Take the Gender Equality Pledge

Sign the Gender Equality Pledge and tell us how your organisation will commit to ensuring equal opportunities for all workers.

Why Gender Equality is Important

 

Worldwide, most countries recognize that equal rights should exist between men and women. Many have produced regulations intended to fight discrimination and programs granting women access to health, education, and economic rights such as land ownership. However, the fact remains that women have fewer opportunities than men to benefit from economic development, with lower participation in the labor force.

Even in the most advanced countries, their wages average 73 percent of those of men. International programs such as the Millennium Development Goals point out the benefits of addressing gender inequality and the positive impact this can have on poverty reduction.

According to the Cayman Islands National Assessment of Living Conditions conducted in 2006/07 “The overall labour force participation rate for the Cayman Islands was at 71.9 percent, and labour force participation by males (73.6%) exceeded female participation (70.1%).”

While the principle of gender equity in the workplace is generally accepted, discriminatory practices persist in many organizations despite regulations to the contrary. It is important to create an open and friendly atmosphere to address gender discrimination issues; therefore it is critical to involve men and women rather than only women. Because gender biases are embedded in culture, it is very difficult to eliminate them without having a holistic view and involving men as a part of the solution.

 

Promoting Gender Equality Makes Good Business Sense

In Mexico, a Gender Equity Model or “GEM 2003” was developed and tested by 57 firms with around 250,000 employees, and they were certified by the project closing date of December 2005. The model that was developed proved to be a successful tool for promoting gender equity in the private sector. The following were the empirical results that GEM 2003 identified in a qualitative survey administered to firms. The firms reported:

  • improved labor environment within the firm (31 percent of the firms)
  • better communication between management and workers (23 percent of the firms)
  • an increased number of women in managerial positions (9 percent of the firms)
  • increased productivity (8 percent of the firms)
  • reduction in salary gap (8 percent of the firms)
  • reduction in maternity-related discrimination (8 percent of the firms)

(Information from:  Smart Lessons in Advisory Services, “Gender Equity Promotion in the Private Sector in Mexico: The Development of a Successful Model” by Maria Elena Castor and Template Equality and Diversity Policy by Working Association of Voluntary Services)

 

Who should take this pledge?

Employers, trainers, qualifying bodies and providers of goods and services who are committed to taking tangible action to improve gender equality within their organisation and within the Cayman Islands are all eligible to take this pledge.

 

Best Practice Principles and Policies to Promote Gender Equality

  • As an employer or provider of goods, services or facilities ensure that you are committed to encouraging diversity and gender equality and eliminating discrimination.
  • Create an environment in which individual differences and the contributions of all employees and volunteers are recognised and valued.
  • Create a working environment that promotes dignity and respect for all. No form of intimidation or harassment will be tolerated.
  • Ensure training, development and progression opportunities are available to all.
  • Promote gender equality in the workplace not only because it is good management practice but because it makes sound business sense.
  • Regularly review all employment and volunteering practices and procedures to ensure
  • Regularly review provision of goods, services and facilities to ensure they are accessible and appropriate to all groups outlined in the Gender Equality Law.
  • Treat breaches of the Gender Equality Law or internal policies seriously and take disciplinary action when required.
  • Provide information and training to all employees and volunteers so that they are fully aware of the issues relating to the Gender Equality Law and/or internal policies and their responsibilities relating to it.
  • Create written policies, procedures and practices that support gender equality such as sexual harassment policies and family friendly policies. Family friendly policies would outline practices in relation to the following areas: maternity and paternity leave, adoption leave, parental leave, time off for dependents, compassionate leave, or flexible work hours.
  • Ensure that policies developed are fully supported by the executive board or chief decision maker(s).
  • Monitor and review internal policies annually.

 

Facilitating Equal Opportunities in your Organisation

Recruitment

The following are some examples of how to increase access to jobs by eliminating gender bias in the recruitment process:

  • Recruitment processes are reviewed to eliminate job segregation by gender. Ensure that the human resources staff receive training designed to avoid such bias.
  • Ensure that you do not exclude, discriminate against, or discourage any particular group from applying, nor make it difficult for any one from such a group to apply.
  • All applicants will be asked to fill out an application form which contains only information essential and relevant to the appointment.
  • Applications will be shortlisted by at least 2 people. Short listing will be performed on the basis of objective criteria and the extent to which candidates have shown, in the application form,  that they meet the required Person Specification, and can carry out tasks and responsibilities required of the post-holder. Formal qualifications and standards of literacy and numeracy will only be taken into account when they are recognised as necessary for a particular job.

Interviewing and Selecting

  • All interviews will be carried out by a minimum of 2 people, the names and sex of interviewees will be made available in advance.
  • The questions asked will seek to gather objective evidence in support of the job description and person specification. The same questions will be asked of all candidates applying for the job.
  • Notes will be taken and evidence gathered against the job description and person specification.
  • All candidates will be scored against the job description and person specification. The highest scoring applicants will be offered the position.
  • Offers will be made to successful candidates, subject to satisfactory references and police background checks (where required).
  • All unsuccessful candidates will be informed of the result of their application and offered brief feedback.

Training

  • All employees and volunteers have access to a wide range of training opportunities which are regularly circulated.
  • Training opportunities are discussed during supervision sessions and selection for training is made on the basis of both the needs of the business set out in the Business Plan and the personal development plan of the individual.
  • Ensure equal access to training, taking into account different perspectives and different gender roles.  For example, if a place of employment wanted to increase the number of women into certain positions that have been historically male dominated, then training practices could be changed in order to facilitate increased women’s participation. In order to increase women’s participation, perhaps sessions could be carried out on the employment premises or offered during times that take into account women’s schedules as a result of their gender roles.

Sexual Harassment

  • Policies and mechanisms to denounce and deal with sexual harassment are established, and training and communication campaigns are carried out to create a respectful working environment.
  • Uphold the right of all employees and volunteers to be treated with respect and dignity and to work in an atmosphere free of sexual harassment.
  • All employees and volunteers are responsible for ensuring that their own behaviour is sensitive to others and for ensuring that they do not condone or support the harassing behaviour of others.
  • All complaints of sexual harassment will be treated seriously and should be raised using a Grievance Procedure. All complaints will be investigated.