Over the last decades the world of work has witnessed significant advancements on gender equality, however gender gaps and gender/based barriers remain – fewer women are in employment than men, women are systematically paid less and more likely to be not in employment nor in education and training (NEET), or exposed to informal employment and occupations with poor working conditions. Women are largely engaged in an unpaid care work and that is one of the main reasons they are under-represented in managerial and leadership positions or are totally outside the labour force. Working mothers face multiple motherhood penalties in employment, wage and leadership, which result in their worse position in the labour market in comparison to women without children. Violence and harassment in the world of work have a detrimental impact on women’s participation in employment and the quality of their work.
These and other challenges hindering women’s empowerment and gender equality in the world of work can be addressed with the meaningful participation of global stakeholders, including governments, companies, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and civil society. The private sector, including employer and business membership organizations, plays a central role in fostering an enabling environment in which women can meaningfully participate and thrive in the economy through proactive, transformative and measurable workplace policies and practices. Company policies are key in complementing, strengthening and enhancing national laws and policies and help stimulate transformative change within societies. Promoting gender equality at the workplace is not only the right thing to do, but also the smart thing to do. A growing body of evidence shows that utilizing the skills and talent of both men and women is beneficial for enterprises and for society in general.
In 2021, the ILO Office for Italy and San Marino has participated in a number of events to demonstrate how business can achieve equal pay for work of equal value, prevent and end violence and harassment in the world of work, promote a work– family balance and the sharing of childcare responsibilities, support women in business and management, and build a future of work that works for women, including with the reference to the ILO international labour standards and by utilizing resources and guidance offered by the Organization.
Events and resources:
Women’s empowerment in the world of business
A joint event organized by the UN Global Compact Network Italy and Women 20 on 28 June 2021 on the occasion of the Italian presidency at G20, aimed to discuss the role of Italian businesses in contributing to women’s empowerment and gender equality in the workplace.
Gender series: Gender equality in the workplace
Organized by the UN Global Compact Network Italy a series of meetings dedicated to demonstrate how Italian members of the UN Global Compact can contribute to the advancement of gender equality in line with the SDG 5 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Global Inclusion An initiative that involves Italian companies, non-governmental third sector organizations, universities and institutions of the ecosystem of inclusion created with the aim of promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the Italian society, including the workplace. The initiative has been promoted since 2019 by the Global Inclusion Committee - Article 3 and by the Italian Association for Personnel Management and from this year also by the Sole 24 Ore.
