EQUALITY MEANS BUSINESS Establish high-level corporate leadership 1for gender equality. Treat all women and men fairly at work – respect 2 and support human rights and nondiscrimination. Ensure the health, safety and well-being 3 of all women and men workers. Promote education, training and professional 4 development for women. Implement enterprise development, supply chain 5 and marketing practices that empower women. Promote equality through community initiatives N and advocacy. 6 OLLYMA H IE N HE Measure and publicly report on progress P 7to achieve gender equality. UN PHOTO/STE Introduction EMPOW E RING WOM E N to participate companies tailor existing policies 189 countries at the Fourth World fully in economic life across all and practices —or establish needed Conference on Women in 1995 and sectors and throughout all levels new ones— to realize women’s the Millennium Declaration adopted of economic activity is essential to: empowerment. The Principles also by 189 countries in 2000, contribute ■ Build strong economies; reflect the interests of governments to the overarching human rights and civil society and will support framework.1 ■ Establish more stable and just interactions among stakeholders as These international standards societies; achieving gender equality requires illuminate our common aspiration for ■ Achieve internationally- the participation of all actors. As a a life where the doors of opportunity agreed goals for development, leader in gender equality, UNIFEM are open to all. Where people can sustainability and human rights; brings three decades of experience live free from violence, exercise legal ■ Improve quality of life for women, to this partnership effort with the UN redress and expect states to live up men, families and communities; Global Compact, the world’s largest to their obligations to respect and and corporate citizenship initiative protect the human rights of women, with more than 7,000 business ■ Propel businesses’ operations men and children and provide participants and other stakeholders and goals. appropriate government services involved in more than 135 countries. such as education and health. Yet, ensuring the inclusion of In an increasingly globalized and women’s talents, skills, experience These conventions inform national interconnected world, utilizing all law and help shape common values and energies requires intentional social and economic assets is actions and deliberate policies. The adopted by institutions throughout crucial for success. Yet, despite the world. Business leaders, Women’s Empowerment Principles progress, women continue provide a set of considerations to working in close association with to confront discrimination, their peers, with governments, help the private sector focus on marginalization and exclusion, key elements integral to promoting nongovernmental organizations and even though equality between the United Nations2, seek to apply gender equality in the workplace, men and women stands as a marketplace and community. these international standards that universal international precept—a uphold an individual’s rights through Enhancing openness and inclusion fundamental and inviolable human their specifically designed policies throughout corporate policies and right. Nearly all countries have and programmes. Their corporate operations requires techniques, affirmed this value through their commitment, reflected through the tools and practices that bring recognition of the standards company’s mission statement and results. The Women’s Empowerment contained in international human supported through public reporting Principles, forged through an rights treaties, which articulate on policies and practices, attests international multi-stakeholder for states a broad range of to the growing realization of how consultative process led by the civil, political, economic, social important these values are to United Nations Development Fund and cultural rights. Distinctive business and their communities.3 for Women (UNIFEM) and the documents highlight a spectrum While much has been accomplished United Nations Global Compact of state responsibilities and human through the integration of (UNGC), provide a “gender lens” rights protections for women, principles and actions on corporate through which business can survey indigenous peoples, children, responsibility, diversity and and analyze current initiatives, workers and people with disabilities. inclusion, the full participation of benchmarks and reporting practices. Additionally, internationally agreed- women throughout the private on documents such as the Beijing Informed by real-life business sector – from the CEO’s office practices, the Principles help Platform for Action adopted by all to the factory floor to the supply chain – remains unfulfilled. Current research demonstrating that gender diversity helps business perform better signals that self interest and common interest can come together. UNIFEM, the UN Global Compact, other leading UN agencies, the World Bank and the World Economic Forum, reinforce the findings.4 Governments also recognize that women’s inclusion drives development, and acknowledge that achieving the Millennium Development Goals and national economic and development plans requires rapidly moving towards gender equality.5 In a globally interdependent political, social and economic environment, partnerships play an increasingly vital role to: ■ Create a vibrant business environment involving a broad partnership of actors, enablers, contributors and innovators to open opportunities for women and men; and ■ E nable the active and interactive participation of governments, international financial institutions, the private sector, investors, nongovernmental organizations, academia and professional organizations to work together. In the spirit of partnership, UNIFEM and the UN Global Compact offer the Women’s Empowerment D Principles in the hope that using TA S them as a targeted “gender lens” . BOL T inspires and intensifies the efforts to bring women in at all levels. UN PHOTO/ Equality does mean business. WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT PRINCIPLES/EQUALITY MEANS BUSINESS ■ 1 Women’s Empowerment Principles Leadership Equal Health, Safety 1Promotes 2Opportunity, 3and Freedom Gender Equality Inclusion and from Violence ■ A ffirm high-level support and Nondiscriminiation ■ T aking into account differential direct top-level policies for impacts on women and ■ Pay equal remuneration, gender equality and human men, provide safe working including benefits, for work of rights. conditions and protection equal value and strive to pay a from exposure to hazardous ■ E stablish company-wide living wage to all women and materials and disclose goals and targets for gender men. equality and include progress potential risks, including to ■ E nsure that workplace policies as a factor in managers’ reproductive health. and practices are free from performance reviews. ■ E stablish a zero-tolerance gender-based discrimination. ■ E ngage internal and policy towards all forms of ■ I mplement gender-sensitive external stakeholders in the violence at work, including recruitment and retention development of company verbal and/or physical practices and proactively policies, programmes and abuse and prevent sexual recruit and appoint women implementation plans that harassment. to managerial and executive advance equality. ■ Strive to offer health insurance positions and to the corporate or other needed services ■ E nsure that all policies are board of directors. gender-sensitive – identifying – including for survivors of ■ A ssure sufficient participation factors that impact women domestic violence – and of women – 30% or greater and men differently – and that ensure equal access for all – in decision-making and corporate culture advances employees. governance at all levels and equality and inclusion. ■ Respect women and men across all business areas. workers’ rights to time off for ■ O ffer flexible work medical care and counseling options, leave and re-entry for themselves and their opportunities to positions of dependents. equal pay and status. ■ I n consultation with ■ Support access to child and employees, identify and dependent care by providing address security issues, services, resources and including the safety of women information to both women traveling to and from work and and men. on company-related business. ■ T rain security staff and managers to recognize signs of violence against women and understand laws and company policies on human trafficking, labour and sexual exploitation. Women’s Empowerment Principles ■ Work with community Education Enterprise stakeholders, officials and 4 and Training 5Development, others to eliminate discrimination ■ I nvest in workplace policies Supply Chain and exploitation and open and programmes that open opportunities for women and avenues for advancement and Marketing girls. of women at all levels and Practices ■ Promote and recognize women’s across all business areas, leadership in, and contributions ■ E xpand business relationships and encourage women to to, their communities and with women-owned enterprises, enter nontraditional job ensure sufficient representation including small businesses, and fields. of women in any community women entrepreneurs. ■ E nsure equal access to consultation. ■ Support gender-sensitive all company-supported ■ Use philanthropy and grants solutions to credit and lending education and training programmes to support barriers. programmes, including company commitment