Principles

Principle 1: Establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality

Leadership Promotes Gender Equality

  • Affirm high-level support and direct top-level policies for gender equality and human rights

  • Establish company-wide goals and targets for gender equality and include progress as a factor in managers’ performance reviews

  • Engage internal and external stakeholders in the development of company policies, programmes and implementation plans that advance equality

  • Ensure that all policies are gender-sensitive – identifying factors that impact women and men differently – and that corporate culture advances equality and inclusion

Company Examples

  • An international mining group headquartered in the UK, commissioned a resource guide on how to engage women and community groups as a major policy directive of its business operations.

  • A company assessment at the highest level by a global accounting and consulting firm determined that the company was losing out on business by failing to attract and retain highly skilled female professionals, and on the basis of these findings, worked to change company culture and policies through leadership and board involvement.

  • The leadership of an East Asian apparel manufacturer implemented an integrated, comprehensive approach to women’s empowerment through programmes recognizing female employees’ accomplishments and supporting women’s advancement in the company through wide-ranging education, training and safety initiatives.