4. Promote education, training and professional development for women

Education and Training

• Invest in workplace policies and programmes that open avenues for advancement of women at all levels and across all business areas, and encourage women to enter nontraditional job fields
• Ensure equal access to all company-supported education and training programmes, including literacy classes, vocational and information technology training
• Provide equal opportunities for formal and informal networking and mentoring
• Offer opportunities to promote the business case for women’s empowerment and the positive impact of inclusion for men as well as women

Company Examples

• To open opportunities for women’s career advancement in IT fields, a US-based multinational technology company maintains strategic partnerships with women’s organizations in many of the countries where it operates, to promote education and training and recognize women’s accomplishments in IT.
• A large European airline company reaches out to youth through education projects to break down the barriers that traditionally limit women to certain jobs in the industry and men to others.
• A large financial services company in Australia offers numerous initiatives aimed at supporting women in business, including an online platform to help Australian women connect with other women in business internationally to share information, research and career advice.