Panamanian firms advance towards gender equality
In the case of Panama, the decrease in the economic gender gap would have a considerable impact in the country´s economy, according to research by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Between November 23rd and December 3rd 2020, Panamanian firms received training on good practices for human resource management with a focus on equal opportunities, treatment and participation between women and men.
Diversity and gender parity promotion in companies is a competitive advantage, especially for Latin American companies that must face the new challenges presented by the pandemic. A 2019 Harvard Business Review study concludes that gender diversity, when authentically accepted, is related to more productive firms, measured by their market value and income. Therefore, promoting practical, authentic and simple actions that drive gender equality is key for incorporation this vision in Latin American companies. Likewise, investment in women reaps direct returns and influences more people, since women invest 90% of their income in their families and communities in comparison to men who invest 40%, according to the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
In Panama, reducing the gender wage gap would also have a considerable impact on the country's economy. A study by the IDB estimates that the Gross Domestic Product per capita of Panama would increase by 21% by levelling the participation of women and men in the labor market. Currently, the labor participation rate of Panamanian women is 51%, 21 points lower than men, and the unemployment rate of women reaches 8%.
It is undeniable that Latin American companies face greater challenges due to the pandemic and its economic consequences. In this context, the impact of COVID-19 on female employment has been very significant. The ILO Observatory indicated that throughout Latin America, it has been women, more than men, who have suffered the loss of employment with greater intensity. Thus, while the range of loss in male employment goes from 3% to 34%, female loss ranges between 7% and 43%.
In this context, the ILO, through the Project for Responsible Business Conduct in Latin America and the Caribbean (RBCLAC) together with the Gender Committee of the National Council of Private Enterprise of Panama (CoNEP) promoted training to support Panamanian firms to develop practical, simple and effective actions on gender parity. About 30 businesswomen, managers and entrepreneurs met to address 60 good practices that they can apply in their companies and organizations in terms of gender parity.
The training materials and methodology were taken from the SCORE Gender Equality Model (MIG SCORE), which was born based on the more than 8 years of global experience of ILO`s Sustainable, Competitive and Responsible Enterprises Program (SCORE), with the financial support from the Swiss and Norwegian cooperation.
The MIG SCORE proposes an innovative approach that teaches and accompanies the implementation of effective minimum practices to manage gender equality in companies and organizations, improving the working conditions of women and men, increasing labor productivity while supporting organizational change.
“It is not a traditional gender course, but a practical, dynamic and participatory space. We began with a process of reflection on gender issues, to then advance in the four steps of the MIG SCORE and its five spheres of action that identify key practices for the effective management of human talent and gender parity. From active and responsible fatherhoods, to tools such as the suggestion box and the time check to manage work permits, the idea is to give managers concrete actions that companies can implement in the short term ”, indicated Carolina Trevisi Fuentes, National Coordinator of the ILO SCORE Program in Colombia and course trainer.
"Simple and powerful: gender parity for everyday business," was the title of the workshop that urged participants to implement some of the 60 MIG SCORE good practices. This was the follow-up step after the study carried out in 2019 by CoNEP with the support of the ILO to identify good practices in gender equality in multinational companies with operations in Panama. Additionally, CoNEP made available an online tool for companies to support prioritization of good gender parity practices: http://diagnostico.conep.org.pa/paridad-de-genero/autodiagnostico/
“The workshop means taking a step forward in our study and assisting in the implementation of concrete actions to accompany this group of professionals so that they become replicators of these good practices. We reiterate that we will continue working and looking for concrete mechanisms that contribute to the transformation and appreciation of gender parity in our country, leading initiatives that promote the improvement of the working conditions of women in the workplace as part of a roadmap. This roadmap will serve as a tool to develop a program that includes training and dissemination activities in companies and business organizations, as a commitment to the promotion of female empowerment in leadership positions that results in the human and integral development of women”, expressed Analisa Montenegro, executive director of CoNEP.
For her part, Carmen Marenco, from the Panamanian company Productos Toledano who participated in the workshop, indicated that the greatest challenge faced by companies like hers in terms of gender equality are the “preconceptions that exist about the roles of men and women in society, and that unfortunately exist in everyone's mind. Only by educating and being constant can we change these beliefs that date back a long time”. She also highlighted that the workshop was very useful because it allowed them to recognize gender biases and use practical tools to address them.
“I value the workshop because it was simple but powerful. First, it enabled the connection with yourself to understand that you are part of the situation, then it moves you towards a different form of thinking, giving you evidence for change. And finally, it provides you with tangible and applicable business tools, which do not have a high cost, but which will surely have a significant impact to improve the way women are seen and treated in companies ”, highlighted Marenco .
About the RBCLAC Project
The RBCLAC Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the ILO, OECD and OHCHR, seeks to promote responsible business conduct by supporting the development and implementation of National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights, strengthening Due Diligence and the exchange of good practices in the matter.
Diversity and gender parity promotion in companies is a competitive advantage, especially for Latin American companies that must face the new challenges presented by the pandemic. A 2019 Harvard Business Review study concludes that gender diversity, when authentically accepted, is related to more productive firms, measured by their market value and income. Therefore, promoting practical, authentic and simple actions that drive gender equality is key for incorporation this vision in Latin American companies. Likewise, investment in women reaps direct returns and influences more people, since women invest 90% of their income in their families and communities in comparison to men who invest 40%, according to the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
In Panama, reducing the gender wage gap would also have a considerable impact on the country's economy. A study by the IDB estimates that the Gross Domestic Product per capita of Panama would increase by 21% by levelling the participation of women and men in the labor market. Currently, the labor participation rate of Panamanian women is 51%, 21 points lower than men, and the unemployment rate of women reaches 8%.
It is undeniable that Latin American companies face greater challenges due to the pandemic and its economic consequences. In this context, the impact of COVID-19 on female employment has been very significant. The ILO Observatory indicated that throughout Latin America, it has been women, more than men, who have suffered the loss of employment with greater intensity. Thus, while the range of loss in male employment goes from 3% to 34%, female loss ranges between 7% and 43%.
In this context, the ILO, through the Project for Responsible Business Conduct in Latin America and the Caribbean (RBCLAC) together with the Gender Committee of the National Council of Private Enterprise of Panama (CoNEP) promoted training to support Panamanian firms to develop practical, simple and effective actions on gender parity. About 30 businesswomen, managers and entrepreneurs met to address 60 good practices that they can apply in their companies and organizations in terms of gender parity.
The training materials and methodology were taken from the SCORE Gender Equality Model (MIG SCORE), which was born based on the more than 8 years of global experience of ILO`s Sustainable, Competitive and Responsible Enterprises Program (SCORE), with the financial support from the Swiss and Norwegian cooperation.
The MIG SCORE proposes an innovative approach that teaches and accompanies the implementation of effective minimum practices to manage gender equality in companies and organizations, improving the working conditions of women and men, increasing labor productivity while supporting organizational change.
“It is not a traditional gender course, but a practical, dynamic and participatory space. We began with a process of reflection on gender issues, to then advance in the four steps of the MIG SCORE and its five spheres of action that identify key practices for the effective management of human talent and gender parity. From active and responsible fatherhoods, to tools such as the suggestion box and the time check to manage work permits, the idea is to give managers concrete actions that companies can implement in the short term ”, indicated Carolina Trevisi Fuentes, National Coordinator of the ILO SCORE Program in Colombia and course trainer.
"Simple and powerful: gender parity for everyday business," was the title of the workshop that urged participants to implement some of the 60 MIG SCORE good practices. This was the follow-up step after the study carried out in 2019 by CoNEP with the support of the ILO to identify good practices in gender equality in multinational companies with operations in Panama. Additionally, CoNEP made available an online tool for companies to support prioritization of good gender parity practices: http://diagnostico.conep.org.pa/paridad-de-genero/autodiagnostico/
“The workshop means taking a step forward in our study and assisting in the implementation of concrete actions to accompany this group of professionals so that they become replicators of these good practices. We reiterate that we will continue working and looking for concrete mechanisms that contribute to the transformation and appreciation of gender parity in our country, leading initiatives that promote the improvement of the working conditions of women in the workplace as part of a roadmap. This roadmap will serve as a tool to develop a program that includes training and dissemination activities in companies and business organizations, as a commitment to the promotion of female empowerment in leadership positions that results in the human and integral development of women”, expressed Analisa Montenegro, executive director of CoNEP.
For her part, Carmen Marenco, from the Panamanian company Productos Toledano who participated in the workshop, indicated that the greatest challenge faced by companies like hers in terms of gender equality are the “preconceptions that exist about the roles of men and women in society, and that unfortunately exist in everyone's mind. Only by educating and being constant can we change these beliefs that date back a long time”. She also highlighted that the workshop was very useful because it allowed them to recognize gender biases and use practical tools to address them.
“I value the workshop because it was simple but powerful. First, it enabled the connection with yourself to understand that you are part of the situation, then it moves you towards a different form of thinking, giving you evidence for change. And finally, it provides you with tangible and applicable business tools, which do not have a high cost, but which will surely have a significant impact to improve the way women are seen and treated in companies ”, highlighted Marenco .
About the RBCLAC Project
The RBCLAC Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the ILO, OECD and OHCHR, seeks to promote responsible business conduct by supporting the development and implementation of National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights, strengthening Due Diligence and the exchange of good practices in the matter.