Woman, training and work

Gender! A Partnership of Equals
Geneve: International Labour Office, 2000. 115 p.

 

Employers' activities
Improving productivity

Why should employers be concerned about gender equality? Is it because it is the law in many countries? Because of social and employee pressure in the workplace? Or because employers may simply find it worthwhile to do so? And what does incorporating gender-based policies mean for business? Equal opportunity policies provide employers with a wider and more diverse range of potential applicants, thus improving the chances of obtaining the best person for the job. Moreover, employers can improve the likelihood of increased motivation, productivity, efficiency, and flexibility in the use of human resources.

Employer strategies in the private sector

Employers' organizations are concerned with creating and maintaining productive employment to help alleviate unemployment and poverty. Women contribute their part in alleviating these social problems and yet make up only a small proportion of employers as opportunities to education, training, and participation in substantial economic activities have been limited until now.

In order to adopt strategies, one must recognize and address the obstacles to surmount. At the workplace level, the following obstacles should be tackled by equal opportunity policies:

Obstacles in the workplace Biased recruitment and promotion systems Mobility requirements Seniority requirements Male networks influencing promotion Work organization and long hours Job design - lower skill requirements for "women's jobs" Family responsibilities

Overcoming the obstacles Enforcement of equality laws Effective complaint procedures Positive action measures Revaluing feminine occupations More women in traditional male jobs Raising awareness Family-care assistance Build networks of women's organizations

Key gender issues for employers' organizations therefore focus upon incorporating gender equality for economic development through:

• Recognizing the value and contributions of women for the complete use of human resources
• Encouraging equality in employment and increasing the participation of women managers and business entrepreneurs
• Expanding education and training opportunities, particularly for the educationally disadvantaged female
• Increasing the opportunities for competitive and productive positions are fundamental to integrate women in the mainstream of business

Equal opportunity policies

To avert gender-based job segregation, employers should adopt policies and programs to:

• Promote a positive environment at the workplace level compatible with employment creation, with favorable working conditions and welfare for everyone
• Influence government legislation which would incorporate gender analysis to complement and reinforce equal opportunity at all levels
• Devise training programs to enhance skills and inputs, upgrade the work performance of entrepreneurs, the self-employed, professionals, and increase the opportunities for women moving into non-traditional jobs and managerial positions
• Enforce strict policies to eliminate sexual harassment and discrimination
• Encourage family-friendly policies which take into account the social benefits of families such as family leave, and health care for men and women which supports equal family responsibility and benefits for both parents as well as for single parents and those with multiple jobs

Equal opportunity policies and programs should be designed to promote greater access to economic activities by doing away with gender bias. The following recommendations to incorporate gender issues in equal opportunity policies and programs should be considered:

• Project staff, national planners and policy makers should be sensitized to the importance of gender considerations at the project planning, implementation and evaluation stages
• Collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data on women's participation in various levels of the workplace with a view to assessing women's special needs and problems, and to increase their participation rates
• Networking with other institutions and associations, particularly in the design and implementation of programs to promote gender equality in employment and in the socioeconomic development of society
• Human resources development and management skills training to help prepare, improve, and sustain, the capacities of women in technical and vocational fields
• Disseminate information and training materials on the effective integration of women's concerns in private sector activities

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