GENDERRESPONSIVECRISISMANAGEMENT
Guidebook for the Private Sector on Gender
Responsive Crises Management via Implementing
Women’s Empowerment Principles

UN Women TürkiyeTÜSİAD

In a world that is constantly shaken by turmoil, ongoing crises are becoming the new norm. From pandemics that arereshaping the world of work overnight, to climate crisis that is putting our very survival on this planet into question, towars erupting in our region, we are dealing with a multitude of crises on a variety of fronts. As we try to settle into thisnew and unsettling world, we need to look for ways to crisis-proof our systems, organisations, and societies to the extent
possible.

TÜSİAD believes that the situation of women in any given country is the main indicator of its economic and social
development and democracy. Gender equality has a multiplier effect across all development areas. As we have always
emphasized, gender equality is an issue that needs to be addressed from multiple angles. From access to education toworkforce participation, from sharing care responsibilities to being in decision-making positions in management, wemust ensure gender equality. Last but not least, we must adopt and ensure “zero tolerance for violence against women”
by enacting legislation and supporting public, private, and non-governmental organizations, not to mention society as
a whole.

At the same time, global crises exacerbate gender inequalities and are jeopardizing the achievement of the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). At the current rate of progress, SDG5 on achieving gender equality and the empowermentof women and girls will not be met by 2030. It may take close to 300 years to achieve full gender equality around theworld, and 140 years for women to be represented equally in positions of power and leadership in the workplace.
Globally, women lost an estimated USD 800 billion in income in 2020 due to the pandemic, and despite a rebound, their
participation in labour markets is projected to be lower in 2022 than it was pre-pandemic. This is the sobering reality
revealed by a recent report with the latest evidence on progress on gender equality across all 17 goals launched by UN
Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
We need renewed commitment and swift action by all partners, including the private sector, to reverse these trends andlive up to the promise of the SDGs in a turbulent world. The Gender Responsive Crisis Management Guide, along with its
accompanying Monitoring Toolkit, developed by UN Women Türkiye Office, in partnership with TUSIAD and TURKONFED,
provides a comprehensive and practical framework for businesses in Türkiye and beyond on how to navigate crises
while advancing gender equality in the workplace, marketplace and community. It is based on the lessons learnt during
the COVID-19 pandemic which brought unprecedented challenges and had disproportionately negative impacts on
women. Studies conducted by UN Women, TUSIAD and TURKONFED in 2020-2021 showed companies with previous
commitments on gender equality demonstrated higher gender-responsive adaptability to the challenges brought onby the pandemic, indicating the importance of following a framework on gender equality and women’s empowerment,such as the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs).
As the most comprehensive framework informed by international labour and human rights standards to encourage
action by businesses on gender equality, the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) can guide companies bothin times of stability and in times of crisis. This Guide is based on the seven WEPs with the aim to move private sector
companies towards a more gender responsive future. It not only shows companies how to use the learnings of COVID-19
going forward, but also highlights how gender equality supports crisis mitigation and response. It highlights the business
imperative of becoming more gender responsive, alongside the indispensable human rights imperative. The Guide
includes practical recommendations under five critical areas: 1) Promoting work-life balance and providing support forcare responsibilities, 2) Prevention and elimination of sexual harassment at the workplace, 3) Supporting employees
against domestic violence, 4) Protecting health, safety, and well-being of employees and finally, 5) Addressing Future ofWork challenges, including the need for upskilling and reskilling.
As UN Women, we believe these recommendations will allow the private sector to plan equitable and transformativeinterventions that address gender gaps and challenges, while ensuring the survival and progress of companies in the
new norm of ongoing crises.
I thank our valuable partners from TUSIAD and TURKONFED and their member companies who have shared information,
good practices and recommendations on the basis of which this Guide and Monitoring Tool were developed. I thankthe Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), for its financial support to the “Advancing Gender
Equality and Women's Leadership in Political and Business Life in Türkiye” project, under the framework of which thisGuide was developed.
Gender equality is a foundation for achieving all SDGs and it should be at the heart of building back better and creating
systems, organisations and societies that are well equipped to deal with crises. This Guide represents a step in thisdirection, and we hope it will be used as a resource for information and inspiration by many private sector companies
in Türkiye and beyond.
Asya VarbanovaCountry Director
UN Women Türkiye

Since Covid-19 has had a dramatic impact on the lives of millions of people across the globe, we have also observed thatthe effects of the pandemic have been disproportionately felt by females only exacerbating global gender inequality Dueto the economic impacts of the pandemic and overrepresentation of women in the hardest-hit sectors and the informal
economy, many women have lost their jobs. Micro, small and medium sized women-owned enterprises face significant
challenges to their survival and growth. Due to the increase in the time spent at home, there has been an increase inunpaid domestic and care work at home for females. In addition, females are being forced to fight a new “shadow
pandemic,” that is, an increasing rate of domestic violence¹.
According to the WEF Global Gender Gap 2022 Report, gender gaps in the workforce continue to be an even more severe
threat alongside long-standing structural barriers, socioeconomic and technological transformation and economic
shocks.² In addition, geopolitical conflicts and the climate crisis, which are on the agenda of many countries, havedisproportional effects on women. Research also shows that women are more negatively affected than men during andafter crises, epidemics and natural disasters.³ Therefore, it is extremely critical to be prepared for the future with its all
uncertainties and risks by prioritizing gender-responsive crisis management strategies.
Considering the gender specific impacts of such existing and possible crises, it is crucial for the public and private
sectors and NGOs to take concerted actions to reduce the severe impacts on women, to support women’s economic
empowerment through employment, and to develop gender-sensitive plans, strategies and schemes. We must act withthe awareness that we cannot emerge from a crisis by leaving half of the society behind.
Based on this necessity, TÜSİAD – TURKONFED and the UN Women Turkey Office conducted a survey to understandthe possible effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the private sector from a gender perspective and the research report“COVID-19 Impacts on Women at Work” was published in November 2020. The results of the survey aimed to take asnapshot of the current situation and also feed into policies for developing gender-sensitive actions for companies aspart of their resilience building strategies.
We believe that fostering a positive working environment is impossible unless specific measures are adopted to tackle
the challenges threatening gender equality. As the business community, we need to ensure the peace of mind andefficiency of our employees with corporate policies as the most important values of our institutions, while adapting to
the new normal. According to the research, companies that achieve gender diversity can improve their performancesand contribute to economic development as well.⁴
Therefore, as partner organizations, we agreed to develop a practical guide framed by the 7 WEP principles to enable
the private sector to plan equitable and transformative interventions that would not amplify gender inequalities in timesof crisis.
We proudly support the “Gender-Responsive Crisis Management” and the Monitoring Toolkit developed together andprepared for publication with the efforts of the UN Women Turkey office. TÜSİAD and TÜRKONFED’s member companies
have provided invaluable input into the guidebook. We express our gratitude to UN Women and TÜRKONFED for thisvaluable partnership.
TÜSİAD will support the dissemination and implementation of the guidebook and the monitoring tool among the private
sector and all other institutional structures.
Orhan Turan
President of BoardTÜSİAD
1 https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/library/publications/2020/gender-equality-in-the-wake-of-covid-19-en.pdf?la=en&vs=5142
2 WEF Global Gender Gap Report 2022, https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-gender-gap-re port-2022/
3 https://www.brinknews.com/gender-and-disasters/
4 McKinsey, “Diversity Wins (2020)”
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters23TÜRKONFEDACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

An understanding of society in which women are empowered in business, social and economic life and can enjoy
equal opportunities in all fields is critically important for Türkiye’s sustainable development in socio-cultural aspect. As
TURKONFED (Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation) representing 30 federations and 300 hundred national andinternational associations constituted by more than 50 thousand companies of all scales from across Türkiye, we continue
our activities with this consciousness and understanding. We represent Türkiye’s most comprehensive women’s power
through the 47 women’s associations under our roof, and we carry out our activities with this sense of responsibility.

This guide is prepared in cooperation with United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of
Women (UN Women) Türkiye, Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD) and Turkish Enterprise and Business
Confederation (TÜRKONFED), and funded by Sweden through the Swedish International Development Cooperation
Agency (SIDA), to present a gender-sensitive roadmap to the business world for crisis management and written by Nino
Janashia, Gender-Equality and Human Rights Consultant.

As Türkiye has set out on its journey towards 2030, one of the target dates for change and transformation in the world,
we have renewed our vision under the title “New Epoch, New Horizons”, and now we are focusing on representing ashared image of Türkiye. The steps our country will take to remain strong in development and global competition inthis age of great transformations the world is going through are defined as 3T. We will reach Digital Transformation
by expanding our digital footprint, Green Transition by reducing our carbon footprint, and Social Transformation by
improving women’s footprint.
In OECD countries, women’s employment rate is around 61% while in our country it is around 30%. This not only reveals
where we are in terms of women’s place in business and social life but also shows how much we need to prioritize
women in our road map to our dream of becoming a developed and prosperous country. Especially Covid-19 pandemic
has weakened women’s power in economic life, which was hardly gained, while it has also proven that women are among
the most vulnerable groups against climate, geopolitical and economic crises. At this point, ensuring and improving
equal opportunities through social programs that promote women’s employment and benefit households, children
and disadvantaged groups will make economic growth more comprehensive. Women’s empowerment in education andeconomy in particular will increase our country’s welfare level and trigger our development dynamics.
On the other hand, in the light of the current developments, we can now foresee that humanity might face many health,environmental, climate and social crises. Therefore, we need to turn words into actions in all these fields without losing
any time. In this process, public institutions, private sector, non-governmental organisations, that is all segments of thesociety, have important duties to fulfill.
As a leading organisation that represents the business world in our country, we think it is one of our fundamental
responsibilities to introduce our private companies the best practices aimed at women’s empowerment and share theintellectual capital created by the experts in this field as well as collective consciousness. In this context, “A Guide for thePrivate Sector to Manage Gender Responsive Crises through the Implementation of Women’s Empowerment Principles”,
a joint initiative by TUSİAD (Turkish Industry and Business Association) and UN Women, aims to help the business worldtake the best action and show an ethical attitude to secure gender equality in case of crises.

UN Women Türkiye Programme Analyst Ülkem Önal Kara, UN Women Türkiye Private Sector Partnerships Analyst Pınar
Akçayöz De Neve, TÜSİAD Deputy Secretary General Ceren Aydın Ergün, TÜSİAD Social Policy Department Director EzgiÇelik Tekinel and TÜSİAD Specialist Ezgi Murat contributed to the content of the guide by sharing their opinions andsuggestions.
We are grateful for Oya Ünlü Kızıl, TÜSİAD Gender Equality Working Group former Chairperson (March 2017-March 2022),
Reyhan Aktar, TÜRKONFED Vice Chair of the Board and Head of the Women in Business Committee and Zeliha Ünaldı, UN
Women Türkiye Deputy Country Director for their encouragement and actualizing the private sector workshop (held on
18 March 2021) which constitutes the main framework of the guidebook.
We appreciate the contributions of Koç Holding Sustainability Coordinator Ebru Bakkaloğlu Tüzecan and Koç Holding
Sustainability and Stakeholders Relations Manager Pelin Kıhtır Öztürk. Special thanks for UN Women Unstereotype
Alliance Programme Analyst Naz Akyol, UN Women HeForShe Project Coordinator Sinem Aydın, TÜRKONFED Deputy
Secretary General responsible for Corporate Communiciatons Hayati Bakış, TÜRKONFED Corporate Communications
Assistant Specialist Eda Gökalp and Women in Business Assistant Specialist Zelal Fahiroğlu for their coordination in the
preparation process of the guidebook.
We would like to express our acknowledgement to Akbank, Arçelik, Avon, AYGAZ, Bahçeşehir University, BAYTEKS,
Beyçelik Gestamp, Borusan Group, Boyner Group, Coca-Cola İçecek, Doğan Group, Doğuş Group, Domino Textile,
Enerjisa, Eti Gıda, GittiGidiyor, LİMAK Group, Nas Plastik, OPET, Penti, Sabancı Holding, Sefes Mobilya, Shell Turkey,
Yapı Kredi Bank, Yeşim Textile and Zorlu Holding, for their participation in focus group interviews which contributed tothe development of the guidebook and the toolkit. We would also like to recognize the prototyping phase enriched by
the invaluable feedback of Global Communication and Human Resources teams of Arçelik who participated in the preimplementation and assessment process of the guidebook and the accompanying monitoring tool.

We believe that with an increased awareness about gender responsive crisis management, all the companies in ourcountry will be able to address women’s and men’s differing needs and display a gender responsive attitude in case ofdevelopments that pose a threat to their shareholders, including a wide range of people from their employees to theircustomers, suppliers and the general public. We believe that this guide, prepared to this end, will increase the awarenessof our business world about the gains that promote women’s education, training and professional development,
establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality, implement business practices which empower women andthat publicly share with stakeholders the progress to achieve gender equality.
We have always stated that the way to a strong society, strong economy and strong democracy is women’s active
participation in all fields of life, and we firmly believe in this. Our “woman” centered approach involves not positive
discrimination but women’s active participation in all fields of life for the establishment of a fair system based on genderequality.
We have the power to achieve both an intellectual and systematic transformation as the women and men of this society!
Regards,
Süleyman Sönmez
President
TURKONFED

45

Contents
Executive Summary
About UN Women, TUSIAD and
TURKONFED
1. Why the Private Sector should address
crises in a Gender-Responsive Way?
2. Impact of Covid-19 on Women in the
Workplace – Key Issues
3. Impact of Covid-19 on women in theworkplace in Türkiye
3.1 Gender Impact of the Covid-19 in theworkplace
3.2 Measures implemented by thecompanies to mitigate the impact of theCovid-19 pandemic
4. Women’s Empowerment Principles inadvancing gender equality
4.1 Brief summary of Women’s
Empowerment Principles
4.2 Importance of Women’s
Empowerment Principles in advancing
gender equality
4.3 Practical aspects of Women’s
Empowerment Principles’ implementation©2022 UN Women. All rights reserved.
Author: Nino Janashia, Consultant in Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment"Gender-Responsive Crisis Management Guide was conducted with the generous contribution andsupport of Sweden through Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).""The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent
the views of UN Women, the United Nations, any of its associated organizations or the offical position of Sweden."

6

5.2.1 Understanding and recognizing
sexual harassment and its impact at theworkplace
5.2.2 Why is preventing and eliminating
sexual harassment relevant to companies?
5.2.3 Addressing sexual harassment at theworkplace
5.3 Supporting employees against
domestic violence
5.3.1 Understanding and recognizing
domestic violence and its impact at theworkplace
5.3.2 Actions to be taken by the companies
to support employees against domestic
violence
5.3.3 Good practices of the companies
providing support to the employees
against domestic violence
5.4 Protecting health, safety, and wellbeing of employees

5. Strategies for gender-responsive crisis
management within the framework of
Women’s Empowerment Principles

5.4.1 Understanding and recognizing
gender-specific health, safety, and wellbeing needs
5.4.2 Actions to be taken to address
gender-specific health, safety, and wellbeing needs of employees
5.4.3 Actions to be taken to mitigate theimpact of Covid-19 pandemic and future
crises on health, safety and well-being of
the employees

5.1 Promoting work-life balance andproviding support for care responsibilities

5.5. Addressing Future of Work challenges– the need for upskilling and reskilling

5.1.1 Flexible working arrangements
5.1.2 Family-friendly workplace policies
and culture
5.1.3 Promoting work-life balance andsupporting care responsibilities: benefits
and good practices

5.5.1 Recognizing and understanding
gender challenges of the Future of Work5.5.2 Adapting to the Future of Work byaddressing the needs of upskilling andreskilling of employees

5.2 Prevention and elimination of sexual
harassment at the workplace

6. Conclusion
Bibliography

7

Executive Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic affected all sectorsof economy and provoked long-term changes
in how the entire world population lives anddoes business. To address the challenges
caused by the pandemic and to adapt to the
new reality, private sector companies had toreact in agile and decisive ways. At the sametime, The COVID-19 pandemic reminded that acrisis can occur at any time. Moving forward, it
appeared crucial for businesses to identify newopportunities, and to consider lessons learned
from the pandemic in order to prioritize actions
to enhance business today and build strategic
resilience for potential next crises. Moreover,
Covid-19 exacerbated existing genderinequalities, as women disproportionately
experienced negative impact of the pandemic,
thus, managing crisis in a gender-responsive
way turned out to be an absolute necessity.
The objective of the gender-responsive crisis
management guidebook is to develop practicaland functional guidelines for private sector toaddress crisis in a gender responsive way. It
is highly likely that future crises, whether it
is another pandemic, natural disaster, massmigration, security or technology issue, will
have their unique impact on gender equality.
Therefore, the lessons learned from theCovid-19 pandemic should allow businesses
and corporations to prepare better for next
crises by adapting the learnings to the potential
challenges.
The present guideline is precipitated by the
COVID-19 pandemic and the necessity ofmanaging its effects in a gender-responsive
way within the private sector, however crisis
management tools designed in the guideline
are intended to be informative for all future
crises, especially for any future pandemics
and/or health crises.
Approaches proposed in the guidebook arebased on Women’s Empowerment Principles(WEPs) which aim to help businesses develop
and share best practices for empowering
women and promoting gender equality within
the company, marketplace and community.

8

Strategies for gender responsive crisis
management aim to enable private sector toplan equitable and transformative interventions
which will effectively address gender challenges
in times of crises. The guidebook:• provides answers on which areas and why
it is important to develop strategies to manage
the crisis in a gender-responsive way.
• provides information on how companies
can implement these strategies in practice by
providing concrete and practical guidelines fortheir successful implementation• provides a sample of good practices in eacharea in order to inform the companies on
promising examples around the world.
Managing crisis in a gender-responsive
way by the private companies requires theimplementation of the strategies in thefollowing areas:• Promoting work-life balance and supporting
care responsibilities
In order to create a healthy work-life balance,companies need to ensure conditions for theiremployees to enjoy work, spend quality timewith family and friends, devote adequate
time to sleep, exercise and nutrition, anddevote time to things that promote overall
well-being, especially of those with caring
responsibilities. Companies should take several
active measures, such as promoting flexible
working arrangements (FWAs), supporting
care responsibilities, including availability andpromotion of parental leave for both womenand men, providing childcare support options,also supporting women in transition to work
after maternity leave.
The document provides guidance for the
successful implementation of flexible working
arrangements by providing step-by-step
instructions of the actions to be taken by senior
executives and employees, and informing
about the possible working designs of FWAs.

Moreover, in order to adopt family-friendly
workplace policies and culture, a more detailed
guidance is provided on how inclusive parental
leave, also transition to work after parental orother extended leave can be supported by thecompanies, also how support for childcare canbe ensured.

• Prevention and elimination of sexual
harassment at the workplace
Sexual harassment at the workplace represents
a risk to the safety and well-being of theemployees and its implications have a farreaching impact on employees’ well-being, butalso on their productivity, and the company’s
reputation. In times of crises, such as
pandemics, gender-based violence increases as
people feel more vulnerable to raise a concern
or risk, or put themselves through a complaint
process. During the Covid-19 pandemic,
online sexual harassment has become moreprevalent. Therefore, considering the new work
arrangements, employers should be aware of
the new ways in which it might appear, and thepolicy should be designed accordingly.
The document provides guidance forunderstanding and recognizing sexual
harassment and its impact on the workplace,by informing on common elements in its
definition and making a non-exhaustive
list to identify what constitutes sexual
harassment. The Guide also informs why it isimportant for the companies to prevent andeliminate sexual harassment and provides
step-by-step guidance for addressing it, by
providing a template company policy on
sexual harassment, and instructions for thedevelopment process of such policy.
• Supporting employees against domestic
violence
Domestic violence is a human rights issue
and has a major impact on the victims andsurvivors of the violence and their families.
Domestic violence affects the ability ofvictims and survivors to be engaged atwork, maintain employment stability andachieve occupational attainment. Therefore,
supporting employees who are victims andsurvivors of domestic violence is a workplace
imperative as well as ahuman rights obligation.
The Guidebook provides information on
the impact of domestic violence on thebusinesses and identifies the actions to betaken by the companies in order to support
their employees against domestic violence,
including awareness raising on the issue,

flexible arrangements and protection fromdismissal, as well as support and guidance foraccessing the necessary services, by respecting
all along the process the safety of victims/
survivors, their autonomous decision-making
and confidentiality.
• Protecting health, safety and well-being of
employees
Health is a basic human right and vital to thequality of life of communities. Employees
are entitled to their own general health andwell-being, and not simply to protection fromhazards at the workplace. Mental, physicaland psychosocial health is fundamental toemployees’ well-being and organizational
success. Thus, a holistic approach to healthshould be an integral part of a company’sbusiness strategy and operations.
The Guidebook informs about the Healthy
Workplace Model and provides instructions
for understanding and recognizing genderspecific health, safety and well-being needs
within a company. The document provides
guidance about the actions to be taken toaddress gender-specific health, safety andwell-being needs of employees, which include
gender-specific occupational hazards, physicaland mental health and related services,
facilities adapted to gender needs, as wellas health and safety education, and thepromotion of well-being and healthy lifestyle.
The Guide puts a special emphasis on theactions to be taken to mitigate the impact of
Covid-19 pandemic and future crises.
• Future of Work challenges related to theneed for upskilling and reskilling.
The technological progress, taken together
with globalization and demographic changes,
creates the need to equip people with the skills
they need to participate in the economy, now
and in the future. The future of work will be
shaped by artificial intelligence, informed by
big data and machine learning, informationand communication technologies and robotics.
Covid-19 pandemic accelerated automationand digitalization, so critical skills gaps in theworkforce became even more obvious in manyorganizations. Therefore, it is important to
identify and anticipate the skills needed for9

recovery and future growth, and to identify
practical actions that can be taken to reskill
and upskill workers to meet these needs. A
focus on gender is critical both in the context
of recovery, and the future of work. Without
a focus on gender, measures of recovery,
as well as depictions of the future of work
are incomplete and biased, and thus risk
reproducing current inequalities.
The Guide informs about the approaches tobe adopted by the companies for adapting to
the Future of Work by addressing the needsof upskilling and reskilling of employees
and details the actions to be taken by thecompanies for addressing skills gaps.
Each gender responsive crisis management
strategy is linked to specific factor of
Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs).
For the holistic comprehension of WEPs, theGuidebook details the content and implicationsof 7 Women’s Empowerment Principles by
informing the companies on:• How each principle should be reflected in
WEPs Action Plan of the company?
• What are the main steps to be taken for the
implementation of each principle?
• How the successful implementation can bemeasured by providing detailed indicators?
Methodology of the Guidebook is based on
the assessment of the impact of Covid-19 at
the workplace from gender perspective in
Türkiye via:
• The qualitative research conductedduring the consultancy in December 2021.
Qualitative research of the study consists of
6 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) conductedwith 26 companies based in Türkiye/or having
representation in Türkiye, including largesize (+250 employees), medium-size (50249 employees), and small-size (less than 50
employees) companies operating in different
sectors of the industry, some of which havealready signed WEPs and/or have adopted
gender equality strategies and/or action plans
before the outbreak of Covid-19.

10• The 2020 assessment carried by TUSIAD,
TURKONFED and UN Women and conductedwith 241 companies (including 140 SMEs).
(TUSIAD, TURKONFED, UN Women, COVID-19
Impact on Women in the workplace: corporate
responses, good practices and way forward,2020).
• UN Women’s economic and social impact
assessment of COVID-19 in Türkiye. (UNWomen, The economic and social impact of
COVID-19 on women and men, Rapid Gender
Assessment of COVID-19 implications in
Türkiye, 2020)
The Guidebook is accompanied by a Monitoring
Tool including 55 questions arranged in 9
sub-thematic areas and allowing to track
the progress, and also facilitate the planning
process. Namely, the Monitoring Tool allows tocollect the information on the implementation
status of an activity, and if the activity is not
implemented, when it’s implementation should
be expected. Also, the Monitoring Tool allows
to obtain the information about the availabilityof internal resources for the implementationof the planned activities, or if the activity
required/will require the mobilization of theexternal support. The Monitoring Tool also
allows to track the budget spent or planed tomobilize for the implementation of an activity.

About UN Women, TUSIAD and
TURKONFED
UN Women is the UN organization dedicatedto gender equality and the empowermentof women. A global champion for womenand girls, UN Women was established toaccelerate progress on meeting their needs
worldwide.
UN Women supports UN Member States as
they set global standards for achieving genderequality and works with governments and civilsociety to design laws, policies, programmes
and services needed to ensure that thestandards are effectively implemented andtruly benefit women and girls worldwide.
It works globally to make the vision of
the Sustainable Development Goals a reality
for women and girls and stands behind

women’s equal participation in all aspectsof life, focusing on four strategic priorities:
Women lead, participate in and benefit
equally from governance systems; Women
have income security, decent work andeconomic autonomy; All women and girls
live a life free from all forms of violence;
Women and girls contribute to and havegreater influence in building sustainable peaceand resilience, and benefit equally from theprevention of natural disasters and conflicts
and humanitarian action. UN Women also
coordinates and promotes the UN system’s
work in advancing gender equality.
Founded in 1971, TUSIAD is a voluntarybusiness organization consisting of the leading
entrepreneurs and business executives in
Türkiye. TUSIAD has a major representative
power in manufacturing, added value, formal
employment and foreign trade for the Turkish
economy with the enterprises run by its
members.
TUSIAD strives to contribute to theestablishment and development of a social
order where the universal principles of humanrights, the liberties of thought, belief, andinitiative, secular rule of law, participatory
democracy, liberal economy, competitivemarket economy are adopted and sustainable
environment is pursued. TUSIAD takes
actions to achieve the aforemendioned main
objective with the view that it is a leading andenterpreneurial group of businesspersons
looking out for gender equality in politics,
economy, and education to help Türkiye
achieve the modern level of civilization and go
beyond it in line with the goals and principles
set by Atatürk.

Serving as an umbrella organization forregional and sectoral business worldcommunities, the Turkish Enterprise andBusiness Confederation (TURKONFED) is anindependent non-governmental organization
founded on the basis of voluntariness.
TURKONFED is one of the largest business
communities in Türkiye thanks to its
influential group of members operating
across the country. Billed as the largest
non-governmental organization in Türkiye
given its independent and voluntary nature,
TURKONFED draws on the federations andassociations that businesspersons are amember of, and embodies 30 federations (26regional, 4 sectoral), 286 associations, andnearly 50,000 companies.
Having launched an office in Brussels on
November 17, 2014 to operate in the heartof Europe, TURKONFED engages in global
actions as a member of SMEunited, which isone of the largest business communities in
Europe. SMEunited is a crucial international
business organization that directly influences
EU policies and decision-making authorities
and represents 12 million companies and 55
million employees. With such a significant
role to play, TURKONFED serves as a bridge
between the Turkish business community
and the European Union. It continues togrow its global presence under the umbrellaof TURKONFED International that gathers
the associations of businesspersons from
Germany, Georgia, Northern Cyprus, Iraq,
Ukraine, and Romania.

As a non-profit organization that represents
the Turkish business world, TUSIAD strives
to make sure that entrepreneurs act inline with the universal codes of businessconduct, and pursues raising the level of theTurkish competitiveness, social well-being,
employment, efficiency, innovative capacityand education by constantly growing theircoverage and quality.

11

1. Why the Private Sector should
address crises in a GenderResponsive Way?
The COVID-19 pandemic affected all sectorsof economy and provoked long-term changes
in how the entire world population lives anddoes business. To address the challenges
caused by the pandemic and to adapt to the
new reality, private sector companies had toreact in agile and decisive ways. At the sametime, Covid-19 exacerbated the existing genderinequalities, as women disproportionately
experienced negative impact of the pandemic.
Gender equality is essential for achieving
economic growth and prosperity, therefore
sustainable strategies addressing challengesof the pandemic should encompass genderresponsive solutions.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder that acrisis can occur at any time. Many companies
and organizations worldwide were unpreparedbecause few could expect a crisis on this scale,
impacting all aspects of business operation.
This unprecedented situation demonstrated
that for the efficient management of the
future crisis, whether it is another pandemic,
natural disaster, mass migration, security or
technology issue, it is crucial to be prepared for
its effective management. Moving forward, it
appeared crucial for businesses to identify newopportunities, also to consider lessons learned
from the pandemic in order to prioritize actions
to enhance business today and build strategic
resilience for tomorrow for next crisis.
As women and men have been impacted
differently and disproportionately by theeffects of the Covid-19 pandemic, managing
crisis in a gender-responsive way became
an absolute necessity. Gender-responsivecrisis management is the process by which
an organization deals with a disruptive,
unpredictable, and unexpected event thatthreatens to harm the organization and/or allof its stakeholders - employees, customers,
suppliers, and the general public - in a genderresponsive way, by addressing differentiatedneeds of women and men.
Crises can highlight existing challenges
and vulnerabilities. As observed, Covid-19

12pandemic has deepened the existing genderinequalities in the world of work and signaled
that potential future crises will also haveunique effects on gender equality. Therefore,
even if all potential impacts cannot be fully
anticipated, the lessons learnt from theCovid-19 pandemic should allow businesses
and corporations to emerge stronger and toprepare better for next crisis by adapting theirlearnings to the potential challenges.
The present guideline is precipitated by the
COVID-19 pandemic and the necessity ofmanaging its effects in a gender-responsive
way within the private sector, however crisis
management tools designed in the guideline
are intended to be informative for all future
crises, especially for any future pandemics
and/or health crises.
The objective of the gender-responsive crisis
management guidebook is to develop practicaland functional guidelines for private sector
to address crisis in a gender responsive way.
Approaches proposed in the guidebook arebased on Women’s Empowerment Principles(WEPs) which aim to help businesses indeveloping and sharing best practices for
empowering women and promoting genderequality within the company, marketplace andcommunity.1 Indeed, WEPs is a frameworkfor gender-inclusive, sustainable and resilientbusiness, informed by international laborand human rights standards and grounded in
the recognition that business has an interestin, and a responsibility for gender equality inthe workplace, marketplace and community,
regardless of their size, sector and geography.
Strategies for gender responsive crisis
management are designed based on thechallenges identified by various assessmentsof the Covid-19 impact, also by the qualitative
research conducted within the present
study. These strategies aim to enable private
sector to plan equitable and transformativeinterventions which will effectively address
gender challenges in times of crises, specificallythey include strategies on (i) promoting
work-life balance and support for care
responsibilities; (ii) prevention and eliminationof sexual harassment at the workplace; (iii)
supporting employees against domestic
For more information on Women’s Empowerment Principles
please see: https://www.weps.org/

1

violence; (iv) protecting health, safety andwell-being of employees. Furthermore, theCovid-19 pandemic accelerated automationand digitalization, so critical skills gaps in theworkforce has become even more visible inmany organizations. Therefore, strategies
designed within this guidebook also address(v) Future of Work challenges related to theneed for upskilling and reskilling.

2. Impact of Covid-19 on Womenat the Workplace - Key issues
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing
gender inequalities exposed fundamental
flaws in economic and social systems, andposed a serious threat to the gains made on
gender equality. The pandemic has led to a risein unemployment, ore unpaid care work, andunprecedented levels of domestic violence.
As a result of the pandemic, women haveexperienced disproportionate job losses andeconomic insecurity in some sectors, while
many women working as front-line responders,
health professionals, community volunteers,and employees in the food, retail, hygiene andsanitation industries have continued to makecritical contributions to meet the needs ofconsumers and communities at the direct riskof their own health and well-being.
With school and care facility closures during
the pandemic, women took on additional care
responsibilities, which made the burden of
unpaid work even heavier for them. Increased
care impacts the time that female employees
are able to dedicate to paid work and in somecases, will eventually leave female employeeswith no other option than to cut back theirhours or quit entirely.
Covid-19 gender impact assessments aroundthe world showed that everywhere the risks andthe prevalence of domestic violence increased
during the pandemic. Domestic violence isa violation of women’s human rights. It cantake various forms (physical, verbal, sexual,
psychological, socio-economic violence), andhas devastating effects on women, children,
families and communities around the world.
Denouncing violence in the family is difficult,and may affect the provision of help and support

services. As more private-sector companies areforced to halt operations or switch to working
from home during the pandemic, risk of
domestic violence poses an additional threat
to business continuity and recovery and longterm economic growth, because, domestic
violence hampers workplace productivity byincreasing absenteeism, employee turnoverand resignations without adequate notice.
Moreover, the risk of accelerated reliance ontechnology-oriented jobs is leaving women
behind, thus, women’s risk of being excluded
from emerging opportunities is increasing. This
will also harm long-term economic progressand recovery.
Therefore, a commitment to women’s
empowerment
andgender-responsive
Covid-19 approaches become fundamental
for inclusive economic recovery. Indeed, it willbe crucial to design gender-inclusive businessenvironment through Women’s Empowerment
Principles across their-value chain fromworkplace, marketplace to community.

3. Impact of Covid-19 on womenat the workplace in Türkiye
The assessment of the impact of Covid-19 at
the workplace from gender perspective in
Türkiye is based on the qualitative research
conducted during the consultancy on the one
hand , and, on the 2020 assessment conducted
by TUSIAD, TURKONFED and UN Women on
the other hand,2 in addition on UN Women’s
economic and social impact assessment of
COVID-19 in Türkiye.3
Qualitative research of the study consists of
6 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) conductedwith 26 companies based in Türkiye/or having
representation in Türkiye, including largesize (+250 employees), medium-size (50249 employees), and small-size (less than 50
employees) companies operating in different
sectors of the industry, some of which have
TUSIAD, TURKONFED, UN Women, COVID-19 Impact on
Women in the workplace: corporate responses, good practices and way forward, 2020
3
UN Women, The economic and social impact of COVID-19
on women and men, Rapid Gender Assessment of COVID-19
implications in Turkey, 2020
213

already signed WEPs and/or have adopted
gender equality strategies and/or action plans
before the outbreak of Covid-19. FGDs havebeen conducted in December 2021.
2020 assessment by TUSIAD, TURKONFED and
UN Women is based on the findings of thesurvey conducted in March-June 2020 withthe participation of 339 companies, including 7
cooperatives operating in a variety of industries
in Türkiye. Survey participants included largesize companies, as well as small and medium
sized enterprises (SMEs), part of them having
signed WEPs and/or having adopted genderequality strategies and/or action plans before
the outbreak of Covid-19.

3.1 Gender Impact of the Covid-19 in
the workplace
Economic and social impact of COVID-19 in
Türkiye4 revealed that Covid-19 pandemic
exacerbated inequalities regarding women’s
and men’s involvement in labour market.
Indeed, women lost their jobs at a higher
extent (18.8%) than men (14.2%). Moreover,
women took more leave (paid, partially paidor unpaid) of absence from work compared tomen. Also, for 15.7% of women who went onleave was unpaid leave, compared to 11.2%
for men. Based on UN Women’s assessment,
women’s status as “secondary” earners andbeing expected to perform the majority of
unpaid domestic and care work, might bestrongly influential in this regard. More women(18%) compared to men (14.2%) changed
their workplace and started to work fromhome. Besides, women have experienced anincrease in domestic work more than men.
Women’s workload especially increased in
the categories of “cleaning the household
and washing the clothes” and “cooking andserving meal” where 77.6% and 59.9% of
women stated an increase respectively in thesehousehold chores comparing to 47% and 23.9%of the men. More women than men haveexperienced negative effects of COVID-19 on
their mental/emotional health. Indeed, 54%
women and 49% men experienced problems
such as stress and anxiety as a result of theoutbreak of the pandemic. Furthermore, more
4

14

Ibid.

women than men reported increase in theprevalence of domestic violence. At the sametime, it’s important to note that about 25% of
women and men are not aware about available
support for the victims of domestic violence.
In summary, Covid-19 pandemic negatively
affected both women and men, however
women have been more affected than men.
2020 assessment by TUSIAD, TURKONFED
and UN Women revealed two most frequent
challenges for the employees: work-lifebalance and domestic violence, which aredisproportionally affecting women. As a matterof fact, female employees in 89% of businesses
reported that domestic violence increased
during the Covid-19 period. Employees also
reported challenges related to increased
working hours due to remote work from home,
psychological stress and exhaustion. The
assessment showed that women have beendisproportionally affected by the increased
care burden as they are primary responsible
for children and their education.

3.2 Measures implemented by thecompanies to mitigate the impact of
Covid-19 pandemic5
Companies had to adapt the working settings
to the new reality and introduce changes
within the working environment. The mostcommon change (84% of the companies)
introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic has
been full or partial remote working for whitecollar employees. Some of the enterprises havepermanently adopted or discussed adopting
remote working/ working from home for some
operations. Another change is to allow moregeneral use of paid or unpaid leave during
the pandemic. Survey results show that more
women than men have taken leave since thebeginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, and thatwomen (15.7%) are more likely to take unpaid
leave than men (11.2%). One of the reasons
for women for taking leave is the burden ofdomestic work, causing not only the higher
loss of income for them, but also a decrease of
their retirement pension relying on their own
income. Moreover, the unpaid leave affects
Information is based on TUSIAD, TURKONFED, UN Women,
COVID-19 Impact on Women in the workplace: corporate
responses, good practices and way forward, 20205the access to retirement as the contract issuspended during such leave.
Companies used different types of incentives
to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 at theworkplace. The most common incentive during
the Covid-19 pandemic is the short-term
employment allowance, indeed, nearly 60%of the enterprises reported having provided it
to their employees. However, less women thanmen benefitted from this allowance.6 Deferralof SSI, VAT and withholding tax payments are
the second most commonly used incentives(51%), however their use rate is much lower
in enterprises where women’s employment
rate is over 50%. The minimum wage subsidy
is the third most commonly used incentive,
used by 28% of the companies, however it is
not commonly used among enterprises where
women’s employment rate is high.
Assessment by TUSIAD, TURKONFED and
UN Women showed that the majority of theenterprises (76%) took special measures toreduce the stress of their employees andimprove their overall well-being, whereas
only 26% of them took measures specificallyfor women employees. Qualitative study
conducted in December 2021 confirmed thatthe companies took indeed proactive measures
for improving employees’ well-being during
the pandemic and addressing the new working
settings, such as establishment of corporate
well-being platforms providing psychologicalsupport, as well as access to online sports
activities, online health and dietary consulting,online museum visits, book reading days,
activities for children. Some companies invited
various guest speakers for online meetings anddiscussions, etc.
Regarding the issue of violence, identified
as one of the major problems among survey
participants, only 10% of them consult withinternal and external stakeholders to deal
with the issue, and only 2% of the companies
collected data on domestic violence during
the pandemic.7. Qualitative study conducted
One of the barriers for women can be eligibility criteria,
indeed, to be eligible for the allowance, employees must have
met their employment term and premium payment requirements. (450 days of premium within the past 3 years)
7
Information is based on TUSIAD, TURKONFED, UN Women,
COVID-19 Impact on Women in the workplace: corporate

in December 2021 revealed that several
companies have already mechanisms in place
for addressing the issue of domestic violence orsexual harassment, such as corporate policies
on sexual harassment, ethics committees, andoptions for confidential internal complaints,
however incidents of sexual harassment havenot been reported during the focus group
discussions.
Survey and the qualitative study demonstrated
that companies took additional special
measures such as offering their employees
the freedom to choose the working mode
and working hours, or providing additional
leave for female employees whose domestic
burden has increased because of child or
elderly care. Besides, companies have also
provided opportunities such as adjusted timeof meetings, online psychological support tothe employees including support to improveparent-child communication, shuttle to andfrom work for employees without a personalcar, providing access to training courses for
employees’ children, as well. Qualitative study
confirmed that the companies have adapted
to the Covid-19 restrictions by making special
arrangements widely available, such as flexible
working hours, working from home or hybrid
working. At the same time, some companies
have made an effort to take into consideration
employees’ additional care responsibilities
by adapting working hours to the needs ofchildcare or elderly care, which are especiallyburden for women employees.
In summary, the assessment demonstrated
the adaptability of the companies to thechallenges of the pandemic. However, genderresponsiveness in the measures introducedby the companies seem to be influenced by
the previous commitments to the equality
principles. Indeed, the strategies adopted
and actions taken by the enterprises prior to
the Covid-19 pandemic have played a role ingender responsive measures they have taken
against the implications of the pandemic.

6

responses, good practices and way forward, 2020

15

4. Women’s Empowerment
Principles in advancing genderequality

and at the same time can benefit greatly
from women’s empowerment in terms ofinnovation, productivity, competitiveness andmarket growth.

• Companies with the most women board directors outperformed those with the least in return onsales by 16% and return on invested capital by 26%.10

4.1 Brief summary of Women’s
Empowerment Principles

Women’s empowerment and gender equality
has a multiplier effect on families, communities,businesses and sustainable economies.
Women’s Economic Empowerment means
better business8 indeed it is:• Operational Imperative: it improves operational effectiveness, productivity, and employee
engagement. Women’s participation in companies at every level contributes significantly to businessperformance. Studies show that women’s presence in business leads to an increase in financial
performance and, more specifically, raises the return on investment, market share, capital, and stock.

A joint initiative –“Women’s Economic
Empowerment Principles” was launchedin 2010 by UN Women and the UN Global
Compact. The seven principles aim to help
businesses develop and share examples ofbest practices for empowering women andpromoting gender equality.
Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs)
1. Establish high level corporate leadershipfor gender equality.
2. Respect and support human rights andnon-discrimination and treat all womenand men fairly at work.
3. Ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of all female and male workers.
4. Promote education, training andprofessional development for women.
5. Implement enterprise development
and supply chain and marketing practices
that empower women.
6. Promote equality through community
initiatives and advocacy.
7. Measure and publicly reportprogress to achieve gender equality.

onIntegrating the Women’s Empowerment
Principles (WEPs) into company operations
can contribute to enhancing gender equality inthe workplace, marketplace and community
through their own policies, practices, andproducts, also by enabling and influencing
other industries to do so.

4.2 Importance of Women’s
Empowerment Principles in advancing
gender equality
Business can play a critical role in advancing
gender equality and empowering women,

16• Economic Imperative: it builds healthy
economies and drives greater investments incommunities:• If women participated in the economy
identically to men, it would add up to 28$
trillion, or 26% to annual global GDP in 2025
compared with a business-as-usual scenario.9• Women reinvest upward of 90% of theirincome into their families’ health, nutrition,and education – triple the value of men’s
investment.
• Growth Imperative: it unlocks new market
opportunities and strengthens customer
loyalty. Despite limited control over income
and resources, women significantly influence
consumption expenditures. By adding more
women to the labour force, companies bothincrease their power to represent theircustomers within the companies and provide
more information for the firm, including
predictions, about customer choices.
• Women make more than 90% of purchasing
decisions for home furnishing, vacations,homes, and more than 50% of purchasing
decisions for automobiles and consumer
electronics.

• Companies with high levels of diversity are 70% more likely to capture new markets.11• Removing discrimination against female staff and managers can increase productivity per
employee by 25%-40%.12• Companies with diverse workforces function better; they are shown to be 22% more productive,
have 27% higher profitability, and customer satisfaction is 39% higher.13• Companies with three or more women on the Board of Directors have a 60% higher return on
investment.14• Talent Imperative: it drives innovation and ensures a strong and capable talent pipeline:• More than half a billion women have joined the world’s labour force over the past 30 years,15 inmost countries women represent a majority of all graduates from tertiary education.16• More than 70% of millennials expect their employers to focus on societal or mission-driven
problems.17

4.3 Practical aspects of Women’s Empowerment Principles’ implementation
The present chapter provides detailed information about the steps to be taken for the implementationof each Women’s Empowerment Principle and for measuring the progress. Considering that there
is no single method for a company to integrate WEPs into its operation, the chapter suggests theapproaches on how each principle should be implemented (areas of implementation) and how the
progress of the implementation of each principle should be measured (indicators of implementation).
Companies can use the said suggestions as a framework assisting them in developing their specificmodel of WEPs implementation.

• Financial Imperative: it delivers better
returns on equity and higher stock performance:
https://www.shiftthework.com/blog/womenatworkhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/11/12/how-diversity-can-help-with-business-growth/?sh=587134f152ad
12
The World Bank, The World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development, 2012.
13
The Centre for Tomorrow’s Company, Tomorrow’s Global Leaders: How to build a culture that ensures women reach the top,
2014.
14
A report prepared by Catalyst on the top 500 companies in the USA, “The Bottom Line: Corporate Performance and Women’s
Representation on Boards,” indicates that companies with three or more women on the Board of Directors outperformed
companies with all-male boards of directors by 60%
15https://2012-2017.usaid.gov/what-we-do/gender-equality-and-womens-empowerment/addressing-gender-programming/
supporting-womens
16
https://www.oecd.org/gender/data/why-dont-more-girls-choose-stem-careers.html
17https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/careers/articles/tenacious-talent.html
1011

Based on the conclusions of BSR study: “Building effective
women’s economic empowerment strategies”, 2016, dataand information gathered from the following sources: United
Nations, World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization,
McKinsey Global Institute, Boston Consulting Group, Catalyst,
Center for talent and inovation, Deloitte.
9
McKinsey Global Institute, The power of parity: How
advancing women’s equality can add $12 trillion to global
growth, 2015817

Principle 1.
Establish high-level Corporate Leadership for Gender Equality
Integrating the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) into company policies and operations
should start with agreement on the importance of gender equality at the top executive level. Aftersenior management reaches a consensus on the issue, company officials should develop a plan
specifying how gender equality will be implemented, monitored, and measured.
WEPs Action Plan
• Enunciate a corporate approach that displays consensus on gender equality.
• Identify members of senior management as leaders of the relevant activities.
• Define the performance indicators for each activity leading to the achievement of gender equality.

ü Obtaining feedback from the employees of different ranks on gender equality and the WEPs agenda.
ü Engagement with various stakeholders,both internally and externally, withexpertise in gender equality.

Principle 2.
Treat all women and men 		fairly at work - respect andsupport human rights and,non-discrimination

Areas of implementation
The objective of establishing high-level leadership for gender equality has three main dimensions: It allows the management process to incorporate the gender equality imperative.
 It ensures stakeholder participation.
 It communicates gender equality messages internally and externally.

The second principle of the women’s
empowerment principles (WEPs) calls forcompanies to treat all women and men fairly
at work with respect and support for humanrights and non-discrimination.

Management process
Stakeholder participation
Communication
Create a body to monitor the Create mechanisms to receive Send gender equality messages
gender equality performance feedback on policies and im- to the external public.
of the company or appoint a plementation from internal and Communicate gender equality
high-level corporate adminis- external stakeholders.
objectives and activities within
trator to handle this issue.
the company.

It is important to detect discrimination inorder to establish and/or strengthen thepolicies and practices of equal treatment andto provide equal opportunities for everyone.
Thus, it is crucial to understand the conceptsof discrimination, equal treatment, equal
opportunities and equal pay for equal value.

Ensure senior corporate man- Identify opportunities for co- Emphasize an approach thatagers embrace monitoring and operation with stakeholders highlights gender equalityv inassessment of the implementa- working on gender equality the statements of corporate
and the economic empower- spokespersons, communication
tion.
ment of women.
platforms and documents.
Encourage corporate leaders to
draw attention to gender equality through their behavior (suchas pointing out the importanceof women’s participation).

Areas of implementation

Indicators of implementation
The establishment of high-level corporate leadership for gender equality can be measured by thefollowing indicators.
ü Existence of corporate policies on gender equality integrated within the company’s mission,
vision, and corporate values.
ü Existence of the WEPs Action Plan with concrete activities, designated persons, timeframes,
and resources.
ü Public statements by the CEO on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
ü Internal mechanisms that designate managers for implementing the WEPs agenda.
ü Communication of the gender equality commitment and the WEPs agenda internally within
the company.

18

The company should focus on adopting genderresponsive approaches and human resources
policies in order to achieve the objective of
equal treatment, equal opportunity and nondiscrimination.
For this purpose, it is essential to incorporate
the follow ing considerations.
Identify discriminatory practices• Assess the rights of employees through agender equality lens, including recruitment,
leave, termination, distribution of positions
and in-company training opportunities, as wellas wages and additional benefits.
• Uncover gender-based differences andspecific gender needs.

Design and adopt gender-responsive policies
and practices
Shape policies and everyday measures in lightof gender differences and gender needs andin order to eliminate discriminatory practices
against women at all levels:• Adopt gender-responsive approaches
regarding recruitment, leave, termination,
distribution of positions, in-company training
opportunities, remuneration, and benefits.
• Apply disciplinary actions for noncompliance with gender-responsive policies
and practices.
• Adopt ethical behavioral codes.
Indicators of implementation
The following indicators can be used tomeasure support for equal opportunities andnon-discrimination at the workplace.
ü Equal distribution of women and men interms of recruitment, promotion and professional education.
ü The ratio of female job applicants called
for interview.
ü The ratio of female managers among interviewers.
ü A comparison of the length of time thatwomen and men spend in the same post.
ü A comparison of women and men’s distributions across and within occupations.
ü Does equal pay for equal work applies.
ü A comparison between the amount ofmaternity and paternity leave allocated to
women and men.
ü The number of employees returning towork after a maternal or paternal leaveand the women-men ratio.
ü The amount and the content of measurestaken to support and ensure equal rights
at the workplace and express appreciation
to employees for their contribution to thisprocess.

19

Principle 3.
Ensure the health, safety, and well-being of all women and men
workers

Principle 4.
Promote Education, Training and Professional Development for
Women

Work should take place in a safe and healthy environment, and working conditions should beconsistent with the well-being and human dignity of workers and should offer real possibilities for
personal achievement, self-fulfillment, and service to society. It is the employer’s obligation to createa healthy and safe working environment that is free of violence. For women and men to fully benefit
from these rights, different needs and demands must be considered. Gender inequality means thatwomen face violence to a larger extent and therefore, distinct strategies that address the specificneeds of women in terms of working conditions must be designed.

The provision of education, training and professional development opportunities are critical forthe personal development of employees as well as for empowering the company. However, someinequalities may occur between women and men in terms of accessing and benefiting from theseresources. Therefore, measures must be taken within the provision of training and professional
development opportunities in order to guarantee access for women.

Areas of implementation

The company should analyze the number of women and men on the company’s board of directors
and in senior management and develop policies that foster the quantity and quality of women’s
participation in these areas. In order to achieve this objective, it is crucial to support the professional
development and career advancement of women.

In order to ensure the well-being of all employees, the company should analyze and address suchneeds through three main directions: ensure a safe environment at the workplace, ensure an
environment that is free of violence and harassment, and provide health services by also taking into
consideration the specific needs of women.
Violence and harassment at
the workplace

Work safety

Health services must take into
account the specific needs ofall employees
Develop “zero tolerance” Analyze whether the specific Analyze whether the different
policiesand measures needs of women are taken into needs of female and maleto identify violence and consideration when developing employees are taken into
harassment at the workplace. work safety and environment account when developing
policies.
health services.
Take precautions to avoid Take the specific needs of Implement a needs assessment
recurring negative behavioral women into account when of female and male employees
patterns.
addressing the issue of work on health and safety issues andsafety and the associated analyze the results in a genderproblems.
segregated manner.
Developproblemsolvingmechanisms
toaddress
challenges within the process.
Indicators of implementation
The health, safety and well-being of employees at the workplace can be measured by the following
indicators.
ü Whether the health and safety policy that is in place takes into consideration the specific needsof women and men.
ü Prevention and response policies regarding violence and harassment at the workplace,including the internal complaints mechanism.
ü Whether awareness raising training, workshops and material on sexual abuse and violence at
the workplace are available.
ü The number of sexual abuse and discrimination complaints and the measures taken in
response.
ü The number of employees benefiting from the company’s health and safety services and the
distribution of women and men within the company.

20

Areas of implementation

Support women’s career advancement
Develop strategies that prepare women forleadership roles.

Ensure that the talents of every employee are
identified and evaluated accordingly.

Support women in accessing training andprofessional development opportunities
Assess the level of access to training andprofessional development opportunities foreach gender in terms of job categories andtitles.
Assess the level of training and awarenessraising opportunities on gender equality andwomen’s empowerment and its role specificto the company’s industry sector.

Indicators of implementation
The level of support for the education and professional development of women within the company
can be measured by the following indicators.
ü The duration of part-time and full-time training that is available to women and men eachyear.
ü The ratio of female employees that participate in training.
ü The number of women who are promoted.
ü The number of women who reject senior management positions and the reasons behind
their rejection.
ü The amount of mentorship, coaching and networking opportunities that the company provides and their impact.
ü The percentage of employees, both female and male, who regularly receive performanceand career assessments.

Principle 5.
Implement enterprise development, supply chain and marketing
practices that empower women
Companies committed to gender equality and women’s empowerment should not only implement
WEPs internally but also through their external relations, which can have an impact on the marketplace21

in which the company operates. To support women’s economic empowerment, companies candevelop strategies involving their stakeholders, suppliers, and vendors by taking initiatives to involve
female entrepreneurs, female managers, or women’s cooperatives in the supply chain. Such efforts
to sustain gender equality would multiply the effects through the supply chain whilst promoting
gender equality and women’s full economic empowerment more broadly.
Areas of implementation
Inside the company
Promote gender equality and women’s
empowerment through marketing andadvertisement activities.
Provide brands and products that strengthen
women and respond to the specific needs ofwomen.
Design gender-responsive purchasing policies
and practices.

Outside the company
Analyze the policies of potential suppliersand vendors in terms of gender equality andwomen’s empowerment.
Encourage suppliers and vendors to adopt
gender-responsive policies and practices.
Increase the number of supplier and vendor
companies run by female entrepreneurs.
Support solidarity networks between female
entrepreneurs.

Indicators of implementation
Support for gender equality and women’s empowerment within the supply chain and marketing canbe measured by the following indicators.
ü Existence of gender-responsive marketing policies and mechanisms to eliminate discriminationin marketing and advertisement activities.
ü The number of complaints about gender discrimination included in marketing and advertising
activities.
ü The existence of strategic approaches aimed at creating brands/products that empower women.
ü The use of gender-responsive purchasing policies and processes within the company.
ü The amount of female owned and male owned businesses in the supply and vendor chains.
ü The number of suppliers and vendors that apply gender equality policies.
ü The number of gender equality training/awareness-raising programmes for suppliers andvendors.
ü Indicators in supplier and vendor companies related to the gender balance within the company,
the working condition of women, health and safety measures provided for all employees, andspecial measures taken for women.

Principle 6.
Promote Equality through Community Initiatives and Advocacy
A company’s commitment to gender equality can impact not only the company but also the wider
community. It is critically important that the company shares its experiences, successes, andknowledge with the wider public and that it assumes a leading role in emphasizing the significanceof gender equality. The company can play a crucial role in achieving gender equality and women’s
empowerment through corporate social responsibility projects in various fields, such as health,sport, the arts, culture, and the environment, as well as through other initiatives such as grant
programmes. Community initiatives not only allow the company to create opportunities topromote its activities for gender equality and the empowerment of women within its network of
corporate representatives and business partners but also within the broader community.

22

Areas of implementation

Indicators of implementation

Community projects and cooperation can besupported in several ways:• Support community NGOs/organisations
that advocate for gender equality anddevelop relationships and partnerships withsuch organisations.
• Support studies aimed at strengthening
positive perceptions of women withinsociety.
• Support the education of women and girls,
especially in male-dominated fields.
• Enable all employees to volunteer andcontribute to social development projects.
• Raise awareness by organizing eventson important international days such as
International Women’s Day (8 March) andthe International Day for the Elimination ofViolence against Women (25 November).
• Make efforts to raise awareness on thegender equality part of all communicationmaterial.
• Promote contributions made by women tosociety and women’s leadership by working
with women on social initiatives.

Company’s support for gender equality andwomen’s empowerment through community
initiatives and advocacy can be measured
through the following indicators:
ü The existence of a company strategy on
engagement in community initiatives andcooperation in support of gender equality.
ü The number and extent of community
programmes that a company runs in
support of gender equality and women’s
empowerment.
ü The extent of a company’s relationshipand cooperation with NGOs that advocate
for gender equality and with educational
institutions, etc.
ü The number of employees involved incommunity work on gender equality.

Principle 7.
Measure and publicly report on progress towards achieving
Gender Equality
Measuring and reporting on progress in the implementation of the Women’s Empowerment
Principles (WEPs) will provide opportunities to popularize effective initiatives. Collecting andanalyzing sex-disaggregated data, setting targets, and tracking progress to reach goals can help
companies identify gaps and positive results that can be scaled up, replicated, and communicated.
Reporting on WEPs is important for accountability and transparency and has a positive effect on theimage of the company. Indeed, communicating about the progress made towards achieving genderequality can positively affect the company’s public image and brand, build trust with stakeholders
and customers, and make a company more attractive as an employer.
Areas of implementation
MeasuringCompare the situation analyses and progress
reports on Women’s Empowerment Principles,
identify progress and challenges and reflect
this assessment in future action plans.
Establish platforms within the company tomonitor and analyze performance and discuss
the outcomes through these platforms.

ReportingShare progress through public reports andreceive and evaluate feedback.
Publish gender equality policies and measures
implemented by the company.
Demonstrate the company’s commitment togender equality by publishing the outcomes,
including the challenges and the successes.

23

Indicators of implementation
Measuring and publicly reporting on progress
towards achieving gender equality can beassessed by the following indicators.
ü Indicators for each WEPs objective of thecompany and the existence of corresponding monitoring and measurement mechanisms.
ü Monitoring and assessment platforms tomeasure progress on the implementation
and achievement of WEPs.
ü Gathering and analyzing gender-disaggregated data.
ü The regular performance of gender impact
assessments.
ü The integration of gender equality dataand statistics into the company’s annual
reports.
ü Publicly available WEPs reports.

5. Strategies for Managing the
Crisis in an Equitable Waywithin the Framework of
Women’s Empowerment
Principles
5.1 Promoting work-life balanceand providing support for care
responsibilities
Based on Women’s Empowerment
Principle 2:Treat all Women and Men Fairly at Work
without Discrimination
Work-life balance means enjoying work whilebalancing it with quality time with family andfriends, time for adequate sleep, exercise andnutrition, and time to do things that promoteoverall well-being. In order to promote work-lifebalance and provide access to the workplace,especially for those with caring responsibilities,
flexible working can be an important measure.
Moreover, in order to support the care
responsibilities of employees, it is crucial
to create workplace policies and culture
encouraging support care responsibilities,
including availability and promotion of parental

24

leave for both women and men, providing
childcare support options, also supporting
women in transition to work after maternity
leave.
5.1.1 Flexible Working Arrangements
Flexible working arrangements typically referto flexibility on how much, when, and where
employees can work18 and are viewed as a way
to reduce tensions between the demandsof work and private life. Historically, flexible
working arrangements were introduced
to facilitate women’s greater participationin the labour market and are still closely
associated with the need for more time forhousehold work and family responsibilities,
which disproportionally burdens women.
It is ultimately about integrating effective
ways of working which leverage employees’
physiological and psychological energy todeliver sustainable performance and quality
work output while also supporting the balanceof private and personal life. Thus, the flexible
working arrangement is seen as a tool forcompanies to boost productivity and attract
and retain employees, presenting a win-win
situation for both employees and employers.
The Gender Equality Index shows that flexible
working arrangements can increase genderequal opportunities.19 Indeed, the Index showsa significant correlation to the availabilityof flexible working schedules in European
Union States. EU States with a higher shareof employees with access to considerable
flexibility in setting their own working hours
displayed higher Gender Equality Index scores.
Across the domains, the strongest linkage
between the Gender Equality Index and theavailability of flexible working arrangements
for women is noted in the domain of time,
followed by the domain of money and thedomain of knowledge. This highlights theimportance of flexible working arrangements
on how women and men allocate their time forhome and paid work activities, as well as fortheir education and training opportunities.

Eurofound, 2017; Laundon & Williams, 2018.
https://eige.europa.eu/publications/gender-equality-index-2019-report/flexible-working-arrangements

In response to Covid-19 pandemic several companies established dedicated “crisis teams” analyzing
the needs of the employees during the pandemic and supporting the company in designing thenecessary measures. Because of the pandemic related restrictions, many companies transitioned
to the flexible working arrangements, including remote working. At the same time, schools’ andkindergartens’ closure greatly increased the care burden for families, especially for women, as womencarry out the majority of unpaid care work, including childcare, dependent adult care, and housework.
Indeed, the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the private sector in Türkiye showed that
remote working increased significantly, and even after lifting the restrictions related to the Covid-19
pandemic, remote work arrangements continued as they became more normalized. However, focus
group discussions revealed that despite the possibility of remote working and several advantages
resulting from it, time-based flexibility worsened as employees reported increased overtime workand decreased control over contracted hours and workload. Also, focus group discussions revealed
that remote working decreased employees’ feelings of relatedness, i.e., social interactions withcolleagues and a sense of belonging at work. Therefore, flexible and remote working arrangements
appear as a double-edged sword, as it can give employees with caring responsibilities more control
over how they work, on one hand, but on the other hand, it can also disproportionally increase
overtime, as well as a feeling of professional seclusion.
 Guidelines for successful implementation of flexible working arrangements (FWAs)
Making workplaces more flexible and responsive to the needs of employees is one of the elementsthat ensure gender equality. Flexible working drives employee engagement and productivity as well
as boosting employee well-being and happiness. However, gender outcomes of flexible working
arrangements depend on its implementation mechanisms. The implementation of flexible working
can lead to poorer gender equality outcomes in companies with weaker flexible working norms.
Flexible working norms include:• Flexibility stigma, where people who work flexibly are seen as less committed;• Ideal worker norms, where excessive hours and constant availability are common anddisproportionately rewarded.
Actions should be taken:20
ü By companies - flexible working arrangements should not rely solely on the discretion ofindividual managers. Thus, companies should formalize standards and processes, and monitor
their implementation. Also, companies should promote, by concrete actions, the integration of
FWAs into workplace culture.
ü By senior executives and management – being role models and supporting new ways of working,adapting leadership style, addressing existing concerns to find sustainable solutions that would
be equally profitable for the employees and the company.
ü By the employees – being transparent about the needs and working jointly with managers andcolleagues to find the best solutions for optimal job outcomes.

18
19

20

Some of the recommended actions are adapted from the Enabling Environment Guidelines developed for the United Nations System (2019).

25

For detailed actions, see the table below:

Different types of arrangement can be considered:

Actions to be taken by the
Actions to be taken by senior
Actions to be taken bycompany
executive staff and managers
employees
Promote the integration of Use FWAs when appropriate Be reachable and responsive
FWAs within workplace culture by modeling good practices when working remotely.
bysupporting
managers and adapting to the company’sand employees in gaining working environment.
confidence with a new way ofwork.
Speak positively about FWAs Discuss the possibilities of Provide
clear
contact
not only as a way to balance using FWAs within the team in information for colleagues andwork and life, but as a way to order to reach arrangements managers.
be more effective and deliver that work for the whole team.
better results.
Disseminate good practices Recognize good performance Provide clear information on
widely to help guide others and and productivity, not time work plans and availability.
showcase benefits.
spent in the office.
communication
Encourage senior managers Provide clear guidance on the Strengthen
to vocalize support to FWAs rules and expectations of FWAs and connection by updatingon
at all stages of planning and usage, as well as feedback on managers/colleagues
progress and results achieved,
their effectiveness.
implementation.
as needed.
Indicate in the vacancy Prevent overconnectivity by Use communication channels inannouncement,tothe limiting calls after working a way that respects coworkers’
extentpossible,required hours to emergency situations flexible working arrangements.
office presence time and/or only.
possibility for FWAs.
Develop FWAs policy template Allow time flexibility to staff by
and sample request form for also taking into consideration
employees and managers.
the needs of the company.
Stipulate into the company’s Make arrangements to makepolicy that the response to FWAs applicable (e.g. core
the request of FWAs should, working hours are establishedas default be positive, taking and no meetings can be held
into
consideration
job outside of core working time).
requirements.

Type
Description
Flexible working hours
Employee may vary starting and finishing times.
Compressed
working Employee may work the same number of weekly (or monthly) workweeks
ing hours, compressed into a shorter period.
For example, a forty-hour week may be worked at the rate of ten hours
per day for four days instead of eight hours a day for five days.
Distance working
Employee may work at a location other than the official place of work.
Part-time work
A regular work pattern where an employee works less than full-timeand is paid on a pro-rata basis for that work.
Job sharing
A full-time job role is divided into multiple job roles to be undertaken
by two or more employees who are paid on a pro-rata basis for thepart otf the job each completes.
Purchased leave
A period of leave without pay, usually available after annual leave allocation is finished. Employers typically deduct the amount of unpaid
leave from the worker’s salary either as a lump sum or averaged over
the year.
Unplanned leave
Informal access to leave for unanticipated or unplanned events.
Flexible careers
Employee is able to enter, exit and re-enter employment with the same
company, or to increase or decrease the workload or career pace tosuit different life stages. This may be particularly relevant for employees transitioning to retirement or for the employees who would liketo take a “gap year” in their careers and return to work for the same
employer afterwards.

 Working designs for flexible working arrangements
There are several work designs factors that are important for work to lead to success in terms of
employee wellbeing and performance.
• Employee autonomy - having control over flexible working pattern;• Reward - feeling valued at work;• Relatedness - feeling connected to colleagues and a sense of belonging in the organization.
These work design factors are positively correlated with employee motivation, performance andwellbeing would make the experience of flexible working more positive in terms of reduced work-life
conflict, and that they would predict sustained uptake of flexible working.

26

In order to successfully establish and implement FWAs, it is essential to adopt function-based
approach, i.e., core principles should be designed based on the specificities of each function, which
can be further adapted to different needs of employees.
Example: Adapting FWAs to manufacturing employees: It is challenging to implement FWAs to
manufacturing employees who work in continuous shifts. Women working in shifts may havemore difficulties than men due to their traditional care responsibilities. The following flexible
working adaptions can be considered for shift work:o Possibility to change the shift start times based on the needs of women.
o Establishing shift swapping procedure with clear instructions. Shift swaps can be used by
employees when they have medical appointments, family care related responsibilities, etc.
o Compressed working weeks may also be adopted to manufacturing where appropriate.
o For the positions requiring full time presence, job sharing option can be proposed: one person
might work from Monday to Wednesday and the other from Wednesday to Friday, with a handoff
on the overlapping days.
Flexible Work Policy Template developed by WEPs platform and available at the following link canbe used by the companies.
https://www.weps.org/resource/flexible-work-policy-template
It can also be customized based on the requirements of the company.

27

Check and monitor regularly:
At least one capacity building opportunity is provided during last 24 months to at least 80% of the
managers and HR department’s staff on the importance, the benefits and practical implementationof FWAs.
At least one awareness raising campaign is implemented within the company during last 24 months
about the importance and the benefits of FWAs (including the dissemination of good practices),and the promotion of the working culture avoiding overconnectivity.
Company’s internal policy on FWAs is adopted, including request forms developed for employees
and managers, taking into consideration job requirements.
Tracking, monitoring and reporting mechanism to gather information annually about FWAs is inplace, with disaggregation by sex, age, locality, type of FWA, contract type, grade, and national/
international staff, including request monitoring and the obligation to develop annual reports on
FWA usage. (Reports should also include the feedback on the effectiveness of FWAs).
Each entity/division within the company has issued internal communication to inform theemployees about the possibility of FWAs.
At least one meeting per year is organized within each entity/division of the company to discuss
options of using FWAs within the team.
Infrastructure and logistics are in place to allow the effective distance working, such as computers,internet connection, safe network connectivity, etc.
Performance assessments have integrated FWAs related considerations, such as valuing
productivity and results, rather than time spent in the office.
5.1.2 Family friendly workplace policies and culture supporting care responsibilities
In addition to workplace flexibility, family-friendly policies enable employees to effectively balance
personal, family and professional commitments. Family-friendly policies should include not only
childcare, but a broader care issue such as elder or dependent care. Moreover, the supportive natureof these policies should not come at the expense of personnel who do not have children, elder or
dependent care issues. Such policies have been shown to be strong drivers of employee engagement
and often constitute a make-or-break point in terms of retention and career progression for staff,
among them inclusive parental leave, childcare support options, and support in transition to work
after parental leave are particularly important.

28

Nevertheless, the experience shows that
simply having an inclusive parental leave policy
is not enough. Steps will need to be taken toencourage parents to take the time available tothem and to use this time with their children.
Leaders and managers can act as role models
to encourage working parents, both mothers
and fathers, to spend their parental leave
with their children. Male leaders, by giving
examples, can change the cultural perception
regarding paternity leave. HR managers can
support creating the working environment
encouraging parental leave by using various
communication chains to portray men as active
fathers and equal partners, incentivizing themto use available parental leave.
While adopting policies and establishingpractices supporting employees as parents andcaregivers, it is crucial to re-organize the workin order not to disadvantage other employees.
Lack of replacement may cause resentment
among colleagues who are asked to absorb
the workload of the staff on leave. Therefore,
allocated resources for temporary replacement
and handover guidance should be in place.

Actions to be taken:
ü Develop and adopt an inclusive leave
policy in which leave allowances cannot
be transferrable between parents and will
not be reimbursed for monetary value if
unused, by also applying it to adoption,
foster care or elderly care.
ü Avoid any minimum service requirement tobe eligible for inclusive parental leave.
ü Dedicate the budgetary sources to provide
adequate resources for hiring replacement
personnel for backstopping parental leaves
and other extended staff leave periods.
ü Establish the handover procedures toprovide the necessary guidance for a
temporary replacement.
ü Establish/adapt internal procedures inorder to include employees on the parental
leave from performance evaluation, as well
as for the consideration of salary increase.
ü Ensure senior management express
clear support to inclusive parental leave
policy and acts as role models by taking/encouraging full parental leave.
ü Design and disseminate communicationmaterials portraying men as active fathersand equal partners incentivizing them touse available parental leave.

Check and monitor regularly:
The company has formulated an internal inclusive leave policy designed to support employees
as parents and caregivers, including non-transferrable leave allowance also applying to adoption,
foster care and elderly care, avoiding minimum service requirement to be eligible for parental
and care leave.

 Inclusive parental leave

The Company gathers and analyzes yearly gender-disaggregated data regarding the use ofparental and care leave in the company.

Inclusive parental leave, encompassing all parents - mothers and fathers, biological, adoptive, andfoster parents - is a key component of creating a more enabling environment. Establishing inclusive
parental leave policy is a key measure to accelerate progress in gender parity. Indeed, encouraging
fathers to share the responsibilities of parenthood in a more consistent way helps mitigate the“motherhood penalty”, where women’s career advancement is diminished by having children.

The company established a reserve fund for temporary hiring to replace the staff on extended
leave, if needed.

The purpose of parental leave is not solely to recover from the process of gestation and delivery. It
is a critical time for parents to bond with and nurture their child and adjust to their new roles andresponsibilities. Sufficient time for bonding is particularly important for adoptive and foster parents
as it may take longer. This includes not just newborn adoptees but also children adopted or fosteredat an older age who may need additional time to acclimate. It is crucial to offer a fully paid parental
leave.

The Company has implemented at least one awareness raising campaign during last 24 months
encouraging all parents and caregivers, women and men, to take the leave time they are entitledto.

The company adopted the policy providing the necessary guidance for a temporary
replacement.

The majority of eligible senior leaders take maternity/paternity/care leave and show their support for the involvement of men in caring for their children.

29 Support employees’ transition to work after parental or other extended leave
Ensuring employees smooth transition back to work following parental or other extended leave is ofmajor importance.
Actions to be taken:
ü Adopt the company’s policy on the transition to work after parental or other extended leave.
(See main components of the policy in the box below)
ü Provide training to the managers on the details of the transition to work after parental or any
other extended leave;ü Designate a Focal Point within the HR department who can help guide staff and managers
through the process. Optionally, a dedicated web page can be created for new parents
which includes information on relevant policies, the contact information on Focal Points,
experiences of other parents, and other relevant information.
Company policy on transition to work after parental or other extended leave(Main components)21
Prior to departure on [parental] leave• At the latest, one month before the start of the [parental] leave, the supervisor and the staff
member should have a meeting to discuss the staff member’s current functions, responsibilities
and ongoing projects and the measures that the supervisor will be putting in place to ensure
the continuity of work during [their] absence. If the staff member’s tasks are to be assigned to
one staff member or divided among several, this should be clearly outlined for the purposes of
ensuring a smooth transition.
• The supervisor is invited to outline in writing the measures that will be put in place during the staff
member’s absence with a clear indication of who will be responsible for what tasks. Any transferof supervisory functions should also be clarified.
• The staff member is invited to provide [their] supervisor with a hand-over note that can be sharedwith the staff who will be assuming [their] functions during [their] absence on [parental] leave.
The staff member is also encouraged to inform [their] regular interlocutors (clients, counterparts,etc.) of the dates of [their] absence and name(s) of colleague(s) who can be contacted in [their]absence to ensure continuity of service.
• The supervisor and the staff member are invited to discuss the possibility of keeping the staff
member in copy in important email exchanges relating to [their] current functions, responsibilities
and ongoing projects during the [parental] leave.
• The supervisor is invited to inform all relevant staff in the office of the measures put in place,including any modification of reporting lines and relevant dates.
• Moreover, the company develops a practical parental guide for parents/caregivers providing useful
information about parenting, as well as about the rights of parents as employees, and awarenessraising / training on equal parenting.
Upon return from [parental] leave• The supervisor is responsible for facilitating the full reintegration of the staff member into theworkplace upon their return.
• Relevant staff in the office should be informed in advance of the staff member’s return and thesupervisor should make all necessary arrangements to facilitate the resumption of the staff
member’s regular functions.
• The supervisor is invited to involve other team members in facilitating the staff member’s returnfrom [parental] leave.
• Immediately after the staff member’s return, the supervisor is invited to meet with the staff
21

30

member and inform [the staff member] of any changes to the structure of the office, businessprocesses, reporting lines or in [their] functions and responsibilities.
• Subject to the exigencies of service, the supervisor is invited to discuss the possibility of flexible
working arrangements with the staff member and to support any such request.
• Should the staff member wish to breastfeed, the supervisor should support [their] request to
identify a daily time for the purpose of breastfeeding or expressing milk. The timing of the daily
absences is set by the needs of the staff member in consultation with the supervisor to achieve
the optimal balance with the needs of the service.
• Supervisors shall ensure that the staff member maintains as much as possible of [their] previous
portfolio to facilitate the smooth transition back to work.
Check and monitor regularly:
Has the company adopted the policy on transition to work after parental or other extended leave?
Are the managers of the company trained/informed on company’s policy on transition to work
after parental or other extended leave?
Is there a designated Focal Point within the HR department (i) guiding staff and managers throughthe process of transition after parental or other extended leave? (i) monitoring the process on aregular basis?
Are the needs of training or re-training assessed by regular consultations with the employees
returning from parental or other extended leave?
Does the company provide support on training for re-employment after parental or other extended
leave, if needed?
 Provide support for childcare
Combining work and parenthood is challenging for all families and the availability of affordable,
quality childcare services is a concern for many working parents. Reducing the financial burden ofchildcare can decrease stress, increase job satisfaction and retain staff with children.
Workplace support for childcare can assist employees, both women and men, with their childcare
needs. It can be:• Direct subsidies for parents.
• Support in reserving or covering the cost of spaces at local community childcare centers.
• Negotiating discounts for their workers with local providers.
• Development of a childcare facility in the premises of an actual workplace if the company has alarge concentration of on-site workers.
• Development of an off-site facilities nearby the workplace.
Facility development can be sponsored by more than one employer, allowing several employers toshare costs and achieve economies of scale, given that a lot of worker demand is needed to justify acompany childcare center.
Check and monitor regularly:
Has the company assessed the needs of employees on childcare support?
Has company’s management discussed the best ways of addressing needs of employees onchildcare support and evaluated its impact on the company?
Has the company established a reserve fund for providing support for childcare?

Bases on UNOG’s Policy: (Parental) leave: ensuring business continuity and reintegration (of parents) into the workplace.

315.1.3 Promoting work-life balance andsupporting care responsibilities: benefits andgood practices
For the successful implementation of FWAs,
as well as of corporate support mechanisms
for care responsibilities, benefits and goodpractices should be communicated to the
management and executive staff and widely
disseminated within the company.
 Benefits of flexible working arrangements
Reduced absenteeism and increased wellbeing
FWAs reduce unscheduled absences by
providing the necessary time-off for staff
to care for themselves and their families. In
terms of psychological and physical well-being,
reported benefits include reduced stress,a greater sense of control, a pleasant work
environment and the ability to better integratea healthy lifestyle into daily routine.
Attraction and retention of an engaged anddiverse workforce
FWAs can increase recruitment and retention,
including among personnel with disabilities,
personnel with dependents with disabilities
and personnel who are unable to commute tothe office.
Business continuity
FWAs can support business continuity byallowing personnel to work remotely in certain
situations that might otherwise preclude
them from coming into work (e.g. pandemics,
transport strikes, extreme weather conditions,
unforeseeable events).
Increased productivity from a results-driven
approach based on trust, empowerment andaccountability
FWAs promote results-driven management inlieu of micro-management. Attitude, dedication
and work ethic drive responsibility andproductivity, regardless of physical location.
Decreased operating costs
By increasing employee productivity, reducing
facility costs, lowering absenteeism andreducing turnover, organizations can saveon multiple fronts. An analysis of over 250

32

case studies found that companies reduce
operating costs by more than USD 10,000 per
year for every person who telecommutes halftime.22
 Good practices
arrangementsofflexibleworking

Championing FWA usage
In 2018 the United Nations Office of Geneva(UNOG) released the video “Flexible Working
Arrangements/Réaménagement des modalitésde travail” to showcase the different FWAs
being used by employees.23
Use of internal platforms for requesting andtracking FWA usage
The International Maritime Organization (IMO)
has introduced a FWA policy that incorporates
a SharePoint form and workflow for the review,
approval and recording of FWA requests. The
form is accessible on the IMO intranet page.
After-hours communication delays or bans
A 2014 study by the University of British
Columbia found that checking emails lessfrequently significantly lowered daily stresscompared to times of unrestricted use.
Following this finding, German automaker
Daimler implemented a “mail on holiday”
policy, which deletes emails sent to employees
on vacation, notifying the sender that theycan email an alternate colleague if it is an
emergency or resend the email once theemployee has returned to work.
In France, a law adopted in 2017 requirecompanies with more than 50 employees toestablish hours when staff should not send or
answer emails. Notably, this law was promptedby a study linking the excessive technology use
to health problems, including sleeplessness.
Job-sharing programme
The International Fund for Agriculture
Development (IFAD) developed a job-sharing
programme in which two staff members at thesame grade level who hold the same type ofcontract may perform the same functions of aposition on a 50:50 basis.
22
23

Catalyst (2013). Flex Works. July.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhTnwjdNCDU

 Benefits of family-friendly policies
Costs of employee turnover are significant fororganizations, including replacement costs(hiring and training), as well as lost productivity
costs. Strong family-friendly policies are central
to an organizations’ competitiveness as an
employer and its ability to function efficiently.
Organizations that provide staff with sufficient
support to balance their professional andpersonal lives are more likely to attract a wider
range of quality candidates and have staff withhigher levels of organizational commitment, job
satisfaction and, on average, more productive
and present work practices. Google found thatwhen it increased maternity leave by 33%,
the rate at which mothers quit was reduced
by 50%.24
There are several benefits linked to theconcrete measures of family friendly policies.
For example, employer supported childcare
reduces absenteeism and improves therecruitment of employees. Workplace childcare
programs are associated with improved job
satisfaction and productivity, along with lessintention to quit25. Parents who have used
an on-site child care service have reported
that they appreciate commuting with theirchildren, as well as the relief of knowing theirchildren are close by. Another example is agender-neutral inclusive parental leave, which
breaks the social norm of the mother as thedefault primary caregiver. Gender-neutral
inclusive parental leave describes common
foundations in terms of primary caregivers
and non-primary caregivers’ status regardlessof gender and taking into account various
family structures including biological parent,
adoption, surrogacy, legal guardian etc. It has
been shown that fathers who take paternity
leave are more likely to be involved in childcarerelated activities than fathers who do not do
so. Evidence also suggests that children whose
fathers are more involved perform better during
Rodionova, Z. (2016). Google’s Paid Maternity Leave Halved
the Number of New Mothers Quitting, Says YouTube CEO.
Independent. 29 January. Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/google-s-paid- maternity-leavehalved-the-number-of-new-mothers-quitting-youtube-ceosays-a6841326.html.
25Child-Care Service Delivery Effect on Business Performance
Female Nursery School Operators Meeting the Challenge in
Nigeria, Maduenyoghasi, Oluchukwu Samson, Ezirim, Aloy
Chinedu (Ph.D), Wonu, Nduka, 201524

their early years than their peers whose fathers
are less involved. Inclusive parental leave also
breaks stereotypes and mitigates potential
managerial concerns of hiring women in theirchildbearing years as all staff in need will haveequal access to extended leave.
 Good practices of family-friendly policies
Maternity protection and paid parental leave

L’Oréal offers a global minimum of 14 weeks
paid maternity leave and six weeks paid
paternity or co-parenting leave, with thisstandard often exceeded depending upon the
country context. This benefit falls under oneof four pillars of the L’Oréal ‘Share and Care’
Social Program, which integrates a suite ofpolicies – including social benefits, flexible
and telework opportunities, and physical andmental health care – to promote a responsible,
global workplace.26
Creating a reserve fund
Replacement funds, also referred to ascorporate replacement funds, could bereserved at a percentage of staff costs. The
World Food Programme (WFP) builds it in as apercentage
of staff costs. The savings made as a result
enables the organization to enhance its
parental leave policy.
Transition guidance
In 2017, The United Nations Office at Geneva(UNOG) released transition/handover guidance
for managers on facilitating the reintegrationof staff following maternity leave. This follows
feedback from staff members that their return
to work has not always been well managed. A
number of measures covering pre- and postparental leave are provided.27
26
L’Oréal, ‘Key Figures: Diversity + Inclusion Driven’, 2020
https:// www.loreal.com/en/commitments-and-responsibilities/for-the-people/ promoting-diversity-and-inclusion/
key-figures/‘L’Oréal Share and Care’ Social Program’ https://www. loreal.
com/en/articles/loreal-share-and-care-social-program/
27
Policy is available on the following link:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5367af22e4b0915380a1eb0a/t/5c81924f4e17b6096710cdaf/1551995473476/Gender-parity-Enabling-environment-guidelines-Supplementary-guidance-en.pdf

33

Workplace childcare facilities
In partnership with the Center for Child Rights
and Corporate Social Responsibility (CCR CSR)
the ICTI Ethical Toy Program (IETP) launched a
programme in 2016 to provide safe spaces infactories for workers’ children to learn and playover the summer. The programme has sincegrown across five provinces in China, providing
childcare support for 1,100 children andsupporting over 1,200 factory workers. IETP
has noted that, following the implementationof these programmes, factories saw a 183%
increase in employee satisfaction, 58% increase
in worker trust in management and 13%
increase in worker retention rate.28

Equal parental leave for primary andsecondary caregivers
Vodafone Group implemented global parental
leave policy across their markets, giving every
parent the opportunity to take 16 weeks offully paid leave.31

UNESCO’s Day Nursery provides care forchildren between the ages of 12 months and3 years of all personnel, including members ofPermanent Delegations, consultants and otherinternational agencies established in Paris.
Additionally, the Children’s Club provides carefor children between the ages of 3 and 8 oncea week and during the school holidays.

5.2.1 Understand and recognize sexual
harassment and its impact on the workplace

Support to migrant workers in distanceparenting
Center for Child Rights and Corporate Social
Responsibility (CCR CSR) has provided support
to fashion retailer Inditex by equipping migrant
employees with the tools and mechanisms
to confront the challenges of parenting at a
distance, including how to leverage technology
to stay connected to families. Since startingin 2019, the programme has engaged four
factories with approximately 2,000 workers(including 175 parents) across their supply
chain.29
Elderly and family care leave
Schneider Electrics grants for 1 week for care
for an immediate family member that either
needs elder care or care for a serious healthcondition.30
28
IETI, Family-Friendly Spaces Activities (2020). Available at:https://www. ethicaltoyprogram.org/en/our-program/worker-well-being/family-friendly- spaces-2020updates/
29
Inditex, Annual Report (2019). https://static.inditex.com/
annual_ report_2019/pdfs/en/memoria/2019-inditex-anual-report.pdf
30
https://www.se.com/in/en/about-us/press/press-release/2017/schneider-electric-launches-global-family.
jsp#:~:text=The%20policy%20places%20Schneider%20as,bereavement%20leave%20in%20all%20countries.&text=The%20
policy%20demonstrates%20a%20commitment,greater%20

34

5.2 Prevention and elimination ofsexual harassment at the workplace
Based on Women’s Empowerment
Principle 3:
Ensure the health, safety and well-beingof all women and men workers.

Sexual harassment includes such unwelcome
sexually determined behaviour as physicalcontact and advances, sexually colored remarks,
showing pornography and sexual demand,
whether by words or actions. Such conduct
can be humiliating and may constitute a healthand safety problem; it is discriminatory when
the woman has reasonable grounds to believethat her objection would disadvantage her inconnection with her employment, including
recruitment or promotion, or when it creates ahostile working environment.32
Sexual harassment is any form of unwanted
verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct ofa sexual nature with the purpose or effectof violating the dignity of a person, inparticular when creating an intimidating,hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive
environment.33
Also qualifies as sexual harassment: (i) quid proquo behaviours occur when benefits, such as
employment, promotion, salary increases, shift
or additional work, performance expectations
and other employment conditions, are madedependent on the provision of sexual favours,by an employer, supervisor or representativeof the employer who has the authority tomake decisions about employment. (ii) Hostileworking environment where the beahviour
creates intimidating or humiliating conditions
engagement%2C%20performance%20and%20innovation.
31
https://investors.vodafone.com/sites/vodafone-ir/files/2021-05/vodafone-annual-report-2021.pdf
32
CEDAW General Recommendation No. 19.
33
Article 40 of the Istanbul Convention

for the person exposed victim.34
Sexual harassment also includes online forms,
which can take place independently, or canalso be an extension or a precursor of otherforms of gender-based violence. By blurring
professional and personal lives and merging
workplaces with the home, remote work
may exacerbate online harassment evenfurther. Due in part to the growth of remote
employment that followed the COVID-19
pandemic, online workplace harassment has
become more common.
In summary, common elements in thedefinitions of sexual harassment at theworkplace are as follows:• It occurs in a place of work or a work-related
environment, also beyond working hours
and in places, which are not specificallylinked to business operation.
• It relates to behaviour of a sexual nature.
• It is unwelcome, unwanted, uninvited,
unreturned and is not mutual.
• It makes the victim feel humiliated,
intimidated and offended.
• It affects the work environment itself(creating a hostile work environment) andthe terms and conditions of employment(quid pro quo, sexual harassment).
Sexual harassment at the workplace can takeseveral forms:• explicitly sexual verbal or nonverbal
behaviour;• insulting verbal or nonverbal behaviour thatis not sexual but draws on gender-based
beliefs, including sexist hostility;• unwanted sexual attention;• sexual coercion (threats and requests forsexual cooperation in return for job security
or benefits).
The following list is not exhaustive but
helps to identify what can constitute sexual
harassment:• demanding hugs;• invading personal space;• unnecessary physical contact, including
unwanted touching, etc.;• derogatory language and/or comments
directed towards women or men,depending on the circumstances;
34

ILO, Sexual Harassment at Work, Fact Sheet.

• sexually specific derogatory names;• leering or inappropriate staring;• gender related comment about a person’s
physical characteristics or mannerisms;• comments or conduct relating to a person’s
perceived non-conformity with a sexual role
stereotype;• displaying or circulating pornography, sexual
pictures or cartoons, sexually explicit graffiti
or other sexual images (including online);• sexual jokes, including circulating written
sexual jokes (e.g., by e-mail);• rough and vulgar humour or language
related to gender;• sexual or gender related comments or
conduct used to bully a person;• spreading sexual rumours (including online);• suggestive or offensive remarks or innuendo
about members of a specific gender;• propositions of physical intimacy;• gender related verbal abuse, threats or
taunting;• bragging about sexual prowess;• demanding dates or sexual favours;• questions or discussions about sexual
activities;• requiring an employee to dress in a sexualized
or gender-specific way;
• paternalistic behaviour based on gender,
which the recipient feels undermines his or
her status or position of responsibility;• threats to penalize or otherwise punish aperson who refuses to comply with sexual
advances (known as reprisal).
• Sexual harassment can take place throughonline and digital means. Can be defined as
online harassment, including social media:• non-consensual sharing of nude or sexual
images (photos or videos) including acts ofimage-based sexual abuse (also known as“revenge pornography”);• non-consensual taking, producing or
procuring of intimate images or videos
including acts of “upskirting” and taking“creepshots” as well as producing digitally
altered imagery in which a person’s faceor body is superimposed or “stitched into”
a pornographic photo or video, known as“fake pornography” (such as “deepfakes”,
when synthetic images are created using
artificial intelligence);• exploitation, coercion and threats including
forms of violence such as forced sexting,35

sexual extortion, rape threats, sexualised/gendered doxing, impersonation and outing;• sexualised bullying constituting behaviours
such as circulating gossip or rumours abouta victim’s alleged sexual behaviour, posting
sexualised comments under the victim’s
posts or photos, impersonating a victim andsharing sexual content or sexually harassing
others, thus impacting their reputation and/or livelihood, or “outing” someone without
their consent with the purpose of scaring,
threatening and body shaming;• cyberflashing consisting in sending
unsolicited sexual images via dating or
messaging applications, texts, or using
Airdrop or Bluetooth technologies; persistent
requests and messages from different fakesocial media accounts.

Therefore, considering the new work
arrangements, employers should be aware of
the potential for increased sexual harassment,
and the new ways in which it might appear, andthe policy should be designed accordingly.38

5.2.2 Why is preventing and eliminating sexual harassment relevant to companies?
Sexual harassment is a form of sex-based discrimination disproportionally affecting women. It can
result in employees feeling unwelcome, uncomfortable, threatened at work or at worse forced toleave their job. Being subjected to sexual harassment can be extremely distressing for the victim andhave negative consequences for the victim’s professional as well as private life.
Sexual harassment creates a hostile work environment for individuals and groups of employees
who are the targets of such harassment and often for those who choose to report sexual harassment.
Workplaces where sexist jokes and comments create and perpetuate a sexist organisational climate(sexist hostility) are not always viewed as sites of sexual violence. However, frequent but less intense
workplace experiences such as sexist jokes and remarks or ignoring women during meetings canhave an equally negative effect on occupational well-being as less frequent yet more intense formsof mistreatment at work such as sexual coercion or physical forms of sexual harassment. Over time,the impact of less intense experiences can have similar effects on individual employees as more
serious but less frequent forms of sexual harassment.
Women who experience sexually harassing behaviour often do not label or name their experiences
as sexual harassment per se and are often less able to recognize the broad spectrum of behaviour
that constitutes sexual harassment, such as offensive jokes and unwelcome sexual advances.

Research shows that gender-based violence
increases during crisis, including pandemics.35
As many workers shift to working from home,the boundary between work and personal
lives may become blurred. Moreover, working
in isolation increases a worker’s vulnerability
to sexual harassment and can decrease thechances of reporting. In many companies,
people feel more vulnerable during the
pandemic, and that might make them less likely
to raise a concern or risk, or put themselves
through a complaint process.

For the companies, it is crucial to prevent and adequately react to sexual harassment, including
online harassment. Harassers generally will not stop on their own. Ignoring such behaviour on thepart of the employer may even be seen as a form of agreement or encouragement. If not dealt
with, sexual harassment can diminish the quality of victim’s performance, create a bad working
environment for women and men and impair gender equality as well as cause reputational damage
to the company. Therefore, companies should take measures to make it clear that sexual harassment
will not be tolerated and that victims will be supported.
5.2.3 Addressing sexual harassment at the workplace
Sexual harassment should be seen as an issue that needs to be addressed by the organization explicitly- through policy, and implicitly - through organizational culture. The intervention should take placeat minimum three different levels39 and should cover both – offline and online harassment.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, online sexual
harassment has become more prevalent.36
Some surveys showed that 15% of women who
have experienced sexual harassment reported
an increase in on-line harassment whileworking from home,37 highlighting examples
of online harassment including male managers
telling women to attend video calls wearing
more make-up and sexier clothing.

Primary level
Effective policies, including
education about sexual
harassment and policy torespond to it at the workplace.
Primary interventions forprevention refer to activities
that take place before sexual
harassment occurs.

Secondary level
Effective complaints procedures
and employee support.

Tertiary level
Rehabilitation and follow-up
stage.

Secondary interventions are
immediate responses after anincident of sexual harassment has
occurred.

Tertiary level refers to long-term
recovery responses.

The intervention takes place through three functional dimensions:
35
Ending Violence, Association of BC, Preventing and Responding to Workplace Sexual Harassment During COVID-19:
https://endingviolence.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/
EVA-BC_Preventing-and-Responding-to-Workplace-Sexual-Harassment-During-COVID-CLR.pdf
36
UNISON, the Public Service Union, Covid-19 hasn’t killedsexual harassment, it’s just moved online
37
Survey by the Charity Rights of Women: https://www.
unison.org.uk/motions/2021/local-government/covid-19hasn%EF%BF%BDt-killed-sexual-harassment-at-work-%EF%BF%BD-it%EF%BF%BDs-just-moved-online/

36

Message → Management → Monitoring38
As an example see the Policy Template of Gender-Based
Violence and Harassment at Work: https://www.weps.org/
resource/gender-based-violence-and-harassment-work-policy-template

The developed approach is based on the Organizational Intervention Model for workplaces to address sexual harassment. The
model draws from their literature review on sexual harassment at the workplace, Fitzgerald et al. (1997), Hunt et al., (2010).
39

37

Message

Management

Monitoring

Primary

Secondary

Tertiary

A clear statement of intent
in company policy to prevent
sexual harassment.

Establishing an effective
complaints mechanism.

Establish support
options for the victimsof sexual harassment.

Communicate this intent to
the employees.

Communicate thecomplaints mechanism
clearly to employees.

Challenge gendered culture
through training.
Ensure that training on how todeal with sexual harassment isregular and inclusive.

Ensure the timely andtransparent handling ofcomplaints.

Provide longer term
support and assistanceto the victims.

Apply commensurate
sanctions.

Prevent and avoid longer
term victimization of
victims.
Monitor theorganizational culture.

Include conflict managementin the training module.
Assess the specificorganizational risk factors.

Assist management inrecognizing victimization.
(Including training ofmanagers, HR, security
teams, etc.)
Identify and reward
managers who respond
appropriately.

Clearly communicate theexisting support options
available to victims ofsexual harassment.

Stay updated on thedevelopments in antidiscrimination law andpolicy.

These interventions require holistic approaches involving leadership, effective policies,
communication and capacities. The following components are paramount for successful workplaceinterventions aimed at preventing and responding to sexual harassment: (i) leadership commitment,(ii) company policies, (iii) workplace practices and culture.
ü Leadership commitment
Effective workplace measures require a visible and proactive stance against sexual harassment byorganizational leaders. Developing the right messages is critical and should articulate the following:• the organization’s objectives regarding sexual harassment,• the company’s commitment to zero tolerance for sexual harassment,• the rationale and benefits of such an approach.
ü Company policies
The sexual harassment policy is a core component of the explicit organizational environment andsends a clear message about what is expected in the organization. It affects the behaviour of both
men and women.
Sexual harassment policies should focus on the response to sexual harassment and provide information
to employees about what individuals should expect from their employer if they experience sexual
harassment.

38

Content of the sexual harassment policy• A company’s policy on sexual harassment
should include the following core elements:• A statement of intent to enforce thepolicy seriously and promptly, specifying
the penalties for the perpetrators of such
behaviour.
• An unambiguous definition of sexual
harassment, including both – offline andonline sexual harassment.
• Provide examples of sexual harassment that
could be relevant to the particular working
environment.
• A statement that sexual harassment isagainst the law.
• An explanation of the circumstances
through which sexual harassment canoccur, including both – offline and online
sexual harassment.
• The consequences/penalties for breachingpolicy.
• The responsibilities of management andstaff.
• Information on where individuals can get
help, advice or make a complaint.
• A summary of the options available for
dealing with sexual harassment.
• An outline of the grievance mechanisms.
These mechanisms should be perceived
as accessible and give employees
confidence that the potential targets ofharassment have a choice and support. It
is recommended to have both an informal
complaints procedure and a formal
complaints procedure.
• Offer multiple reporting channels such as,
for example, a supervisor, another manager
or a designated complaints officer.
• Outline the process that will take placefollowing the submission of a report on
harassment. This should be a safe andcredible process that follows the principle
of procedural fairness.
• Outline the support and follow-up measuresthat are available after a decision has been
made on a complaint.

Consultation enhances buy-in at all levelsof an organisation. Sexual harassment is
portrayed as a ‘community concern’ rather
than an individual problem resulting in reactive
disciplinary procedures. It can also be an
opportunity to initiate a broader conversation
about gender equality.
Communication, awareness raising andcapacity building on the sexual harassment
Development and implementation of a sexual
harassment policy is necessary but by itself it is
not sufficient to embark on a broader effort toshift norms when it comes to violence against
women at the workplace. Communication,awareness raising and capacity building are
essential for its effective implementation.
Communication is a key step in efforts to achieve
overall change. It is essential to communicate
the launch and the content of the policy clearly
to the employees.
Moreover, it is paramount to provide
the necessary training for the effective
implementation of the policy, including a
discussion about what constitutes sexuallyharassing behaviour, the expected standard of
behaviour and what the organisation will do toprevent and how the organisation will respondto reports of sexual harassment.
Complaints management
Complaints management is the cornerstoneof a sexual harassment policy. Those reporting
sexual harassment face barriers such as theperception of an adversarial and hostile
process, lack of confidentiality, the risks related
to isolation and reprisal and concerns about
the lack of a result once a complaint is made.
Appropriate transparent and fair systems
are essential form of support for policy
implementation. Systems to support the policy
need to take barriers and sensitivities into
account. The policy and process must be clearly
articulating and supporting guidance material
provided so that there is clarity for all staff.

Policy Development
Developing workplace policies in consultation
with employees is one opportunity fororganisations to build workforce engagement
within the policy. Consultative processes
are considered to result in better policies.

39

Informal complaint
Informal complaint procedures emphasize
resolution rather than sanctions.
This method of resolution might be moresuitable for less serious complaints and where
the parties are likely to continue to come into
contact with one another at work.
Resolution can include a supervisor or anotherperson of authority who can convey privatelythat sexual harassment is unacceptable andmust stop.

Formal complaint
Undertaking a formal investigation may
be more appropriate if the allegations areserious, the power imbalance is great, there isfear of retaliation and/or informal procedures
have not worked.
A formal complaint should include thefollowing:• an investigation into the allegations,• a report with a recommended courseof action for a decision maker,• implementation of the outcome.

Procedural fairness is a key component of an effective system and it includes the following elements:• Multiple reporting channels involving, for example, a supervisor, another manager or a designatedcomplaints officer.
• Flexibility in terms of the formality of the procedure, namely an informal complaints procedure
or a formal complaint’s procedure.
• Investigations are to be conducted in a timely manner.
• The option to access mediation.
• The process must be safe and take into account the fear of potential retaliation, given that
retaliation is a factor that is regularly and reasonably feared. There is a correlation between
greater fear of reporting harassment and a higher prevalence of harassment. Often, people whoreport sexual harassment are perceived as ‘less feminine’, ‘not likable’ and ‘less trustworthy’ thanthose who do not report such behaviour.
• Commensurate sanctions should apply, because weak sanctions indicate a climate of tolerance.
• The evidence deficit should be acknowledged in formal investigations because this form of
behaviour often takes place in private and without witnesses. Even if evidence cannot substantiate
a complaint, it does not mean that the harassment did not occur or that the person making thecomplaint is not telling the truth.
ü Workplace practices and culture
Organizational culture is a set of shared assumptions that guide what happens in organizations
by defining appropriate behaviour within a company. Organizational culture should empower
individuals to speak out against harmful workplace behaviour and make them more gender aware.
Education and awareness raising activities, such as development and dissemination of educational
resources on gender equality in general, on unconscious bias, etc., should be implemented. Awarenessraising campaigns should target social norms and stereotypes and should be implemented via poster
and/or website campaigns, staff newsletter articles, workplace forums, etc.

5.3 Supporting employees against
domestic violence

5.3.1 Understand and recognize domestic
violence and its impact to the workplace

Combatting domestic violence is a humanrights imperative. Indeed, the violence against
women and girls is a violation of human rights
and has a major impact on the survivors ofthe violence and their families. Businesses
must stand with others to support violence
free families and workplaces, especially whenemployees work from home. Businesses
increasingly recognize their role in promoting
human rights and in the implementation of
global agreements and principles.

Domestic violence constitutes acts of physical,
sexual, psychological or economic violence
that occur within the family or domestic unit or
between former or current spouses or partners,
regardless of whether or not the perpetrator
shares or has shared the same residence withthe victim.40

Domestic violence affects the ability ofvictims and survivors to be engaged at work,
maintain employment stability and achieve
Supporting
occupational
attainment.42
employees who are victims and survivors ofdomestic violence is a business imperative as
well as human rights imperative.

Domestic Violence can be physical, sexual,
psychological or economic violence.41

Supporting employees - victims of domestic
violence is also a business imperative. The
social and economic cost of violence against
women is substantial. Based on the USA data,
the lifetime economic cost associated withmedical services, lost productivity from paid
work, criminal justice, and other costs, is $3.6
trillion. The cost of domestic violence over a
victim’s lifetime is $103,767 for women and$23,414 for men.43

Based on Women’s Empowerment
Principle 3:
Ensure the health, safety and well-beingof all women and men workers.

• Physical violence includes different acts ofphysical abuse (beating, shaking, shoving,pushing, throwing, twisting, slapping,punching, choking, burning, using weapons,etc.) and may or may not cause injury.
• Sexual violence can take many forms
and takes place under very different
circumstances. The perpetrator of a sexualassault can be a date, an acquaintance, afriend, a family member, an intimate partner
or a former intimate partner or a complete
stranger but more often it is someone known
to the victim. Sexual harassment is one of
the forms of sexual violence.
• Psychological violence includes threats,humiliation, mocking and controlling
behaviour.
• Economic violence involves denying
the victim access to financial resources(including seizing the salary), property,
healthcare, education, the labour market
and/or participation in economic decisionmaking.

Council of Europe, Convention on Preventing andCombating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence(Istanbul Convention).
41
UNFPA, Strengthening Health System Responses to
Gender-Based Violence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia: A
Resource Package, WAVE.
40

40

Creating a safe and empowering workplace
and addressing violence at home is critical inorder for companies to function and prosper.
Domestic violence experienced by employees
is reflected within the company in a number ofways.
• Productivity: Women are less productive inthe workplace when they suffer domestic
violence. This will result in a significant lossof paid and unpaid work time and employee
turnover, poor performance, safety
hazards, negative effects on interpersonal
relationships at the workplace and thelikelihood of decreased concentration andjob performance as a result of trauma and/or witnessing domestic violence.
42
The findings related to the link between violence and work
instability are based on the World Bank study Intimate Partner Violence: Economic Cost and Implications for Growth andEconomic Costs, 2013.
43
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fast Facts:
Preventing Intimate Partner Violence: https://www.cdc.gov/
violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/fastfact.html

41

• Absenteeism: Domestic violence causes
employees to miss work.
• Presenteeism: Presenteeism occurs when
ongoing physical and/or mental healthconditions prevent an employee from being
fully productive at work. In short, when theemployee arrives at work and work evenwhen sick, it leads to productivity loss.
• Cost Management: Workplaces where any
form of violence is prevalent experience a
negative impact on average business profits.
Domestic violence has direct costs forbusinesses due to its effects on personnel
through absenteeism, turnover, layoffs, andreduced productivity during work hours,
among other consequences. A study in Peru
estimated this cost at 3.7% of the GDP due
to the loss of labor days.44• Studies conducted in the USA show that 8.0
million of working days are lost each year
due to the domestic violence.45
Employed women experiencing domestic
violence are often subject to a range ofinterference tactics by their partner, which
undercuts their ability to maintain regular
employment. Women in abusive relationships
tend to experience high rates of job loss andturnover and are frequently forced to resign or
are fired. Women who experience domestic
violence are employed in higher numbers
in casual and part-time work, and theirearnings are up to 60% lower, compared
to women who do not experience such
violence. 46 Moreover, domestic violence
has a negative impact on women’s ability toaccept training opportunities or upgrade theirskills. Moreover, studies suggest that victims
display significantly higher levels of distraction
at work compared to non-victimized
employees and that victims of domestic
violence miss more hours of work. Studies
have found that depression resulting fromdomestic violence has the strongest long-term
VAWG, Finance and Enterprise Development Brief, 2015
USA National Coalition against domestic violence: https://
ncadv.org/STATISTICS
46
Un Women, Domestic violence and its impact on theworld of work, 2020
https://www.endvawnow.org/en/articles/1937-domestic-violence-and-its-impact-on-the-world-of-work-.html
44
45

42

impact on employment instability and thatpsychological violence is a stronger predictor ofunemployment than physical violence, largely
through the effects that psychological violence
has in terms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Violence does not only have a negative effecton the individual but also has significant
implications for work colleagues who may
become involved in order to assist a colleague
or by witnessing an act of violence if committed
by a colleague. Therefore, the abused employee
suffers directly but colleagues can also beaffected either directly or indirectly. At theorganizational level, the feeling of not being
able to help can give rise to frustration within
the organization. This can have a negative
effect on motivation and commitment amongstaff, loyalty to the enterprise, the working
environment and even affect openness toinnovation and knowledge building as well as
the public image of the company.
The social and economic cost of domestic
violence is high, not only for the victims but
also for society and the private sector throughloss of economic output caused by absenteeism
and the resulting economic cost. The European
Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) estimatesthat the cost of gender-based violence to the
EU Member States exceeds EUR 200 billion
per year.47 This includes lost economic output
and the provision of services, such as health,legal, social and specialized support, and thepersonal (physical and emotional) impact on
the victim.
It is therefore crucial that the private
sector views domestic violence as serious,
recognizable, preventable and plays a positiverole in supporting employees who experiencesuch violence.
5.3.2 Actions to be taken by the companies tosupport employees against domestic violence
The workplace itself is recognized as a relevant
context for initiating a discussion on andaddressing the issue of domestic violence.
Article 17 of the Istanbul Convention requiresthat States parties encourage the private sector
to set guidelines and self-regulatory standards
47

in order to strengthen respect for the dignity of women and girls and in this way contribute to theprevention of gender-based violence. Private companies are, for example, encouraged to establish
protocols or guidelines on how to support victims. The Council of Europe has elaborated guidelines
such for the private sector48 based on a survivor centred approach.
A survivor centered approach puts the rights and needs of survivors at the centre of the actions to
be taken:• Treat victims with dignity and respect, rather than subjecting them to accusatory attitudes.
• Choose the course of action that the victim prefers when dealing with the violence in order toremove the sense of powerlessness.
• Ensure privacy and confidentiality and prevent exposure.
• Victims and survivors should experience non-discrimination as opposed to discrimination
whether based on gender, age, race/ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, HIV status or any othercharacteristic.
• Victims and survivors should receive comprehensive information to help them make their own
decision instead of being told what to do.
Three principles to remember when dealing with situations involving domestic violence
1. Safety is paramount: Actions or words can jeopardize the survivor’s safety. Nothing should be
disclosed and no action should be taken without the survivor’s consent.
2. Confidentiality: Survivors often face safety issues and the issues of stigma, shame and victimblame; thus it is critical that their experiences and identity remain confidential.
3. Autonomous decision-making/consent: Only the survivors know the risks they face with regard
to their safety and thus they should drive any decision related to the abuse they are experiencing.
a. Increase awareness on the issue of domestic violence
A first step for employers who wish to participate in the prevention of violence against women anddomestic violence can be to raise awareness on this issue among their employees. Yet because
gender-based violence is often seen as a taboo topic, employees can find it difficult to talk about
violence and they might not always know how to start a conversation on this subject. Therefore,
employers should assist their staff by offering information that helps instigate a discussion about
violence in the workplace. Education of staff should therefore include training on how to have aconversation about gender-based violence, including domestic violence, both at the workplaceand in the community. The training should also include the interpretation of ‘signs of trouble’ aswell as discussions on what to do and what not to do if there is reason to believe that a colleague isconfronted with violence at home or at the workplace. Appointing high level ambassadors within
the organization who should be selected among Chief Executives within the company to promote
policy and raise awareness on domestic violence also highlights the fact that fighting violence against
women is important to everyone.
Education about gender-based violence will give executives and the staff an understanding of why
violence prevention and victim support might be important within the company. Once employees
gain a better understanding of the issue, they will be more willing to help and contribute to thecompany’s internal policies in this regard. Internal business support systems for employees at risk ofviolence can make a difference.
Yet they do not have to be expensive, because they can tap into resources already available within48
Council of Europe, Article 17 of the Istanbul Convention, ‘Encouraging the Participation of the Private Sector and the Media in thePrevention of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence’, 2016.

European Institute for Gender Equality, 2014.

43

the organization. It is important to build abasis for trust between employees and theorganization. Trusted managers and colleagues
can help in this task, since those employees whoare confronted with domestic violence might
first open up about their situation to someone
familiar to them rather than a complete
stranger or an agent of law enforcement. The
training should therefore also include preparing
employees to give ‘psychological first-aid’ tothe victims of domestic violence within theirown organization.
b. Provide flexible arrangements andprotection from dismissal to theemployees - victims and survivors ofdomestic violence• Allow for flexible working arrangements,
so that women can prioritize the safety andwell-being of their children.
• Allow ‘absences’ without penalty in order
to allow victims and survivors to accessemergency shelter, support services or court
proceedings.
• Provide flexible leave to enable victims toseek protection, attend court appointments
or seek safe housing for their children.
• Provide protection from dismissal for acertain period of time in order to ensure thatvictims can maintain their source of income
whilst leaving a violent situation.
c. Provide victims with support andguidance when accessing available
support services
The organization can inform staff about available
services and facilitate the dissemination of
information.
• Consider establishing a designated contact
person within human resources who canserve as the dedicated focal point for staff
and be trained to support victims dealing
with domestic violence.
• Provide psychological support for victims.
This should include access to counselling andthe ability to discuss options confidentiallyand non-judgmentally with a trusted personat the workplace.
• Provide financial support such as advancepayment of salary or financial support for44

moving, if possible.
• Provide legal support for court representationor other legal issues.
• Establish disciplinary procedures to deal
with the perpetrator, if the perpetrator isthe employee of the company, and set out
relevant sanctions, such as dismissal.
• Identify the relevant support services, suchas free legal aid, shelter and psychologicalcounselling, and provide information andguidance on how to access such services.

The company has increased awareness on the issue of domestic violence (DV) among its executives and employees via training and/or awareness raising campaign.

d. Integrate support services into employee
benefit schemes

The company established internal mechanism allowing flexible working arrangements (FWAs)
and protection from dismissal to the employees - victims and survivors of domestic violence toenable them to prioritize the safety of their children, to seek and attend court appointments..
etc.

The provision of support to the victims andsurvivors of domestic violence can also
be integrated into the employee benefits
scheme. The health and well-being of staff
can be followed-up with online surveys andhealth checks. Psychological, medical, legal
and economic support can be made available
to victims of gender-based violence. It should
be noted that internal support programmes
can choose to focus not only on the victims andsurvivors of abuse but also on the perpetratorsof violence who might be present within theorganization.
NGOs, especially those working specificallyon violence against women, have expertisethat can be useful to the private sector in
relation to raising awareness and creating local
partnerships. Private companies can partnerwith various NGOs working on the issue ofviolence against women in the community.
Based on this partnership, expertise andknowledge can be shared and the companies
can obtain the necessary information in order
to effectively support employees who are
victims of domestic violence.49
Together with the development of domestic
violence related policies, companies should
review and update other relevant policies for
ensuring consistency. For example, Domestic
Violence related provisions should be
integrated within the Code of Ethics/Code of
Conduct, as well as within the internal audit
and risk management processes.

See domestic violence Policy Template: https://www.weps.
org/resource/domestic-violence-policy-template49

The company has appointed a representative/contact point within the company as high levelambassadors on Domestic Violence issue.
The company has developed internal guidelines on DV based on survivor centered approach, andincluding the considerations of safety, confidentiality and autonomous decision-making.
The company updated other relevant policies for ensuring consistency, included policy in thecode of ethics, internal audit and risk management processes

The company has developed internal information hub and guiadance on how to access to / benefit from medical, pschological, financial and legal support services for DV victims and survivors
The company has integrated DV support services into employee benefit schemes, including medical, psychological, legal and economic support.
The company have a partnership / coopeartion with NGOs working on the issue of violenceagainst women in the community for their expertise and knowledge sharing.
5.3.3 Good practices of the companies providing support to the employees Against domestic
violence
The Corporate Alliance against Domestic Violence (UK) creates peer support schemes to prevent
violence through targeted services and exchange of experience.
Intervention: The Corporate Alliance against Domestic Violence (CAADV) provides a network for
those companies that wish to address the needs of employees who endure, perpetrate or witness
domestic violence. The Alliance offers its members training programmes, services and support aswell as business-to-business tools for developing domestic violence policies within organizations.
Results: CAADV assists member and non-member companies to act on disclosures of domestic violence made by employees. The Alliance provides accredited training on how to identify the warning
signs and take direct action to assist employees.
Lessons learnt: The example of CAADV demonstrates the potential of offering targeted services andin building networks of employers and finding allies in order to share experiences and good practicein regard to the prevention of violence.
How the approach to preventing violence works: CAADV offers practical procedures and examples
of best practice on policy development and implementation, research and knowledge on the issue
to its members. CAADV works as a peer support scheme among businesses in order to allow themto contribute to the prevention of violence against women and domestic violence.
In the United Kingdom, the company KPMG, on order to support its employees - victims of domestic
violence, has worked towards fostering a professional environment in which employees that areexperiencing abuse can come forward.
• In order to make the company’s official position public, its internal support policy has been postedon the company’s intranet.
• The intranet also provides information about the support available and the procedure to apply.

45

• Line managers receive training in orderto develop their confidence to deal withabusers as well as with the victims ofdomestic violence.
Sabancı University (Türkiye)
Violence Prevention and Support

Domestic

Sabancı University adopted a policy ofDomestic Violence prevention and support.
The University encourages all students andemployees who are subject to domestic
violence to take action to stop such behavior
by established support mechanisms to enable
its students and employees to recognize
domestic violence, keep violence away fromtheir lives, and overcome its negative effects.
The University ensure the victim’s safety on
campus, and take the steps necessary to meetthe psychological needs of individuals sufferingfrom domestic violence, including making
support mechanisms available.
Sabancı University established a Committee
composed of 11 members (a member eachfrom faculties and School of Languages,
legal counsel, a psychologist from CIAD, one
administrative employee representative, thedirectors of Human Resources, Procurement
and Support Services, and Security divisions,and one student) that plans and monitors
awareness campaigns against domestic
violence, defines the framework for themeasures and methods to be applied to cases,
and follows cases through to completion.
The Spanish company HC Energía provides
information about the services that are available
to victims of gender-based violence on thecompany’s intranet. This includes information
on sexual harassment and stalking as well as
the different ways to report such behaviour.
Information on counselling and professional
support for victims of gender-based violence isalso available on the company’s intranet.
The Spanish company Red Eléctrica de España
covers the cost incurred by its employees whoare victims of gender-based violence by up to
EUR 600 per month for a period of up to six
months.

Providing information on domestic violence:
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP
and Wragge & Co. LLP (United Kingdom/international)

5.4 Protect health, safety and well-being of the employees

Intervention: After becoming members of the
Corporate Alliance against Domestic Violence,these two international law firms engaged ina number of initiatives to address domestic
violence at the workplace. To raise awarenesson domestic violence in the workplace, posters
were put up in the toilets. This gives employees
the possibility to read the information in a safeand private environment and allows potential
victims of violence to understand that what
is happening to them is unacceptable andthat help is available. The posters have tearoff slips with a free 24-hour helpline number
so that employees can discreetly take it withthem. These firms’ intranet sites offer links to
websites that provide further practical help
and support to victims.

Health has long been recognized as a basic human right and vital to the quality of life of communities.
Employees are entitled to their own general health, and well-being and not simply to protection
from hazards at the workplace. Mental, physical and psychosocial health is fundamental to the wellbeing of employees as well as for organizational success. Thus, a holistic approach to health should
be an integral part of a company’s business strategy and operations. The United Nations50 calls on
the private sector to, “promote and create an enabling environment for healthy behaviours among
workers, including by establishing safe and healthy working environments through occupationalsafety and health measures, including, through good corporate practices, workplace wellness
programmes and health insurance plans.”

The material on their intranet also addresses
the issue of what to do if an employee thinksthat he/she or someone they know might bean abuser. The human resources teams andkey managers in the firms are trained in how to
identify the signs that someone may be a victim
of domestic violence and what to do and what
not to do. Receptionists and security guards
have also been trained in dealing with abusers
who try to contact victims at work. Employees
can be escorted to their cars, a taxi, bus or train
if they are being stalked.

Occupational Health and Safety: Reduce work
related injuries, illness and disability by identifying
and controlling hazards within the physicalenvironment and in work processes, such as thefollowing:• air quality,• injury and illness prevention,• emergency
responseandpandemic
preparedness,• physical, ergonomic, chemical and biologicalhazards,• disability management,• workplace accommodation,• ergonomics programmes,• violence and harassment,• use of personal protective equipment,• noise control.

• Healthy Lifestyle and Practices: Create
an environment that is supportive of andencourages health enhancing personal lifestylepractices, such as the following:• physical activity,• healthy eating,• healthy weight,• tobacco cessation,• stress management,• reduced drug and alcohol use,
• adequate sleep,• immunization,• reproductive health,• sun safety.

• Organizational Culture: Focus on thepsychosocial issues in the workplace that affectinteraction between people, their work andtheir organization, such as the following:• values, beliefs and practices;• psychological and social support;• clear leadership and expectations;• civility and respect;• growth and development;• recognition and reward;• involvement and influence;• workload management;• engagement;• balance;• psychological protection;• protection of physical safety.

• Organizational
SocialResponsibility:
Participate in the community in order toimprove the health of workers, their families
and other members of the community, such as
the following:• reducing the carbon footprint of businessactivities,• forest stewardship and using less paper,• fundraising for local charities,• control of pollutants in the air and water in thecommunity,• opportunities to volunteer during work hours.

Results: The increased level of awareness ofdomestic violence in the workplace has led toincreased readiness to discuss the problem.
Since the managers have received training in
how to address the issue, reports of genderbased violence of all kinds have increased
within these firms. The posters in the toilets
seem to have been particularly effective. The
pages on domestic violence on the intranet get
20 to 25 visits per month from employees whostay longer than average on the page, whichindicates that they are reading the information.
Some cases of domestic violence haveeven been reported to the human resource
departments of these firms.

Based on Women’s Empowerment Principle 3:
Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men workers.

A healthy workplace is one which protects and promotes the health, safety and well-being of all
workers and the sustainability of the workplace by considering health and safety concerns in thephysical working environment as well concerns related to health, safety and well-being in thepsychosocial working environment. This should include the organization of work and the workplaceculture. Moreover, a healthy workplace should participate in improving the health, safety and wellbeing of the employees and their families.
The Healthy Workplace Model developed by the World Health Organization51 involves four elements.

50
51

46

High level meeting on non-communicable disease prevention and control held in 2011.
https://www.who.int/occupational_health/5_keys_EN_web.pdf?ua=1

47

COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented challenges to workers’ safety, health, and wellbeing. Companies faced additional challenges in this regard in order to slow the spread of the virus
while keeping a supportive and productive work environment.
5.4.1 Understand and recognize gender-specific health, safety and well-being needs
A gender-responsive approach to employees’ health management is key. Women and men havedifferent experiences regarding health and safety. They face different risks and health problems,interact differently within their working environment and have different domestic unpaid
responsibilities and therefore have different needs.
Women’s Empowerment Principles holds companies accountable for ensuring the health, safety
and well-being of all female and male workers. (Principle 3). Implementation of this principle
involves the following:ü Prevention and elimination of violence and abuse at the workplace (discussed separately in the
sub-chapter 5.2 of this guideline);ü Ensuring safe and healthy working environment, taking into consideration the specific needs ofwomen and men.
ü Improving the health and well-being of
employees and their families by providing
health services, adapted to the needs ofwomen and men.
Women have specific needs and the health andsafety issues that they encounter are different
from those faced by men.
 Gender-specific occupational hazards:
Certain types of work and substances
are suspected of having adverse effects,
especially if women are pregnant orbreastfeeding.
 Health services: Reproductive healthservices such as family planning andpregnancy, cancer screening and nutritionaland breastfeeding counselling are particular
to women.
 Gender-specific needs related to workplacefacilities: Specific needs of women canbe linked to specific security needs suchas illuminated pathways, or provision oftransportation services; they can also belinked to the specific conditions of women,such as pregnancy or breastfeeding Working arrangements adapted to women’s
needs and family responsibilities, such as
flexible working arrangements. (Discussed
separately in the sub-chapter 5.1 of thisguideline)

48

5.4.2 Actions to be taken to address genderspecific health, safety and well-being needs of
employees
Address gender-specific occupational hazards
ü Provide information: male and female
employees engaged in work that involves
hazardous materials or activities should be
informed about the potential risks to theirhealth. Furthermore, some materials or
activities deemed safe can still represent arisk to pregnant or breastfeeding womenand therefore the relevant information
should be provided in a clear and timely
manner.
ü Ensure appropriate safety measures:in order to prevent unsafe exposure tohazardous materials or activities, appropriate
measures must be taken to ensure the safetyof pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Provide health services based on the specificneeds of womenü Provide health services: Reasonable actions
should be taken to ensure that employees
have access to health services and insurance
that serve the distinctive concerns andneeds of women and men. This should
include access to family planning products
and services and care related to pregnancy,maternity leave and childcare. These
services should also address the needs ofdependents (children).

ü Ensure access to quality health services:
Company should make sure that its
employees have access to quality healthservicesandguarantee
reasonableproximity to these services as well as thetime necessary to access them (long hours
and overtime can prevent women fromaccessing health services).
ü Provide access to domestic violence support
services: (Discussed separately in the subchapter 5.3 of this guideline)
Provide workplace or work-related facilities
that are adapted to the needs of womenü Create a safe working environment andprovide protection from potential risk
factors, which are different for women andmen: this can be done, for example, by
providing transportation services for female
employees or illuminating pathways oncompany premises, if identified as security
risks.
ü Toilets: the number of toilets should be
adequate for the number of employees andfeminine hygiene products should also be
available to female workers.
ü Nursing rooms and associated flexible
working arrangements (FWAs are discussed
separately in the sub-chapter 5.2 of thisguideline) for breastfeeding mothers:
this would enable women to continue
breastfeeding even after they return to workand also reduce stress for female workers.
ü Childcare facilities: Such facilities, either
on-site or external, help both female andmale workers with family responsibilities tocontinue in the workforce without prejudice
linked to their role as care givers. (Support forcare responsibilities is discussed separately
in the sub-chapter 5.2 of this guideline)
Health and safety education, including
reproductive healthü Education and capacity building in healthand safety can be implemented via several
information channels, such as in-company
training and workshops, online platforms,
short films, leaflets, displays, etc.

Promoting well-being and healthy lifestyle
The company should not just focus on healthand safety but also on employee well-being
and implement various activities to promotehealthy lifestyle, such as partnering with gyms,
swimming pools, massage and well-being
centres and provide company financed oraffordable membership.
Worksite interventions targeting self-care
can also have a positive impact on the healthof men and women as well as on businessperformance (e.g., promotion ofhealthyeating, group sports activities, etc.)
Support employees’ mental healthMore than 10% of world population struggle
with mental health issues52, however, it still
remains a taboo subject, including at theworkplace. Companies can play an importantrole in supporting their employees in managing
mental health related issues, such as stress,
anxiety, depression, etc. To do so, an open
culture about mental health at work is crucial,
as well as adoption of various measures
proactively supporting employees:
ü Understand how mental health impacts
company’s employees.
o Make mental health training mandatory
for company’s leaders to help them bemore aware of and invested in this aspectof their employees’ well-being;o Train managers on what to do if they see
signs of emotional distress or substanceabuse;o Use surveys to measure how employees’
health and stress levels affect theirproductivity.
ü Include mental health coverage as part ofyour health care plan.
ü Establish an employee assistance program(EAP) to support workplace mental health.
Some employees may be reluctant to use
this resource due to fear of stigma, shame,and lack of understanding about how
these confidential programs work. But toencourage employees to use an EAP, thecompany can:o Provide direct access to mental healthprofessionals via phone and/or in-person.
o Offer this resource to employees as well as
to their immediate family members.
o Make it easy for employees to know who
to talk to or where to go to access mental
52

https://ourworldindata.org/mental-health49

health resources.
o Emphasize that EAP can be accessed
confidentially and free of charge.
ü Use communication to reduce stigma andincrease access to mental health resources.
o Raise awareness about mental healthbenefits;o Disseminate regularly information about
existing support services, for example, inmonthly newsletters.
o Offer workshops so employees can learn
more about mental health and resilience.
ü Promote well-being.
o Build as much flexibility as possible into all
employees’ schedules.
o Offer access to various apps that can help
with stress reduction, sleep, etc.
o Consider offering a meditation room,
mindfulness training, and/or yoga classes
at work.
o Encourage employees to use their vacationtime.
o Create opportunities for employees tobuild connections with each other, such as
through social events, affinity groups, andelectronic message boards.
Regular re-evaluation of the existing services
ü Regularly re-evaluate health and security
plans with regard to the different needs of
employees and the specific needs of women
through the regular collection of feedback
from employees.
ü Establish a women’s network that reports
directly to senior management on the issuesof health, safety and well-being.
ü Arrange contact meetings and information
sessions in order to inform employees about
existing services and also about their rights
and responsibilities concerning the issues ofhealth, safety and well-being.
5.4.3 Actions to be taken to mitigate theimpact of Covid-19 pandemic and future
crises on health, safety and well-being of theemployees
In order to deal with additional in times ofcrisis, International Labour Organization (ILO)
recommends to the companies to adopt abusiness continuity plan, developed with thefull participation of workers, which will identify
the risks that might affect a specific business intimes of crisis and devise strategies to reduce50

their impact.53
In order to take appropriate measures toprotect workers from the occupational risks ofcontagion to the infectious disease, employers
should carry out a risk assessment. Generally,
occupational risk is the combination of theprobability of an occurrence of a hazardous
event and the severity of injury or damage tothe health of people caused by this event. The
assessment of the risk of contagion at work will
therefore consider:sick in the family, and will be grateful for yourattentiveness towards them.

• Probability of being exposed to contagion,
taking into account the characteristic of
the infectious disease (i.e., transmission
patterns) and the possibility that workers
may encounter infectious persons or may be
exposed to contaminated environments ormaterials (e.g., laboratory samples, waste)
in the course of their duties.
• Severity of the resulting health outcomes,
taking into account individual affecting
factors (including age, underlying diseases
and health conditions), as well as themeasures available to control the impact of
the infection.

The following checklist, based on therecommendations developed by ILO and WHO,
offers a simple and collaborative approach toassess COVID-19 risks in order to take measures
to protect the safety and health of workers. The
checklist can also be used to take measures for
future pandemics or other potential healthcrises. It addresses the following issues:

Business continuity plan should provide
practical ways to reduce the risk of worker
exposure to the disease in the workplace, andmay include:ü medical care support mechanisms;
ü promotion of personal hygiene habits;
ü options of changing the work organization tominimize human-to-human contact;
ü recommendations on social distancing;ü adapted work shifts;
ü possibility of downsizing operations;ü telework and other exposure-reducing
measures;ü options for conducting essential operations
with a reduced workforce;
ü support mechanisms to address possible
mental health issues and social consequencesthat an epidemic may have on workers.

ü organizing work in a way that allows forphysical distancing between people;

Targeted measures should be considered toassist women, which in addition to working areusually burdened with housekeeping and familycare. Most probably, in the case of a pandemic
outbreak they will be the ones who care for the
https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/
documents/publication/wcms_115048.pdf
53

The plan should be communicated to all
workers, contractors and suppliers. Everyone
must be aware of what they should do - or not
do - based on the plan, including their duties
and responsibilities.
Prevention and Mitigation of Covid-19 andfuture health crises at work
Action Checklist ��

Physical distanceü assessing the risk of interactions between
workers, contractors, customers and visitors
and implementing measures to mitigate
these risks;ü using phone calls, emails or virtual meetings
when feasible rather than face to facemeetings;
ü introducing working shifts to avoid large
concentrations of workers in the facilities at
any one time.
Hygieneü providing disinfectant anddisinfecting common areas;

regularly

ü promoting a culture of handwashing;ü promoting good respiratory hygiene at theworkplace (e.g., covering your mouth andnose with your bent elbow or tissue when
you cough or sneeze).
Cleaning
ü promoting a culture of regular cleaning of
the surfaces such as desks and workstations,doorknobs, telephones, keyboards andworking objects with disinfectant;ü ensure regular disinfection of common areas.
Training and Communication
ü training management, workers and theirrepresentatives on the adopted measures toprevent risk of exposure to the virus and on
how to act in case of COVID-19 infection;
ü training on the correct use, maintenance anddisposal of personal protective equipment;ü maintaining regular communication withworkers to provide updates on the situationin the workplace, region or country;
ü informing workers about their right toremove themselves from a work situationthat poses an imminent and serious danger
for life or health, in accordance with laid out
procedures and immediately inform their
immediate supervisor of the situation.
Personal protective equipment (PPE)ü When necessary, providing adequate PPE
along with closed bins for hygienicallydisposing of such materials.
Response
ü in line with the guidance of local authorities,
encouraging workers with suspected
symptoms of COVID-19 to not come to theworkplace and expanding access to paid sickleave, sickness benefits, and parental/careleave and informing all workers;
ü arranging for isolation of any person who
develops COVID-19 symptoms at the work
site, while awaiting transfer to an appropriate
health facility;ü adequately disinfecting the work site;
providing health surveillance of persons who
have been in close contact with the infected
workerü promote vaccination, by spreading theinformation/raising awareness about thebenefits of vaccination, participating invaccination campaigns, providing corporate
incentives.

51

Managing ergonomic and physical OSH risks
of working from home
People working from home may also facesome risks related to the home setting which
often does not meet the same health andsafety standards as those available at theofficial worksites. The desk, chair and otheraccessories may not be of a comparable(equal) quality to that in the office. In addition,
the physical environment (such as heat, cold,
lighting, electrical safety, home hygiene andhome renovations) may not be adequate.
Workers should receive adequate information
on issues associated with the work to beundertaken at home, for example:
ü varying work tasks to ensure that workers
are not working in the same position for long
periods of time;ü review where the screen is located e.g.
situated away from window so as not tocause glare;ü placing equipment so as to minimize twistingor overreaching;ü having enough work space for the equipment
and any other materials needed to carry out
the work;
ü encouraging workers to take regular breaks
and to stand and move for one minute everyhour.
üManaging work-related stress and othermental health issues during the crisis
situations54
Psychological consequences of emergencies
and crisis situations may include increased
anxiety, low mood, low motivation or
depression. Working from home can resultin feeling isolated, working longer hours andblurring the lines between work and family life.
If isolation can facilitate concentration, having
no social interaction can become a strong
stressor. Flexible work hours can become
excessive working hours, without breaks andcan continue through the night, resulting inassociated risks of insomnia. Studies showthat Covid-19 pandemic triggers 25% increasein prevalence of anxiety and depression
worldwide.55 Therefore, in addition to the
Added from WHO, ILO, manual for protecting health workers and responders, 201855
https://www.who.int/news/item/02-03-2022-covid-19-pandemic-triggers-25-increase-in-prevalence-of-anxiety-and-de54

52

actions supporting employees’ mental healthin normal times (describes above) it is crucial
to address specific mental health issues related
to the pandemic. For this purpose, companies
can implement the following measures:

women’s economic empowerment. Therefore,a focus on gender within the future of work is
critical to ensure that recent progress toward
gender equity is not undermined.

ü Good communication and up-to-date
information to enable workers to feelinformed and to give them a sense of control;ü A venue for workers to express concerns
and ask questions about the health risks tothemselves and colleagues;ü Multidisciplinary sessions to identify
concerns, including around the well-being ofstaff, and to work together on strategies tosolve problems;
ü Reviewing the organizational culture andsensitivity to others, as families of local staff
may be affected by the outbreak;ü A buddy system to provide psychologicalsupport and monitor stress and burnout;ü Opportunities to promote physical health,including exercise, and encouraging workers
to maintain healthy eating habits;ü Psychological support for workers to share
fears and worries confidentially;ü Campaigns to reduce stigma, addressing
various issues, including gender stereotypes
and unpaid care work, promoting equal
involvement of women and men;ü Use of humour and participatory techniques
which can promote dialogue, innovative
solutions and positive changes in attitude.

Based on Women’s Empowerment
Principle 4:
Promote education, training andprofessional development for women.

5.5 Addressing Future of Workchallenges – the need of upskilling andreskilling of employees
The future of work has emerged as an important
policy topic in recent years and the discussions
about it has mostly centered on the automationof jobs. Indeed, artificial intelligence, informedby big data and machine learning, informationand communication technologies (ICTs) androbotics are changing the world of work.
However, the future of work lacks currently
gender perspective. Digitalization and the gig
economy, and the demand of new skills will
have a major impact on how we understandand carry out work. These trends will havespecific implications for gender equality andpression-worldwide

5.5.1 Recognizing and understanding genderchallenges of the Future of Work
The technological progress on the world
economy, taken together with globalizationand demographic change created the needto equip people with the skills they need toparticipate in the economy, now and in the
future. Currently, there is already an evident
mismatch between people’s current skills
and the skills needed for jobs56 that will becreated from and become more prevalentbecause of the changes brought about by the
Fourth Industrial Revolution.57 For companies,
skills mismatch has negative consequences for
productivity and competitiveness, affecting
their ability to implement new products,
services or technologies, and ultimately leads
to the loss of profits and markets.
Skills gaps are likely to increase unless thenext generation and those workers at mostrisk of losing their jobs to new technology
acquire the skills required for the jobs of the
future. Research from the World Economic
Forum (WEF)58 finds that half of all employees
around the world need to upskill or reskill
by 2025 to embrace new responsibilities
driven by automation and new technologies.
2021 USA data shows that about 9.3 million people in the
United States were unemployed, while 9.3 million jobs in the
country were sitting open https://www.forbes.com/sites/
paulmcdonald/2021/06/09/as-businesses-prepare-for-thefuture-of-work-the-need-to-upskill-and-reskill-workers-becomes-more-essential/?sh=5ad48b2e7a78
57
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is a term coined in2016 by Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of
the World Economic Forum (WEF). It is characterized by theconvergence and complementarity of emerging technology
domains, including nanotechnology, biotechnology, new materials and advanced digital production (ADP) technologies.
The latter includes 3D printing, human-machine interfaces(HMIs) and artificial intelligence, and is already transforming
the global industrial landscape. Source: UNIDO https://iap.
unido.org/articles/what-fourth-industrial-revolution
58
https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Upskilling_for_
Shared_Prosperity_2021.pdf
56

Upskilling is the process of enhancing or
expanding an employee’s skill set so thatthey can be a more productive contributor
to the business. Upskilling usually involves
continuous learning, and it’s often vital to an
employee’s ability to advance in their career
and take more responsibility. When workers
upskill, they learn new abilities and grow theircompetency in areas that are important totheir role or department, both immediately
and over the long term. Reskilling is about
equipping employees with new skills that willallow them to take on a new position in thecompany that’s entirely different from what
they’re doing now.
Covid-19 pandemic accelerated automationand digitalization, so critical skills gaps in theworkforce became even more obvious in manyorganizations. Many employees who lost theirjobs during the pandemic because they lacked
up-to-date skills are now among those facing
challenges in the hiring market. But even
before that, many workers had been struggling
to stay relevant in a work environment thatwas becoming increasingly more automated.
The pandemic has had an immediate negative
impact on numbers employed, and in manycases on quality of employment, across mosteconomic sectors although some have been
affected much more severely than others.
Globally, the sectors most affected by the
pandemic, in terms of loss of output have been
wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, realestate, business and administrative activities,
and accommodation and food services59.
Women are overrepresented in the majority ofthese sectors, thus the impact of the pandemic
particularly affected women. An effective skills
development response may make an important
impact on the speed at which sectors recover,
and on the extent to which employment
is restored. It is important to identify andanticipate the skills needed for recovery andfuture growth of the worst affected sectors,
and to identify practical actions that can betaken to reskill and upskill workers to meetthese needs.
https://ec.europa.eu/info/system/files/economy-finance/
eb069_en.pdf
https://www.economicsobservatory.com/update-which-firms-and-industries-have-been-most-affected-by-covid-19
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A focus on gender is critical in the context of the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, also in thecontext of the future of work. Without a focus on gender, measures of recovery, as well as depictionsof the future of work are incomplete and biased, and thus risk reproducing current inequalities.
Today, women face more challenges than their male colleagues with regards to labor participation
and access to decent jobs. Moreover, women have been disproportionally hit by the pandemic.
This gap could widen in the verge of new labor market trends. Automation will probably have a
differential impact on women and men, therefore skills gaps should be recognized and addressed,
particularly those related to science, technology, engineering and math disciplines.
Women are disproportionately located in high-risk jobs, suffering from insufficient pay and highlevels of insecurity. At the other end of the spectrum – high-value, high-growth jobs in science,technology, engineering and math (STEM) have proven difficult for women to break into in large
numbers due to persistent social norms that challenge their entry and success in these fields. Until
such gender barriers are addressed, STEM is likely to remain male dominated.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 202060 revealed that 84% of employers areaccelerating their digitalization agenda and 50% of employers intend to accelerate the automation ofjobs. The research61 identified 99 roles that are consistently growing in demand across 20 economies,grouped into eight distinctive job clusters on the basis of their unique skills profile. The data suggests
significant challenges for the future of gender parity. Only two of the eight emerging job clusters
tracked are at gender parity and many show a severe under-representation of women.

These emerging jobs clusters include roles that underscore the continuing importance of humaninteraction in the new economy, such as Marketing, Sales, People and Culture, and Content
Production, as well as roles which support the development of emerging technologies such as Cloud
Computing, Engineering, Data and AI. The data shows that gender gaps are more likely in fields
that require disruptive technical skills, in particular, Cloud Computing, where women make up just
14% of the workforce; Engineering, where women make up 20% of the workforce; and Data and AI,
where women make up 32% of the workforce. Representative examples of roles in those job clusters
include Full Stack Developers, Data Engineers and Cloud Engineers.

https://es.weforum.org/reports/global-gender-gap-report-2021/in-full/gggr2-gender-gaps-in-jobs-of-tomorrow/
Over the course of 2019 and 2020, the World Economic Forum worked with the LinkedIn Economic Graph Team, using real-timelabour market data to derive new insight into the jobs that are emerging in the labour market
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Using individual-level data on task composition at work, this paper finds that women, on average,
perform more routine tasks than men across all sectors and occupations―tasks that are most prone
to automation. Given the current state of technology, we estimate that 26 million female jobs in 30
countries (28 OECD member countries, Cyprus, and Singapore) are at a high risk of being displacedby technology (i.e., facing higher than 70 percent likelihood of being automated) within the next55

two decades. Female workers face a higher
risk of automation compared to male workers
across all occupations, albeit with significant
heterogeneity across sectors and countries.62
Moving forward, upskilling and reskilling will
be needed to address gaps between existing
and required skills. However, when offered,capacity building opportunities tend totarget only the most highly skilled workers tomaximize returns. As a result, those most at
risk of automation - precarious and low-skilledworkers - are the least likely to access andparticipate in ongoing training. The trainingcrisis is particularly acute for women. Womenare more likely than men to be in low-skilled
and precarious jobs that do not offer employerfunded training, and they are more likely to betime poor - and thus less able to pursue selfinitiated training - due to their disproportionate
burdens of unpaid work.
5.5.2 Adapting to the Future of Work byaddressing the needs of upskilling andreskilling of employees
Understanding how current and future
workforce architectures relate to each other isessential to building a tailored plan for closing
skills gaps. Ultimately, such plans will likely
involve a combination of reskilling, upskillingand hiring new talent. Such tailored plan willplay in the immediate effort to lessen theimpact of COVID-19 pandemic on one hand,and on the other hand, will respond to the new
demands of the Future of Work.
Companies should take actions now to addresschanging world of work and skills gaps byinvesting in understanding the current state of
their employees’ skills, strengthening diversity,
equity and inclusion, and identifying employeeswith the potential to move into future-focusedroles and preparing them to do so.
Actions to be taken by the companies foraddressing skills gaps

62
IMF, Is Technology Widening the Gender Gap? Automationand the Future of Female Employment, 201956

ü Situation Assessment

market position for future growtho Operating effectively while pandemic continueso Taking advantage of opportunities during
the time of the pandemico Speeding and maximizing recovery
o Addressing challenges of the Future ofWorkskills increasingly transferable acrossoccupations and sectors include: digitalskills; administrative, customer relations
and related skills; people management
skills; skills for green jobs and environmental
sustainability; language skills. The pandemic
seems to be especially driving growth indemand for the digital skills needed to work

• How skills development can contributeo Skills development for safe operation offirms during pandemico Skills development for recovery
o Skills development for opportunities
presented by pandemic and for changes
in industry structure resulting from thepandemico Skills development for employability ofworkers affected adversely by pandemico Skills
developmentofemerging
opportunities of technological progress
and globalization of economy (Futureof Work: AI, big data, robotics, machinelearning, ICTs, etc.)• Recommendations for action

remotely, to use online services, and toconnect with suppliers and markets throughonline channels.
• Core employability skills, such as criticalthinking, communication, foundation skillsof literacy and numeracy, and resilienceskills such as stress resistance, work-lifebalance, digital detox, time management,
flexibility and adaptability, which are usefulacross all sectors and occupations. Workers
in any occupation are more employable ifcore employability skills are strengthened, inareas such as team working, communication
skills and problem solving. Foundation
skills of literacy and numeracy, including
environmental and digital literacy, arerequired for the majority of job categories.

ü Designing a skills framework defining
future requirements

ü Building skill
architecture

Companies should build a data baseline tounderstand their skills prevalence and gaps,
helping them develop a holistic reskilling
strategy. The baseline should include data on
future skills prevalence, automation risks andfuture skills pay gaps.
The scope of the Situation Assessment63
should focus on:• Company’s activities on which Covid-19
pandemic had significantly negative impact.
(Hence, the company can consider optionsof reskilling staff employed in the mostaffected sectors)• Company’s activities in which Covid-19
increases demand for skills or drive
structural changes which can affect set ofskills demanded in the future.
• Company’s activities which technologicalprogress and Future of Work will require
upskilling and reskilling in short, medium,and long term.
ü Reskilling/upskillingcompany

strategyoftheThe gathered data and defined models,
combined with a workforce planning will help
define the operative upskilling and reskilling
strategy, resulting in provided learning as wellas career opportunities to the employees.

Companies should assess, define and structure
future skill requirements for the entire
organization enabling a clear direction on
reskilling/upskilling and tracking the progress.

Guidelines for Reskilling/upskilling Strategy64

Possible targets for skills development65

Designing reskilling and upskilling strategy
should take into consideration situation assessment and develop tailored solutions foraddressing identified skills gaps, namely:• The skills priorities identified are likely to fit
into the following categories:• Specific technical skills needed by sectors
in difficulty to help them adjust to thechallenges created by the pandemic, andby sectors undergoing structural change toadjust to the new profile of skills needed;• Technical skills that are in demand globallyand transferable across many sectors andoccupations, which could be targeted byinitiatives to reskilling and upskill groups
of individuals affected adversely by the
pandemic, and which could help workers
to change the sector of work. Technical• Situation analysis and outlook for company’s
target activities and employees• What can be done to enable each set of
activities and each group of employees
to operate effectively in the pandemic orother crisis situation, to take advantage
of opportunities, to speed and maximize
recovery, and to build capabilities and63
Adapted from ILO guidelines of rapid assessment on reskilling and upskilling in response to the Covid-19 crisis, 2020
64
Ibid.

Adapted from ILO guidelines of rapid assessment on reskilling and upskilling in response to the Covid-19 crisis, 2020
65

requirements

into

job

Companies should define the skill
requirements by role, building thoserequirements into the job architecture toprovide a sound foundation for humanresources solutions and interventions.
ü Ensure employees
participatory process

engagement

andEngage employees during the build-out ofcareer pathways and development. This
ensures that the workforce understands
required reskilling/upskilling areas andenables individual ownership of the
reskilling/upskilling path.
ü Progress measurement
Measure progress by analyzing data to stayabreast of, and adapt to, talent and workforcechanges. Continuous benchmarking analysis
based on key performance indicators isneeded to track progress.

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6. Conclusion
Emerging stronger from Covid-19 pandemic, being better prepared for potential crises and newchallenges will be crucial for the private sector. The new reality will require the adaptation of thebusiness to the post-pandemic world, by equally taking into consideration the needs of women andmen.
The present guidebook demonstrates the importance of the new strategies to be adopted by thecompanies during the crises in order to allow effective and equitable interventions in times of crises.
Strategies related to the promotion of work-life balance of the employees and provision of support
for care responsibilities revealed to be efficient for not only employees’ improved job satisfaction
and productivity, but also for business continuity and higher profit for the companies.
Another important aspect of a company’s successful operation is to create gender-responsive
workplace free of sexual harassment by putting in place relevant policies and practices, also by
providing support to the employees against domestic violence. As gender-based violence increases
during the crises, these strategies acquire particular importance.
Furthermore, Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated once again that health, safety and well-being of
employees should be fully protected at the workplace, taking into account differentiated needs ofwomen and men workers, considering both physical and psychological working environment.
Lastly, Covid-19 pandemic, having accelerated automation and digitalization, showed the future ofwork will be shaped by artificial intelligence, informed by big data and machine learning, informationand communication technologies and robotics. Therefore, addressing skills gaps in the workforce,by also focusing on gender, became critical to ensure business continuity, inclusion and sustainable
development.
As discussed in the present guidebook, Covid-19 Pandemic, as well as the Future of Work affectwomen and men differently, therefore it is essential to recognise these differences, to understandgender impact and to address effectively and equitably any future crises, as well as the challengesof the Future of Work. In this regard, private sector has a crucial role to design equitable solutions
and to build back fairer. Without a gender-responsive approach, any crisis will have far-reaching
implications, including a real risk of exacerbating gender inequalities and reversing the progress.

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