright to organize and bargain collectively[paragraph 52]• Support representative employers’organizations [paragraph 50]• Ensure through judicial, administrative,
legislative or other appropriate meansthat workers whose rights have been
violated have access to effective remedy[paragraph 64]• Ensure that voluntary conciliation andarbitration machinery is available freeof charge to assist in the prevention
and settlement of industrial disputes[paragraph 67]• Respect freedom of association and theright to collective bargaining, provide thefacilities and information required formeaningful negotiations [paragraphs 48,
57 and 61]• Provide for regular consultation on mattersof mutual concern [paragraph 63]• Use leverage to encourage business
partners to provide effective remediation[paragraph 65]• Examine the grievances of worker(s),pursuant to an appropriate procedure[paragraph 66]• Seek to establish voluntary conciliation
machinery jointly with representatives andorganizations of workers [paragraph 68]

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ANNEXESANNEX 2: The women’s empowerment
principles and targets
Principle 1: Establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality
8 Affirm high-level support and direct top-level policies for gender equality and humanrights.
8 Establish company-wide goals and targets for gender equality and include progress as afactor in managers’ performance reviews.
8 Engage internal and external stakeholders in the development of company policies,
programmes and implementation plans that advance equality.
8 Ensure that all policies are gender-sensitive – identifying factors that impact women andmen differently – and that corporate culture advances equality and inclusion.

Principle 2: Treat all women and men fairly at work – respect and support
human rights and non-discrimination
8 Pay equal remuneration, including benefits, for work of equal value and strive to pay aliving wage to all women and men.
8 Ensure that workplace policies and practices are free from gender-based discrimination.
8 Implement gender-sensitive recruitment and retention practices and proactively recruitand appoint women to managerial and executive positions and to the corporate boardof directors.
8 Assure sufficient participation of women – 30 per cent or greater – in decision-making
and governance at all levels and across all business areas.
8 Offer flexible work options, leave and re-entry opportunities to positions of equal pay
and status.
8 Support access to child and dependent care by providing services, resources andinformation to both women and men.

Principle 3: Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men
workers
8 Taking into account differential impacts on women and men, provide safe working
conditions and protection from exposure to hazardous materials and disclose potential
risks, including to reproductive health.

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
ANNEXES ANNEX 2: The women’s empowerment principles and targets

8 Establish a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of violence at work, including verbal
and/or physical abuse, and prevent sexual harassment.
8 Strive to offer health insurance or other needed services – including for survivors ofdomestic violence – and ensure equal access for all employees.
8 Respect women and men workers’ rights to time off for medical care and counselling forthemselves and their dependents.
8 In consultation with employees, identify and address security issues, including the safetyof women traveling to and from work and on company-related business.
8 Train security staff and managers to recognize signs of violence against womenand understand laws and company policies on human trafficking, labour and sexual
exploitation.

Principle 4: Promote education, training and professional development forwomen
8 Invest in workplace policies and programmes that open avenues for advancement of
women at all levels and across all business areas, and encourage women to enter nontraditional job fields.
8 Ensure equal access to all company-supported education and training programmes,
including literacy classes, vocational and information technology training.
8 Provide equal opportunities for formal and informal networking and mentoring.
8 Articulate the company’s business case for women’s empowerment and the positive
impact of inclusion for men as well as women.

Principle 5: Implement enterprise-development, supply-chain and marketing
practices that empower women
8 Expand business relationships with women-owned enterprises, including small
businesses, and women entrepreneurs; and implement gender-sensitive procurement.
8 Support gender-sensitive solutions to credit and lending barriers.
8 Ask business partners and peers to respect the company’s commitment to advancing
equality and inclusion.
8 Respect the dignity of women in all marketing and other company materials.
8 Ensure that company products, services and facilities are not used for human trafficking
and/or labour or sexual exploitation.

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Principle 6: Promote equality through community initiatives and advocacy
8 Lead by example – showcase company commitment to gender equality and women’s
empowerment.
8 Leverage influence, alone or in partnership, to advocate for gender equality and collaborate
with business partners, suppliers and community leaders to promote inclusion.
8 Work with community stakeholders, officials and others to eliminate discrimination andexploitation and open opportunities for women and girls.
8 Promote and recognize women’s leadership in, and contributions to, their communities
and ensure sufficient representation of women in any community consultation.
8 Use philanthropy and grants programmes to support company commitment to inclusion,equality and human rights.

Principle 7: Measure and publicly report on progress to achieve genderequality
8 Make public the company policies and implementation plan for promoting genderequality.
8 Establish benchmarks that quantify inclusion of women at all levels.
8 Measure and report on progress, both internally and externally, using data disaggregatedby sex.
8 Incorporate gender markers into ongoing reporting obligations.
As of 17 June 2020, over 3,200 companies had endorsed and committed to the principles,
signalling a commitment to action in all seven areas.3 Working together, the UN Global
Compact, UN Women, the Multilateral Investment Fund of the IDB and the Inter-American
Investment Corporation created the WEPs Gender Gaps Analysis Tool to guide companies
through the implementation of the WEPs.
The WE EMPOWER – G7 programme has elaborated the WEPs into a collection of indicators
to aid companies in their implementation, monitoring and measurement of progress on
women’s economic empowerment. This document focuses on Principles 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 andutilizes the WEPs indicators, accompanied by examples of good practice, to help distil key
action points for companies.

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
ANNEXES ANNEX 2: The women’s empowerment principles and targets

One of the most effective ways of promoting companies’ commitment to gender equality
and accountability for achieving it is to encourage enterprises to go beyond compliancewith national laws, following the guidance of international and regional frameworks (seeSection 1.3), measuring progress and publicly reporting on their commitments and theresults achieved. Transparency and public reporting allow for clearer analysis of progress
and provide resources for companies around the world. These resources include tools suchas the “WEPs Gender Gap Analysis Tool”, the “WEPs Implementation Guide”, the “Trainers
Manual for Gender Equality in the Private Sector”, “The Power of Procurement: how tosource from women-owned businesses” and the newly launched Empowering Women at
Work Capacity Development Platform.4
In line with their commitments to transparency, a growing number of companies in G7
countries are signing up to the WEPs. Since the launch of the Principles in 2010, morethan 3,212 CEOs globally have signed the CEO Statement of Support for the Women’s
Empowerment Principles.5 Within the G7, Japan is the country with the highest numberof WEPs signatory companies (254 signatories), followed by the United States (134) andCanada (60).6 Public commitment to women’s economic empowerment that translates into
concreate actions and transformative workplace policies can further progress in achieving
gender equality in all areas of the WEPs.

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ANNEXESANNEX 3: Helpful resources
ILO, Rules of the Game: An introduction to standards-related work of the International Labour
Organization,
https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---normes/documents/
publication/wcms_672549.pdf
ILO, Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social
Policy (MNE Declaration), 5th Edition (2017),
https://www.ilo.org/mnedeclaration
ILO, Helpdesk for Business on International Labour Standards,
https://www.ilo.org/business
UN Global Compact and UN Women, Women’s Economic Empowerment Principles (WEPs),
https://www.unglobalcompact.org/take-action/action/womens-principles
ILO–ITC, Empowering Women at Work Capacity Building Platform,
http://ewaw.itcilo.org/
Empower Women,www.empowerwomen.org
European Commission, Gender Equality Strategy 2020-25,
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/aid_development_cooperation_fundamental_
rights/gender-equality-strategy-2020-2025_en.pdf
WEPs Equality Means Business – Using our principles as a multiplier for action and progress,
https://www.weps.org/resource/equality-means-business-using-our-principlesmultiplier-action-and-progress
Equal pay
ILO, Equal Pay: Introductory Guide,
https://www.ilo.org/global/publications/WCMS_216695/lang--en/index.htm
The Women’s Economic Empowerment Principles Gender Gap Analysis Tool,
https://weps-gapanalysis.org/
Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE) Certification,
http://edge-cert.org/

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
ANNEXES ANNEX 3: Helpful resources

ILO, Promoting Equity: gender-neutral job evaluation for equal pay. A step-by-step guide,
https://www.ilo.org/declaration/info/publications/eliminationofdiscrimination/
WCMS_122372/lang--en/index.htm
The Equality and Human Rights Commission, Gender-Neutral Job Evaluation Schemes – An
Introductory Guide,
https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/gd.13.101-1_gender_neutral_
jes-ig_18-03-14_final.pdf
Institute for the Equality of Women and Men, Checklist Gender neutrality in job evaluation andclassification,
http://genderpaygap.eu/documents/Belgium_Checklist_ENG.pdf
Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC),
www.equalpayinternationalcoalition.com
UN Women, Diagnosis for Equal Remuneration (DIR) self-evaluation tool,https://www.weps.org/resource/diagnosis-equal-remuneration
WEPs Equal Pay Guidance Note,https://www.weps.org/resource/closing-gender-pay-gaps-achieve-gender-equality-work
Violence and harassment in the world of work
Catalyst, Sexual Harassment in the Workplace – How Companies Can Prepare, Prevent,
Respond, and Transform Their Culture,https://www.catalyst.org/system/files/sexual_harassment_in_the_workplace_report.pdf
Business Fights Poverty, How can business tackle gender-based violence in the world of work:
A Toolkit for Action,
https://www.empowerwomen.org/en/resources/documents/2019/10/how-can-businesstackle-gender-based-violence-in-the-world-of-work-a-toolkit-for-action?lang=en
Cleary Gottlieb, Confronting Sexual Harassment in Today’s Workplace: 8 Questions Companies
Should Be Asking Themselves,
https://www.clearymawatch.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/106/2018/02/2018-02-06confronting-sexual-harassment-in-today-s-workplace.pdf
ILO Portal: Eliminating Violence and Harassment in the World of Work,https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/violence-harassment/lang--en/index.htm

85

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Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
ANNEXES ANNEX 3: Helpful resources

ILO and UN Women, Handbook: Addressing Violence and Harassment against Women in theWorld of Work,
http://endvawnow.org/uploads/browser/files/work-handbook-interior-web-rev.pdf
ILO, Sample Sexual Harassment Policy,
https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---ilo-suva/documents/
policy/wcms_407364.pdf
United Nations, UN Code of Conduct,
http://un.org/codeofconduct
Alteristic, “Green Dot” Bystander intervention training,https://alteristic.org/services/green-dot/Eversafe, Online Workplace Violence Training,https://eversafe.ca/online-workplace-violence-training/
Work–family balance and childcare
IFC, Guide for Employer-Supported Childcare,https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/topics_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/
gender+at+ifc/resources/guide+for+employer-supported+childcare
ILO, International Labour Standards on Work–Life Balance,
https://www.ilo.org/travail/areasofwork/WCMS_249047/lang--en/index.htm
ILO, Work and family: Creating a family-friendly workplace,https://www.ilo.org/gender/Informationresources/Publications/WCMS_410189/lang-en/index.htm
ILO, Maternity Protection Resource Package,https://www.ilo.org/global/publications/ilo-bookstore/order-online/books/
WCMS_193968/lang--en/index.htm
ILO, Wise-R Action Manual Module 5 – Family-friendly measures,https://www.ilo.org/travail/whatwedo/instructionmaterials/WCMS_145380/lang--en/index.htm

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
ANNEXES ANNEX 3: Helpful resources

Women in business and management
ILO, Women in Business and Management,
https://www.ilo.org/actemp/areas-of-work/WCMS_578474/lang--en/index.htm
International Organization of Employers (IOE), Policy Priorities: Diversity,
https://www.ioe-emp.org/en/policy-priorities/diversity/
McKinsey & Company, A CEO’s guide to gender equality,
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/leadership/a-ceos-guide-to-genderequality
World Economic Forum, Accelerating Gender Parity: A Toolkit,
https://www.weforum.org/whitepapers/accelerating-gender-parity-a-toolkit
Women at work and the future of work
ILO Portal: The Future of Work,https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/future-of-work/lang--en/index.htm
International Organization of Employers (IOE), Policy Priorities: The Future of Work,https://www.ioe-emp.org/en/policy-priorities/future-of-work/87© Photo by ThisisEngineering RAEng on Unsplash

88

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Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality

Endnotes
PART 1: GUIDING FRAMEWORKS FOR COMPANY POLICIES TO PROMOTEGENDER EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE
1

ILO, A quantum leap for gender equality: For a better future of work for all, 2019, 12.

2

ILO, Women in Business and Management: The business case for change, 2019, 53.

3Commission on the Status of Women, Review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration
and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly. Reportof the Secretary-General, 2020, 3.

4

ILO, A quantum leap for gender equality: For a better future of work for all, 2019, 12–14.

5Equileap, Gender Equality Global Report & Ranking, 2019, 6.

6

Ibid. 22.

7

Other recent Equileap resources are available here: https://equileap.org/publications/.

8

Equileap, Gender Equality Global Report & Ranking, 2019, 14.

9United Nations, Women’s Empowerment Principles, https://www.weps.org/

10

United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, The Committee on the Elimination ofDiscrimination against Women (CEDAW).

11

ILO, Gender equality, accessed 5 June 2020.

12

As of June 2020, the United States was the only G7 country not to have ratified Convention No. 100.

13

As of June 2020, Japan and the United States had not ratified Convention No. 111 among G7 countries.

14

ILO, What is the ILO MNE Declaration?, accessed 5 June 2020.

15

ILO, A Manual for gender audit facilitators: The ILO participatory gender audit methodology (2nd Edition), 2012.

16

United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, Guiding Principles on Business and Human
Rights, 2011, ii.

17

United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, Working Group on the issue of human rights
and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, accessed 30 September 2019.

18

United Nations Human Rights Special Procedures, Business and Human Rights, and UNDP, Gender Dimensionsof the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, 2019.

19

ILO, A quantum leap for gender equality: For a better future of work for all, 2019, 102.

20

W20, Women’s Summit Communiqué, Istanbul, October 17, 2015.

21

Ibid. 17.

22

G7 2017 Taormina, G7 Roadmap for a Gender-Responsive Economic Environment, 2017, 2. See also, Partenariat
de Biarritz pour l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes.

23

Ibid., 2–4.

24

G7, G7 Social Communiqué, June 2019, 3. See also, Partenariat de Biarritz pour l’égalité entre les femmes et leshommes25

Ibid., 18.

26

Ibid.

27

European Parliament, Briefing: EU policies – Delivering for citizens, October 2018, 5.

28

EU, Work-life balance factsheet.

29

European Commission, Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025, March 2020.

PART 2: TAKING ACTION FOR GENDER EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE
1

ILO, World Employment Social Outlook: Trends for Women 2017, 2017, 18.

2

UNDP & UN WOMEN, Gender Equality as an Accelerator of Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,
2018, 11.

3

PwC, “Increasing the female employment rate across the OECD to match that of Sweden could boost GDP by
US$6 trillion”, 3 March 2020

4

ILO, Women in Business and Management: The business case for change, 2019, 71.

89

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Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
Endnotes5

Accenture, Equality = Innovation, Getting to Equal 2019: Creating a Culture That Drives Innovation, 2019.

6

Ibid. 21.

7

ILO, Women in Business and Management: The business case for change, 2019, iii.

8

Ibid.

9

WE EMPOWER G7, Closing Gender Pay Gaps to Achieve Gender Equality at Work, 2020, 3.

10

UNICEF, ILO, UN Women, Family-friendly policies and other good workplace practices in the context of COVID-19:
Key steps employers can take, 2020.

11

Boston Consulting Group, Why Paid Family Leave is Good Business, 2017, 4.

12Ibid., 13.

13

EY, Viewpoints on paid family and medical leave: Findings from a survey of US employers and employees, 2017,ii.

14

Unilever and Oxfam, Business Briefing on Unpaid Care and Domestic Work, 2019, 4.

15

IFC, Tackling Childcare; The Business Case for Employer-supported Childcare, 2017, 21.

16

ILO, Maternity Protection in SMEs: An international review, 2014.

17

ILO, Women in Business and Management: The business case for change, 2019, 67.

18

ILO, A Quantum Leap for Gender Equality: For a better future of work for all, 2019, 42.

19

Harvard Business Review, Study: When Leaders Take Sexual Harassment Seriously, So Do Employees, Chloe
Hart, Alison Dahl Crossley and Shelley Correll, 14 December 2019.

20

Ibid.

21

BSR and Women Deliver, How Business Can Build a ‘Future of Work’ That Works for Women, 2019, 35.

22

Business Fights Poverty, How can business tackle gender-based violence in the world of work: A Toolkit for
Action, September 2019, 7.

23

Ibid., 25.

24

ILO, Women in Business and Management: The business case for change, 2019; McKinsey, “Women Matter
report”, 2017; Catalyst, “Why Diversity and Inclusion Matter”, 2018; “Gender-Balanced Teams Linked to Better
Business Performance: A Sodexo Study”, Anand, R., 2016.

25

Ibid., 21.

26

ILO, Women in Business and Management: The business case for change, 2019, 16–17.

27

Ibid., 54.

28

Ibid., 16.

29

ILO, A quantum leap for gender equality: For a better future of work for all, 2019, 13.

30

ILO, Women in Business and Management: The business case for change, 2019, 67.

2.1 Achieving equal pay for work of equal value
1

ILO, Global Wage Report 2018/19: What lies behind gender pay gaps, 2018, 23.

2

ILO, Women in Business and Management: The business case for change, 2019, 68.

3

WE EMPOWER G7, Closing Gender Pay Gaps to Achieve Gender Equality at Work, 2020, 1.

4

ILO, Global Wage Report 2018/19: What lies behind gender pay gaps, 2018, 37–38.

5Ibid., 97.

6

Ibid., 68–81.

7

Ibid., xvii.

8

Ibid. 78.

9

ILO, Equal Pay - An introductory guide, 2013, 2.

10

See Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100), Articles 2 and 3, and Recommendation No. 111.

11

See WEPs, Principle 2, Treat all Women and Men Fairly at Work without Discrimination.

12

UN Women, Closing Gender Pay Gaps to Achieve Gender Equality at Work, 2020, 4–7.

13

ILO, Closing the gender pay gap: A review of the issues, policy mechanisms and international evidence, p. X.

14

ILO–ITUC Issue Paper, Social dialogue as a driver and governance instrument for sustainable development,
2017, 17.

15

ILO, Global Wage Report 2018/19: What lies behind gender pay gaps, 2018, 92.

16

ILO, Equal Pay - An introductory guide, 2013, 83.

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
Endnotes

17

WE EMPOWER G7, Closing Gender Pay Gaps to Achieve Gender Equality at Work, 2020, 4–7.

18

Ibid. 5.

19

For an explanation the comparison of works of equal value, see ILO InfoStory: Tackling sex discrimination
through pay equity.

20

Equileap, Bridging the Gap: How governments, companies and investors can tackle gender pay inequality, 2018,
18.

21

WE EMPOWER G7, Closing Gender Pay Gaps to Achieve Gender Equality at Work, 2020, 4.

22

Harvard Business Review, Research: Gender Pay Gaps Shrink When Companies Are Required to Disclose Them,
23 January 2019.

23

EPIC, Equal Pay International Coalition at www.equalpayinternationalcoalition.org

24

Areva, Communication on Progress, 2014, 155.

25

Ibid.

26

ILO, Promoting gender equality through social dialogue: Global trends and persistent obstacles, 2011, 6.

27

Areva, Communication on Progress, 2014, 161.

28

Areva, Press Release: Areva is organizing the first European Day on gender equality in the workplace,
29 September 2009.

29

Areva, Communication on Progress, 2014, 155.

30

Areva, Communication on Progress, 2005, 41.

31

Fujitsu, Fujitsu Group Sustainability Report 2018, 179.

32

Ibid.

33

Fujitsu in UK and Ireland, Shaping the gender balance of tomorrow, 2017, 14.

34

Fujitsu, Fujitsu Group Sustainability Report 2018, 158–159.

35

Ibid., 160.

36

Fujitsu, Employee Benefits, accessed 4 September 2019.

37

Fujitsu, Fujitsu Group Sustainability Report 2018, 180.

38

Fujitsu, Creating Good Working Conditions, accessed 29 April 2019.

39

IKEA, IKEA Facts and Figures 2018, 2018, accessed 23 September 2019.

40

IKEA UK, Gender Pay Gap Report 2017, 2017, 2.

41

WE EMPOWER, Webinar - Achieving Equal Pay: Lessons from the ILO 2018-2019 Global Wage Report and Global,
22 January 2019.

42

Ibid.

43

Ibid.

44

IKEA, Working at the IKEA Group, accessed 23 September 2019.

45

WE EMPOWER, Webinar - Achieving Equal Pay: Lessons from the ILO 2018-2019 Global Wage Report and Global,
22 January 2019.

46

IKEA, Working at the IKEA Group, accessed 23 September 2019.

47

IKEA, Opening doors to diversity,, accessed 23 September 2019.

48

IKEA, Working at the IKEA Group, accessed 23 September 2019.

49

WE EMPOWER, Webinar - Achieving Equal Pay: Lessons from the ILO 2018-2019 Global Wage Report and Global,
22 January 2019.

50

Ibid.

51

Ibid.

52

Ibid.

53

Ibid.

54

SAP SE, Communication on Progress 2018, 252

55

Ibid., 253.

56

SAP SE, Pay Equality at SAP: An Industry-Leading Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion, Jennifer Morgan,
9 September 2019.

57

SAP, SAP Diversity and Inclusion, 2020, accessed 26 June 2020.

58

Equileap, Gender Equality Global Report & Ranking, 2019, 28.

59

Starbucks, Annual Report, 2018, 8.

91

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Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
Endnotes

60

Starbucks, Diversity at Starbucks, accessed 23 September 2019.

61

Starbucks, Starbucks announces 100 percent gender, racial pay equity for U.S partners, sets global commitment,
Starbucks Newsroom, 21 March 2018.

62

Starbucks, “The Path to Equal Pay”, infographic, provided by company for the webinar: WE EMPOWER, Webinar Achieving Equal Pay: Lessons from the ILO 2018-2019 Global Wage Report and Global, 22 January 2019.

63

Starbucks, History of Partner Benefits at Starbucks, 18 July 2016.

64

This illustrative practice draws extensively on WE EMPOWER G7, WEPs in Action, Case Study: Swedbank. Closing
the Gender Pay Gap, 2020.

65

Swedbank, 2019 Compiled Sustainability Information, 2019, 206.

66

Equileap, Gender Equality Global Report & Ranking, 2019, 24.

2.2 Preventing and ending gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work
1

National Post, Online survey suggests high rate of sexual harassment in the workplace in Canada, Joanna Smith,
7 March 2018.

2

ILO, Fact Sheet: Sexual Harassment at Work.

3

Business Fights Poverty, How can business tackle gender-based violence in the world of work: A Toolkit for
Action, 2.

4

McLaughlin, H., Uggen, C., & Blackstone, A. (2017). The Economic and Career Effects of Sexual Harassment on
Working Women. Gender & Society, 31(3), 333–358.

5

ILO, Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190), preamble.

6

Ibid, 7.

7

ILO, Sexual harassment in the world of work (Brief No.2; Series of technical briefs: Violence and harassment in
the world of work), 2020.

8

Business Fights Poverty, How can business tackle gender-based violence in the world of work: A Toolkit for
Action, September 2019, 16–17.

9Ibid., 44–51.

10

ILO and UN WOMEN, Handbook. Addressing violence and harassment against women in the world of work,
2019.

11

ILO, Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190), Article 4.

12

ILO, Domestic violence and its impact in the world of work, Brief No. 3; Series of technical briefs: Violence andharassment in the world of work, 2020.

13

ILO, ILC Ending violence and harassment against women and men in the world of work, 2018, p. 19.

14

ILO Violence and Harassment Recommendation, 2019 (No. 206), Paragraph 7.

15

Ibid., Paragraph 8.

16

CEDAW, General Comment on Art. 11 of General Recommendation No. 19 (11th Session, 1992).

17

See in particular, Directives 2000/43/EC, 2000/78/EC, and 2006/54/EC; EU OSH Directive 89/391/EEC; ILO, ILC“Ending violence and harassment against women and men in the world of work”, 2018, 42.

18

See WEPs, Principle 3, Employee Health, Well-being and Safety. See also WE EMPOWER G7, The COVID-19 Shadow
Pandemic: Domestic Violence in the World of Work - A Call to Action for the Private Sector, 2020.

19

UN Global Compact, Eliminating Harassment and Violence in the World of Work, accessed 9 April 2020.

20

Stanford Social Innovation Review, How Businesses Can Take the Lead in Combatting Gender-Based Violence,
16 September 2019.

21

Ibid., 54.

22

Harvard Business Review (HBR), Study: When Leaders Take Sexual Harassment Seriously, So Do Employees,
Chloe Hart, Alison Dahl Crossley and Shelley Correll, 14 December 2019.

23

EEOC, Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace, June 2016, 31.

24

Nicole T. Buchanan et al. “A Review of Organizational Strategies for Reducing Sexual Harassment: Insights fromthe U. S. Military.” Journal of Social Issues, Wiley/Blackwell (10.1111), 9 Dec. 2014.

25

EEOC, Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace, June 2016, 36.

26

For indicative examples of workplace policies, please see the ILO’s Model Sexual Harassment Policy and the UN
Code of Conduct on Sexual Harassment in Annex 3 “Helpful Resources”.

27

Business Fights Poverty, How can business tackle gender-based violence in the world of work: A Toolkit for
Action, September 2019, 31.

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
Endnotes

28

ILO and UN WOMEN, Handbook. Addressing violence and harassment against women in the world of work,
2019, 73–74.

29

HBR, The Omissions That Make So Many Sexual Harassment Policies Ineffective, Debbie S. Dougherty, 31 May
2017

30

ILO, Final Report, Meeting of Experts on Violence against Women and Men in the World of Work, Appendix, 2016,
para. 9.

31

BSR and Women Deliver, How Business Can Build a ‘Future of Work’ That Works for Women, 2019, 15.

32

Catalyst, Report: Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: How Companies Can Prepare, Prevent, Respond, andTransform Their Culture, 15 March 2018.

33

Ibid., 58.

34

HBR, Sexual Harassment Is Rampant in Health Care. Here’s How to Stop It., Jane van Dis, Laura Stadum andEsther Choo, 1 November 2018.

35

IFC, SheWorks: Putting Gender-Smart Commitments into Practice, 2016, 62.

36

Heather Antecol and Deborah Cobb-Clark, “Does Sexual Harassment Training Change Attitudes? A View fromthe Federal Level” Social Science Quarterly, vol. 84, No. 4, 2003, pp. 826–842.

37

Potter, S. J. et al. “Conveying Campus Sexual Misconduct Policy Information to College and University Students:
Results from a 7-Campus Study.” Journal of American College Health, vol. 64, No. 6, 2016, pp. 438–47.

38

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the
Workplace, Report of Co-Chairs Chai R. Feldblum and Victroia A. Lipnic, June 2016, v.

39

Sharyn J. Potter PhD, M.P.H, and Mary M. Moynihan, PhD, “Bringing in the Bystander in-Person Prevention
Program to a U.S. Military Installation: Results from a Pilot Study.” Military Medicine, vol. 176, No. 8, 2011,
pp. 870–5. Alison C. Cares et al. “Changing Attitudes About Being a Bystander to Violence.” Violence Against
Women, vol. 21, No. 2, 2014, pp. 165–87. Debbie S. Dougherty and Marlo Goldstein Hode, “Binary Logics andthe Discursive Interpretation of Organizational Policy: Making Meaning of Sexual Harassment Policy”, Human
Relations, vol. 69, No. 8, 2016, pp. 1729–1755; EEOC, Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the
Workplace, June 2016, v.

40

ILO, Convention on Violence and Harassment (No. 190), 2019.

41

ILO, Safe and healthy working environments free from violence and harassment, 2020.

42

See also WE EMPOWER G7, The COVID-19 Shadow Pandemic: Domestic Violence in the World of Work - A Call to
Action for the Private Sector, 2020.

43

Chamberlain, L. J. et al. (2008), Sexual Harassment in Organizational Context, Work and Occupations, 35(3),262–295.

44

Nicole T. Buchanan et al., “A Review of Organizational Strategies for Reducing Sexual Harassment: Insights fromthe U. S. Military.” Journal of Social Issues, Wiley/Blackwell (10.1111), 9 Dec. 2014.

45

Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA), Doing Our Duty: Preventing Sexual Harassment in
the Workplace, 12 April 2018, 11. International Finance Corporation (IFC), SheWorks: Putting Gender-Smart
Commitments into Practice, December 2016, 50.

46

Carrefour Group, Consolidated Financial Statements 2018, 61.

47

Carrefour, “International Women’s Day, 12% increase in the share of women making up Carrefour’s management
staff”, 2017.

48

ILO and UN WOMEN, Handbook. Addressing violence and harassment against women in the world of work,
2019, 70.

49

Carrefour, A guide to preventing violence against women in the workplace in conjunction with UN Women’s
National Committee for France, accessed 3 October 2019.

50

Diageo, Annual Report 2018, 2018, 49.

51

Ibid.

52

Business Fights Poverty, CARE and Diageo: Tackling Violence and Harassment at Work, Verity O’Shaughnessy,
28 November 2018.

53

Diageo, Annual Report 2018, 2018, 45.

54

Equileap, Gender Equality Global Report & Ranking, 2019, 26.

55

Endesa, 2018 Annual Report, 2018, 108.

56

Ibid.

57

ILO and UN WOMEN, Handbook. Addressing violence and harassment against women in the world of work,
2019, 69.

58

Ibid.

93

94

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
Endnotes

59

LinkedIn, Fortalice Solutions, accessed 9 September 2019.

60

Nxt Chptr, Theresa Payton: Creating a Business to Fight Evil in the World, 18 April 2018.

61

Fortalice Solutions, Fortalice Services, accessed 9 September 2019.

62

Nxt Chptr, Theresa Payton: Creating a Business to Fight Evil in the World, 18 April 2018.

63

CREST, Closing the Gender Gap in Cybersecurity, Eleanor, Dallaway, 2016, 2.

64

Fortalice Solutions, #HelpASisterUp, accessed 9 September 2019.

65

Pew Research Center, Online Harassment, Maeve Duggan, 22 October 2014.

66

Yahoo Finance, Gap Inc. company profile - number of full-time employees, accessed 9 April 2019.

67

Gap Inc., Communication on Progress 2017, 21.

68

Gap Inc., Integrity is always in style: Our worldwide code of business conduct, 2016, 3.

69

IFC, SheWorks: Putting Gender-Smart Commitments into Practice, 2016, 57–58.

70

Gap Inc., Code of Business Conduct (COBC) Hotline.

2.3 Promoting work–family balance and equal sharing of care responsibilities
1

ILO, Care Work and Care Jobs for the Future of Decent Work, 2018, 37.

2

ILO, Women at Work: Trends 2016, 2016, 20.

3

ILO, Global Wage Report 2018/19: What lies behind gender pay gaps, 2018, 19.

4

Ibid., 79–81.

5

Ibid., 19.

6

Ibid., 20.

7

ILO, A quantum leap for gender equality: For a better future of work for all, 2019, p. 62.

8

ILO, ILO Maternity Resource Package Module 1, 2012, 2.

9

ILO, Care Work and Care Jobs for the Future of Decent Work, 2018, 127.

10

ILO, Maternity and paternity at work: Law and practice across the world, 2014, 90–96.

11

ILO, ILO Maternity Resource Package Module 1, 2012, 4–5.

12

ILO, Maternity and paternity at work: Law and practice across the world, 2014, 1.

13

European Union, Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on work-life balance for parents andcarers and repealing Council Directive 2010/18/EU, 2019.

14

European Commission, Work-life balance, accessed 14 March 2020.

15

Ibid.

16

Women’s Empowerment Principle 2, accessed 14 March 2020.

17

New America, Paid Family Leave: How Much Time is Enough?, 2017, 15.

18

Maya Rossin-Slater, “Maternity and Family Leave Policy,” National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper
No. 23069, 2017.

19

ILO, Q&A on Business, Discrimination and Equality, ILO Helpdesk on International Labour Standards, accessed
14 March 2020.

20

Equal rights to paid parental leave and caring fathers- the case of Iceland, Ásdís A. Arnalds, Guðný Björk Eydal,
and Ingólfur V. Gíslason, Icelandic Review of Politics and Administration, Vol. 9, Issue 2 (323–344), 329–330.

21

Ibid., 330.

22

ILO, Global Wage Report 2018/19: What lies behind gender pay gaps, 97.

23

ILO, Maternity Protection in SMEs: An international review, 2014.

24

Ibid.

25

UN Women, UN Supplementary Guidance on the Enabling Environment Guidelines for the United Nations
System, 2019, 100–101.

26

Ibid.

27

Ibid.

28

ILO, ILO Policy Guidelines on the promotion of decent work for early childhood education personnel, 2013.

29

IFC, Tackling Childcare: A Guide for Employer-Supported Childcare, 2019.

30

European Commission, 2019 Report on equality between women and men in the EU, 2019, 14.

31

ILO, Global Wage Report 2018/19: What lies behind gender pay gaps, 2018, 23.

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
Endnotes

32

Boston Consulting Group, Why Paid Family Leave is Good Business, 2017, 19.

33

Adidas, Employees, accessed 11 September 2019.

34

Ibid.

35

Ibid.

36

Adidas, Employees, accessed 11 September 2019

37

Ibid.

38

Yahoo Finance, BMO Financial Group company profile, accessed 9 September 2019.

39

BMO Financial Group, 2017 Employment Equity Narrative Report, 2.

40

Ibid, 24.

41

Danone, Annual Report 2017.

42

Danone, Key Performance Indicators - Social Performance, accessed 6 September 2019.

43

Ibid.

44

Danone, Danone Global Parental Policy, 2017, 4.

45

ILO, Care Work and Care Jobs for the Future of Decent Work, 2018, 305.

46

MAAM, MAAM trains the most sought-after soft skills in the world of work, accessed 11 November 2019.

47

Danone, MAAM, Maternity as a Master in Danone, 8 November 2019.

48

https://www.danone.com/about-danone/at-a-glance/danone-data.html.

49

ILO, Care Work and Care Jobs for the Future of Decent Work, 2018, 305.

50

Deloitte, 2018 Global Impact Report, Talent, Headcount by gender.

51

Ibid.

52

Deloitte, Life at Deloitte - Peace of mind: Inclusive culture + paid family leave.

53

Bloomberg BNA, Deloitte, PwC, EY Take Stock After Parental Leave Expansions, Genevieve Douglas, 24 July 2018.

54

EY, Key Facts and Figures, Global Review 2018, Diversity & Inclusiveness.

55

Ibid.

56

Employee Benefits, EY US sees 38per cent of new fathers take six weeks or more paternity leave, Katie Scott,
21 April 2017.

57

New York Times, Millennials See Paternity Leave as a Priority, Ronald Alsop, 28 November 2017.

58

Employee Benefits, EY US sees 38per cent of new fathers take six weeks or more paternity leave, Katie Scott,
21 April 2107.

59

Bloomberg BNA, Deloitte, PwC, EY Take Stock After Parental Leave Expansions, Genevieve Douglas, 24 July 2018.

60

Yahoo Finance, L’Oréal company profile, accessed 9 April 2019.

61

L’Oréal, 2017 Registration Document, 6.

62

L’Oréal, Communication on Progress 2017, 61.

63

L’Oréal, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Or%C3%A9al.

64

L’Oréal, The “L’Oréal Share and Care” Social Program.

65

L’Oréal, L’Oréal extends Paid Parental Leave to 6 weeks.

66

L’Oréal, United Nations Global Compact Communication On Progress (“COP”) 2017 Advanced Level, July 2018, 54.

67

L’Oréal, The “L’Oréal Share and Care” Social Program, accessed 9 April 2019.

68

L’Oréal, 2017 Registration Document Annual Financial Report - Integrated Report, 2017, 144–5.

69

L’Oréal, Share & Care: Where L’Oréal and social protection meet, 27 November 2018.

70

Equileap, Gender Equality Global Report & Ranking, 2019, 26.

71

IFC, Tackling Childcare; The Business Case for Employer-supported Childcare, 2017, 148–9.

72

Ibid.

73

Ibid., 154.

74

Ibid.

75

Ibid., 152.

76

Ibid., 150–153.

77

Ibid., 154.

78

Ibid., 157.

79

Ibid., 156.

95

96

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
Endnotes

80

EurWORK, Case Study: Care-related supports – Novartis, France, 2011.

81

Ibid.

82

Ibid.

83

Ibid.

84

The Guardian, Does Patagonia have the answer for narrowing the gender wage gap?, Esha Chhabra, 2016.

85

Ibid.

86

Ibid.

87

LinkedIn Talent Blog, Why Patagonia CHRO Dean Carter Sees Onsite Child Care as a Bedrock Benefit, Bruce
Anderson, 2019.

88

Ibid.

89

Government of the United States, The Business Case for Breastfeeding: Employer Spotlights, accessed
22 November 2019, 10.

90

Quartz at Work, This is what work-life balance looks like at a company with 100% retention of moms, Jenny
Anderson, 2016.

91

LinkedIn Talent Blog, Why Patagonia CHRO Dean Carter Sees Onsite Child Care as a Bedrock Benefit, Bruce
Anderson, 2019.

92

Fast Company, Patagonia’s CEO Explains How To Make On-Site Child Care Pay For Itself, Rose Marcario, 2016.

93

IFC, Global Launch of Employer-Supported Childcare Guide, 18 November 2019.

94

UN Global Compact, Communication on Progress 2017 - RELX Group.

95

Ibid.

96

Ibid.

97

RELX Group, Not Your Usual 9 to 5: Flexible Working at RELX Group, Victoria Higginson.

98

UN Global Compact, Communication on Progress 2017 - RELX Group.

99

RELX Group, Not Your Usual 9 to 5: Flexible Working at RELX Group, Victoria Higginson.

100

Ibid.

101

Market Watch, Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd., accessed 6 September 2019.

102

IFC, Tackling Childcare; The Business Case for Employer-supported Childcare, 2017, 63.

103

Ibid.

104

Ibid.

105

Ibid.

106

Ibid., 51.

107

Ibid.

108

Ibid.

109

Sumitomo Corporation, Work-Life Management Programs and Measures, accessed 10 September 2019;
Sumitomo Corporation, External Recognition, accessed 30 August 2019.

110

Forbes, #43 Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, accessed 6 September 2019.

111

Ibid., 138–42.

112

IFC, Tackling Childcare; The Business Case for Employer-supported Childcare, 2017, 132.

113

Ibid., 136.

114

Ibid., 142.

115

Ibid., 143.

116

Unibail-Rodamco–Westfield, Annual and Sustainable Development Report 2018, 7.

117

Ibid., 32.

118

Working Families, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield – Winner 2018, UBS Best for Fathers Network Award.

119

Ibid.

120

Ibid.

121

“Working Families announces 2019 Best Practice Awards winners”, accessed 10 September 2019.

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
Endnotes

2.4 Supporting women in business and management
1

McKinsey, Women Matter: Ten years of insights on gender diversity, 2017, 11.

2

ILO, A quantum leap for gender equality: For a better future of work for all, 2019, 13.

3

Ibid., 41.

4

ILO, Women in Business and Management: The business case for change, 2019, 53.

5Deloitte Global Center for Corporate Governance, Women in the boardroom: A global perspective, 5th Edition,
2017, 3.

6

Catalyst, Women on Corporate Boards: Quick Take, 21 December 2018.

7

Ibid, 29.

8

Ibid, 31.

9

EIGE, Gender Statistics Database, Women and men in decision-making, 2019.

10

IFC, Moving toward Gender Balance in Private Equity and Venture Capital, 2019; Wharton Social Impact Initiative,“Project Sage 2.0 Tracking venture capital with a gender lens”, Biegel, S., Hunt, S. M., Kuhlman, S., 2019; Atomico,
State of European Tech 2019 Report, 2019.

11

European Commission, Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025, March 2020.

12

Ibid.

13

ILO, Rules of the Game: An introduction to standards-related work of the International Labour Organization,
2019, 47.

14

ILO, Report III(1B): Giving globalization a human face (General Survey of the fundamental Conventions), 2012,
para 859.

15

ILO MNE Declaration, 2017, para. 38.

16

European Commission, Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025, March 2020.

17

European Commission, Directive of The European Parliament and of the Council on Improving the Gender
Balance Among Non-Executive Directors of Companies Listed on Stock Exchanges and Related Measures, 2012.
The Parliament Magazine, EU gender equality legislation key to breaking the glass ceiling, Jourová, V., 2014.

18

European Commission, Enhanced European Innovation Council (EIC) pilot, accessed 13 April 2020.

19

European Commission, Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025, March 2020, 9.

20

ILO, Women in Business and Management: The business case for change, 2019, 72.

21

AT&T, Issue Brief: Good Jobs, July 2018, 3.

22

AT&T, Issue Brief: Workforce Diversity, June 2018, 2.

23

Ibid, 4.

24

Ibid.

25

AT&T, Women leading the way at AT&T, 2016.

26

Ibid.

27

AT&T, 2017 Corporate Responsibility Update: Building a Better Tomorrow, 31.

28

Diversity MBA Magazine, 2018 50 Out Front: Best Companies for Women & Diverse Managers to Work, 27 June
2018.

29

A.T. Kearney, About US, 2019.

30

UN Global Compact, Communication on Progress 2018, A.T. Kearney, published 15 March 2019, 5.

31Real Business, A.T. Kearney: Creating value for clients through diversity, Dara Jegede, 26 May 2016.

32

YouTube video, A.T. Kearney, Sponsorship Program at A.T. Kearney, published 4 September 2015, accessed
18 April 2019.

33

Diversity Woman, 100 Best Companies for Women’s Leadership Development, Fall 2015.

34

Real Business, A.T. Kearney: Creating value for clients through diversity, Dara Jegede, 26 May 2016.

35

Ibid.

36

A.T. Kearney, Create Your Own Path: Personalized Programs, accessed 18 April 2019.

37

UN Global Compact, Communication on Progress 2018, A.T. Kearney, published 15 March 2019.

38

A.T. Kearney, The Women’s Network, accessed 18 April 2019.

39

UN Global Compact, Communication on Progress 2018, A.T. Kearney, published 15 March 2019, 5.

40

Deutsche Post DHL Group, Communication on Progress 2017, 40.

41

Ibid.

97

98

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
Endnotes

42

UN Global Compact, Communication on Progress: Deutsche Post DHL Group Corporate Responsibility Report 2017,2017, 38–42.

43

Catalyst, Case Study: Deutsche Post DHL Group - Women in Management, 17 January 2019.

44

Ibid.

45

Catalyst, Media Release: Catalyst Announces 2019 Award Winners: Bank of America, Deutsche Post DHL Group,
Eli Lilly and Company, and Schneider Electric Honoured for Accelerating Progress for Women in the Workplace,
17 January 2019.

46

DNB Group, Communication on Progress, Annual report 2018, 2018, 72.

47

Ibid., 68.

48

Ibid.

49

Ibid., 68–69.

50

DNB Group, Communication on Progress, Annual report 2018, 67–68.

51

Equileap, Gender Equality Global Report & Ranking, 2019, 26.

52

Eli Lilly and Company, Key Facts, Employees as of 31 December 2018.

53

Eli Lilly and Company, Communication on Progress, 2017, 20.

54

Eli Lilly and Company, Communication on Progress, 2017, 23.

55

Harvard Business Review, How Lilly Is Getting More Women into Leadership Positions, 23 October 2018.

56

Catalyst, Case Study: Eli Lilly and Company—Employee Journeys and People Strategy, 17 January 2019.

57

Harvard Business Review, How Lilly Is Getting More Women into Leadership Positions, 23 October 2018.

58

Catalyst, Case Study: Eli Lilly and Company—Employee Journeys and People Strategy, 17 January 2019.

59

Catalyst, Media Release: Catalyst Announces 2019 Award Winners: Bank of America, Deutsche Post DHL Group,
Eli Lilly and Company, and Schneider Electric Honoured for Accelerating Progress for Women in the Workplace,
17 January 2019.

60

UN Global Compact, 2017 Intesa Sanpaolo Consolidated Non-Financial Statement (Communication on Progress),published 14 May 2018, 147.

61

Intesa Sanpaolo, Press Release: Second edition of the “Women Value Company Intesa Sanpaolo” Award
underway, 7 May 2018.

62

Ibid., 3.

63

UN Global Compact, 2017 Intesa Sanpaolo Consolidated Non-Financial Statement (Communication on Progress),published 14 May 2018, 76.

64

Ibid.

65

Intesa Sanpaolo, Press Release: Second edition of the “Women Value Company Intesa Sanpaolo” Award
underway, 7 May 2018.

66

UN Global Compact, 2017 Intesa Sanpaolo Consolidated Non Financial Statement (Communication on Progress),published 14 May 2018, 76.

67

Ibid.

68

Intesa Sanpaolo, Press Release: “Women Value Company 2019 - Intesa Sanpaolo” Award: The Third Edition of
the Initiative Sponsored by Marisa Bellisario Foundation and Intesa Sanpaolo Takes Off to Promote Female
Talent and Gender Equality, 14 November 2018.

69

Ibid.

70

Intesa Sanpaolo, Press Release: Second edition of the “Women Value Company Intesa Sanpaolo” Award
underway, 7 May 2018, 3.

71

Equileap, 2018 Gender Equality Global Report & Ranking, published 4 October 2018.

72

Salesforce, FY18 Stakeholder Impact Report - Blazing a Trail Toward a Better, More Equal World, 2018, 9.

73

Ibid., 36.

74

Inc.com, The CEO of Salesforce Found Out His Female Employees Were Paid Less Than Men. His Response Is a
Priceless Leadership Lesson, 26 July 2018.

75

Ibid.

76

Salesforce, Our Path Toward Equality: The Salesforce Annual Update 2018, Tony Prophet, Chief Equality Officer,
14 December 2018.

77

Salesforce, FY17 Stakeholder Impact Report - Blazing a Trail Toward a Better, More Equal World, 2017, 13.

78

Salesforce, Equality - Our Data, accessed 16 April 2019.

79

Salesforce, FY18 Stakeholder Impact Report - Blazing a Trail Toward a Better, More Equal World, 2018, 38–39.

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
Endnotes

80

https://www.ceoaction.com/about/, accessed 16 April 2019.

81

TD Bank Group, Workforce Profile, as of 31 October 2017.

82

TD Bank Group, Employment Equity Report - Canada, 2016, 1.

83

TD Bank Group, 2017 Corporate Responsibility Report, 27.

84

Ibid., 9.

85

Ibid., 8.

86

Ibid., 2.

87

Ibid.

88

Ibid., 8.

89

Ibid.

90

Ibid., 3.

91

Ibid.

92

TD Bank Group, 2017 Corporate Responsibility Report, 2017, 29.

93

Ibid., 27.

2.5 Building a future of work that works for women
1

A.T. Kearney, About Women@250: A Multigenerational Look at the future of Women in the US Workforce,
accessed 22 April 2019.

2

McKinsey Global Institute, The future of women at work: Transitions in the age of automation, 2019, vi.

3

Ibid.

4

ILO, A quantum leap for gender equality: For a better future of work for all, 2019, 14.

5

IWPR, Women, Automation, and the Future of Work, 2020, 39.

6

Ibid, 46–47.

7

Eurostat, Girls and women under-represented in ICT, 2018.

8

European Commission, She figures 2018, 2019.

9

WEF, Assessing Gender Gaps in Artificial Intelligence, 2018.

10

Ibid, 13.

11

Blockchain is a technology based on distributed ledger databases. It facilitates peer-to-peer transactions
without using a third party that controls the databases. Blockchain is resistant to data tampering as all thetransaction-related information is stored in the databases and millions of users agree on the shared ledger in adecentralized way. ILO, A quantum leap for gender equality: For a better future of work for all, 2019, 92.

12

Ibid, 51.

13

Ibid.

14

Pew Research Center, Online Harassment 2017, Maeve Duggan, 2017.

15

Pew Research Center, Online Harassment, Maeve Duggan, 2014.

16

Farinosi, and Manuela and Sakari Taipale, “Who Can See My Stuff? Online Self - Disclosure and Gender Differences
on Facebook”, Observatorio (OBS*) Journal, vol. 2018, No. 053– 071.

17

ILO, ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work, 2019.

18

ILO MNE Declaration, para. 38.

19

European Commission, Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025, March 2020.

20

European Commission, EU countries commit to boost participation of women in digital, 9 April 2019.

21

European Commission, Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025, March 2020.

22

ILO, ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work, 2019, 4.

23

ILO, A quantum leap for gender equality: For a better future of work for all, 2019, 88

24

Ibid., 68.

25

Ibid., 88.

26

Forbes, Artificial Intelligence Has A Problem With Bias, Here’s How To Tackle It, Bernard Marr, 29 January 2019.

27

Reuters, Amazon scraps secret AI recruiting tool that showed bias against women, Jeffrey Dastin, 9 October
2018.

28

Lauren F. Cardoso et al. “Recent and Emerging Technologies: Implications for Women’s Safety”, Technology inSociety, 2019.

99

100 Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
Endnotes

29

Fast Company, Why Online Harassment Is Still Ruining Lives–And How We Can Stop It, Sarah Kessler, 3 June
2015.

30

Global Compact, Communication on Progress - Accenture 2018 Corporate Citizenship Report, published
28 March 2019, 76.

31

Ibid.

32

Accenture, Careers: Women in Technology Campus Network, accessed 25 April 2019.

33

Accenture, Gender Diversity and Equality - Women in STEM: Building the Future, accessed 25 April 2019.

34

Accenture, Careers: High-Tech Women, accessed 25 April 2019.

35

Black Enterprise, Accenture Strives to Create Women of Power Out of ‘Hidden Figures’, Samara Lynn, 2018.

36

Accenture, Inclusion & Diversity - Gender Equality, accessed 25 April 2019.

37

Accenture, Awards & Recognition, accessed 25 April 2019.

38

Cogeco Communications, 2017 CSR Report, 2017, 29.

39

Ibid.

40

Ibid.

41

Ibid.

42

Cogeco Communications, 2017 CSR Report, 2017, 5.

43Equileap, Gender Equality Global Report & Ranking, 2019, 16.

44

Enagás, People: Annual Report 2018, Diversity, 2018.

45

Ibid.

46

Enagás, Annual Report 2018 - People - Training, 2018.

47

Enagás, Annual Report 2016, Human capital management, 2016, 68.

48

BeUp, “Talented Women” project, Year 2017, 2017.

49

Enagás, Annual Report 2018 - People, 2018.

50

Ibid., 74.

51

Enagás, Annual Report 2016, Key Indicators - Social Indicators, 2016.

52

LinkedIn, Etsy Overview, accessed 18 November 2019.

53

Fortune, Why Etsy Sets a Higher Standard for Diversity and Inclusion in Tech, 2019.

54

Statista, Number of active Etsy sellers from 2012 to 2018 (in 1,000), accessed 18 November 2019.

55

Fortune, A huge percent of Etsy sellers are women, 2015.

56

Etsy, Economic Security for the Self-Employed, accessed 18 November 2019.

57

Josh Silverman, Micro in size, mighty in impact: U.S. Etsy sellers are huge drivers of economic activity, Etsy, 2018.

58

BSR and Women Deliver, How Business Can Build a ‘Future of Work’ That Works for Women, 2019, 53.

59

Etsy, Economic Security for the Self-Employed, accessed 18 November 2019.

60

Etsy, Economic Security for the Gig Economy: A social safety net that works for everyone who works, 2016, 2 and 12.

61https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/pymetrics, accessed 18 November 2019.

62

New York Times, The Shift: Some Things About Tech Were Good in 2017. No, Really., Kevin Roose, 27 December
2017.

63

Pymetrics website, https://www.pymetrics.com/employers/, accessed 25 April 2019.

64

Business Insider, onsumer-goods giant Unilever has been hiring employees using brain games and artificial
intelligence - and it’s a huge success, Richard Feloni, 28 June 2017.

65

Pymetrics website, https://www.pymetrics.com/about/, accessed 25 April 2019.

66

Tele2, Annual Report 2018, 2018, 64.

67

Ibid.

68

Tele2, Diversity and Inclusion, accessed 25 April 2019.

69

Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, Tele2 Shared Service Center’s Corporate Social Responsibility
initiative wins and award in CCE region, accessed 25 April 2019.

70

Ibid.

71

Tele2, Annual Report 2018, 2018, 64.

72

Equileap, Gender Equality Global Report & Ranking, 2019, 24.

Empowering Women at Work – Company Policies and Practices for Gender Equality
Endnotes

Conclusions
1

Morten Bennedsen et al, Do Firms Respond to Gender Pay Gap Transparency?, Cambridge, Mass., USA, National
Bureau of Economic Research, 2019.

2

ILO, A Quantum Leap for Gender Equality: For a better future of work for all, 2019, 102.

3

WEPs, WEPs Signatories, accessed June 15 2020.

4

UN Women, WE EMPOWER – G7, Resources,, accessed 24 September 2019.

5

UN Women, WEPs Signatories, accessed 18 June 2020.

6

Ibid.

101

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Produced by:International Labour Organization
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ISBN: 9789220330654