Gender equality and diversity policies demonstrate a workplace’s commitment to improving measurable gender equality outcomes with respect to employee representation, value, safety and recognition. Within these overarching categories, policies can address: recruitment and advancement processes to ensure quality between women and men; equal pay for equal work; recognition and rewards that are unbiased and based on contribution and performance; non-discriminatory approaches to care and family responsibilities; and genuine access to various positions and levels of leadership by removing gender-based barriers.
See an example workplace gender equality policy. Available in English.
The unequal distribution of caring responsibilities (i.e. for children, sick family members, elderly and others) between men and women is a major driver of inequality in employment. Weak or lacking policies and broader measures to support women (who continue to bear the bulk of caring responsibilities) result in departures from the workplace, reductions in hours and interrupted opportunities for career development and advancement (UN HLP, 2017). Following extensive research and consultation, The European Commission has outlined An Initiative to Support Work-Life Balance for Working Parents and Carers to address this issue with recommendations that include (European Commission 2017):
- Improving the design and gender-balanced take-up of family-related leaves and flexible working arrangements
- Improving the quality, affordability and access to childcare and long-term care
- Addressing economic disincentives for parents and carers to work
Elements to advance gender equality in work and working conditions, include (UNESCO, 2012):
- Existence of gender desk or gender mainstreaming officer(s) for monitoring and evaluation of gender equality in the workplace.
- Awareness among staff members that the gender desk or gender mainstreaming officer(s) exists to address concerns of both women and men.
- Existence of systems for monitoring and evaluation of gender equality in the workplace. Proportions of women and men working in media organization sections (eg. according to newsroom and production) and at all levels (junior, middle and top management).
- Cyclical review and reporting on actions to increase the percentage of women working in the newsroom.
- Existence of media policies securing equal treatment with respect to general working conditions/environment and rights including wages and promotion opportunities.
- Cyclical reviews and reporting on equal wages and promotion rates of women and men.
- Proportions of women and men promoted annually and offered wage increases as per established policies.
- Equal conditions of employment and benefits, including pension schemes.
- Equal and transparent recruitment practices (e.g. all interview panels should be gender balanced, gender officer involved in the recruitment process/programme of the organization at some point).
- Existence of collective agreement securing equal treatment between women and men.
- Alignment of all gender equality related policies to relevant articles of CEDAW such as Article 2, 4, 10, 11, etc.
- Monitoring for gender-responsive budgeting with participation of women.
- Existence of human resources policies on gender including on equal treatment.
- Publicity of human resources policies on gender.
- Media organizations facilitate the dissemination/availability of labour legislation concerning equal treatment of women and men to their staff members.
- Proportions of men and women staff members with part-time contracts.
- Proportions of men and women with fixed-term contracts.
- Proportions of men and women producing or reporting various news subjects (e.g. sports, politics and armed conflicts).
- Specific actions to increase percentage of women who produce or report various news subjects where this is low (e.g. quotas).
- Cyclical review and reporting on actions to increase women’s involvement (e.g. producing or reporting) in all news subjects.
Resource:
UNESCO Gender Sensitive Indicators for Media Guide. Available in English.