Mind The Gap – Gender Mainstreaming Workshop for Private Sector Companies

Synopsis:

The “Mind The Gap” workshop was developed and delivered by Mera Maan on behalf of UN Women and Global Impact. The workshop aimed to encourage private sector companies to mainstream gender equality by applying the Women Empowerment Principles (WEP) to their HR systems, including recruitment, selection, performance management, rewards, and learning and development. The workshop focused on inspiring and guiding organizations to review and revise their policies and procedures to be more gender-responsive in recruitment, retention, and growth.

Narrative of the Project Description:

Background:

UN Women, in collaboration with Global Impact, developed the Women Empowerment Principles for Private Sector Companies to promote gender equality within the corporate world. Over the years, 66 companies have signed the WEP Principles, demonstrating their commitment to gender equality. However, the next step was to implement the principles in HR systems to bridge gender gaps and create more inclusive work environments.

Objectives:

– Inspire and guide private sector organizations to review and revise policies and procedures for gender-responsive recruitment, retention, and growth.
– Provide training on handling unconscious bias through gender sensitivity training.
– Initiate Return-ship programs on an ongoing basis to support employees returning from career breaks.
– Facilitate the establishment of childcare or elder care centers to support self-employed entrepreneurs.
– Support women’s networks to offer leadership and personal development training.
– Encourage the inclusion of community-based women entrepreneurs in company supply chains.

Project Impact:

The “Mind The Gap” workshop successfully engaged private sector companies and introduced them to the importance of mainstreaming gender in their HR systems. The workshop’s key recommendations, including unconscious bias training, Return-ship programs, and support for childcare facilities, received endorsement from participants and stakeholders. The workshop facilitated dialogue between CEOs and the government for gender equality and self-sustained capacity-building programs. By implementing the workshop’s recommendations, private sector companies took significant steps towards promoting gender equality and empowering women within their organizations.