Gender Equality and Diversity

What is Gender Equality and Diversity?

Gender Equality in the workplace means equal treatment and access of employees regardless of gender to recruitment, promotion and training activities along with mentoring and decision-making bodies.

Diversity within a workplace encompasses race, gender, ethnic groups, age, education, religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs, mental and physical conditions, as well as other distinct attributes and qualities among people.

Why is Gender Equality and Diversity relevant to business?

For businesses, ensuring gender equality and a diverse workforce leads to positive effects across an organisation. To do this successfully, a concerted effort from business owners and leaders needs to be made to break down historic and cultural barriers including unconscious biases. Multiple studies have highlighted that providing an equal seat at the decision-making table for both women and men and guarantying those resources are equitably distributed among a diverse workforce is a key element of success for a thriving business’ continuity, development and resilience. Businesses throughout the world face the challenge of attracting and retaining the best possible teams of employees. Effectively harnessing the best possible mix of experience, skills, perspectives and strengths is critical for competitiveness, productivity and profitability, and is actively pursued by businesses throughout the world. Furthermore, for organisations, having a mixed teams mean they benefit from different points of view and methodologies that come from unique life experiences. An array of perspectives typically sparks creativity and drives innovation.

It is now increasingly recognised that:

• Promoting gender equality brings direct benefits in terms of improved productivity, increased growth and innovation, greater career development potential, diversity of views and stability for the company.
• Indirect benefits from gender equality and diversity include creativity, sense of fairness and ownership as well as increased employee’s wellbeing and mental health.
• A successful, diverse team builds a strong reputation for the company.
• Businesses are enriched operationally and financially with the unique contributions made by different individuals.   
• Successful workplace diversity is increasingly viewed as a critical part of organisational performance, and is an indicator of business leadership performance.
• Fostering workplaces that respect and include differences increases employee morale and productivity.

What is IOE’s position on Gender Equality and Diversity?

IOE recognises that workforce diversity increases business efficiency, productivity and sustainability, and therefore, positively impacts economic performance and society as a whole. IOE works to support its members in all countries, at all stages of development, to promote a wider understanding of the benefits of workplace diversity and to equip them to engage with domestic law and regulation in drafting diversity policies and practices that are not only legally compliant, but fully realise the operational and productivity benefits.

With regard to the promotion of gender equality, in particular, it is generally in an employer's interest to promote workplaces that are free from discrimination against women (and others) and to ensure that decisions related to employment are based on an individual’s merit rather than other attributes. In this context, employers aim at the effective elimination of barriers to equal access to training and education, recruitment and career development opportunities.

How does IOE’s work in Gender Equality and Diversity advance the agenda for business?

IOE recognises that, in general, individuals face unique challenges throughout various stages of employment and business development. The specific nature of these challenges and the means to address them depend on the national, social, cultural and economic contexts in which they live and work.

IOE’s field of work on diversity includes:

• IOE supports the adoption of ILO Convention on Discrimination (Employment and Occupation), No. 111 and many other gender and diversity related ILO standards and promotes their balanced supervision by ILO supervisory bodies. IOE promotes the 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, which includes non-discrimination with respect to employment and occupation and informs the labour principles of the UN Global Compact.
• IOE works in collaboration with the ILO Bureau for Employers' Activities (ACT/EMP) to provide first hand support and guidance on diversity and gender equality at the country level to IOE Members.
• IOE works cooperatively and participates in global policy framework discussions with the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, BIAC, to jointly advance the business case for diversity and gender equality.
• The IOE supported Employers in the drafting and adoption of the 2019 ILO Centenary Declaration which calls upon all Members with the support of the ILO to direct its efforts to the effective realization of gender equality in opportunities and treatment. It also clearly states that the ILO must direct its efforts to:
  • achieving gender equality at work through a transformative agenda, with regular evaluation of progress made, which:
    • ensures equal opportunities, equal participation and equal treatment, including equal remuneration for women and men for work of equal value;
    • enables a more balanced sharing of family responsibilities;
    • provides scope for achieving better work–life balance by enabling workers and employers to agree on solutions, including on working time, that consider their respective needs and benefits; and
    • promotes investment in the care economy.
  • ensuring equal opportunities and treatment in the world of work for persons with disabilities, as well as for other persons in vulnerable situations.
• IOE supports Employers in the adoption of the ILO Action Plan for Gender Equality.
• IOE produces publications on relevant issues related to Gender and Diversity containing not only policy recommendations but also compiling examples of how IOE Members are moving the needle on gender equality and diversity.