Gender Equality in the Workplace

The ILO is committed to promoting gender equality in the workplace through a number of initiatives, ongoing research, and country projects. Technical assistance programs systematically analyze and address the specific needs of both women and men, and target interventions to enable women and men to participate in – and benefit equally from – development efforts.

The ILO has identified gender as an issue cutting across all of its programs and activities in the world of work. To implement this strategy, in December 1999 the Director-General of ILO issued a policy statement highlighting a strong and visible political commitment at the highest level of the Office. The Action Plan on Gender Equality and Gender Mainstreaming in the ILO was submitted to the ILO Governing Body in March 2001. It provides for a participatory approach to mainstreaming gender equality in the world of work. The Action Plan covers:

• A new methodology for analysis to ensure gender concerns are incorporated in planning, programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
• Gender-sensitive data, and gender-specific development tools and indicators; and
• Implementation of gender balance in ILO’s personnel policy and practices.

These measures aim to ensure that gender analysis and planning are introduced into all ILO activities, and at every level. They help to identify potentially different effects of the work of the ILO on women and men, and the provisions necessary to ensure that its activities have a positive influence on gender equality.