POST EVENT
On 14 December 2020, the WE EMPOWER-G7 programme hosted the "Creating Fair and Equal Workplaces" event with participation of Nordic companies. The event was co-hosted by the UN Global Compact in Denmark and UN Women.
The webinar showcased how companies can through a focus on Principle 2 further the efforts in creating a fair and equal workplace.
THE EVENT
Equality between women and men in the world of work has greatly improved over the last decade, however, progressing is stalling and disparities remain in areas such as equal pay for work of equal value, gender based violence and harassment, and distribution of unpaid care work. COVID-19 has exacerbated many of these challenges and is threatening to even reverse progress.
The crisis, however, represents an opportunity. Companies making investments in building more inclusive workplace are increasing chances of retaining workforce and nurturing a culture where all employees have equal opportunity to achieve potential.
Principle 2 - Treating all women and men fairly at work aligns with international human rights principles on labor standards an It also translates to better talent acquisition, higher employee retention and satisfaction, increased productivity and better decision making. Removing all forms of discrimination in corporate policies, strategies, culture, and practices is a solid step forward in a company’s journey towards treating all employees fairly.
We invite you to take part in this webinar to learn how your company can through a focus on Principle 2 further your efforts in creating a fair and equal workplace.
During the webinar tools and practices to apply in both everyday practices and long-term strategies will be presented, and two companies, Tele2 and Arla, will present their work related to Principle 2 - Treating all women and men fairly at work. You will also have the opportunity to discuss with UN Women representatives, WEPs signatories and other companies on how your company can further engage with this principle.
Tele2
Tele2 is a telecommunications firm operating in Sweden, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Information Technologies (IT) and telecoms have traditionally been male dominated: in 2018, women made up just 28 per cent of those working in the sector in Sweden and only 17 per cent of telecoms firms were led by women. The issue of gender imbalance came into sharp focus for Tele2 when in 2018, the company merged with another Swedish IT services provider. Only nine per cent of the new global leadership team were women. This led to reflection on the state of gender inequality in the IT and telecom sector overall, and particularly in Tele2.
The company put in place a 16-point action plan to address the causes of gender imbalances at every stage of life. For Tele2, committing to the Women’s Empowerment Principles seemed like a natural step given the overlap between them and its own 16-point action plan, and the company became a WEPs signatory in 2019. Tele2 have conducted a case study on their work Principle 2 - Treating all women and men fairly at work, and will during the webinar give a presentation on their case study, the challenges they met along the way, and how they see their work going forward.
Arla
Arla Foods amba is a Danish multinational cooperative based in Viby, Denmark, and the largest producer of dairy products in Scandinavia. Focusing on Women’s empowerment principles #2: ‘Treat all women and men fairly at work – respect and support human rights and non-discrimination’ Susanne will give an introduction to how Arla continuously work on creating a workplace free from harassment and with equal opportunities for all. Giving examples of global policy measures put in place from recruitment to parental leave, and actual actions such as job creation and workshops for women in non-European markets.
REGISTER TO ATTEND THE EVENT
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event.
ORGANIZERS
The event is co-hosted by the UN Global Compact in Denmark and UN Women.
UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide.
Promoting Economic Empowerment of Women at Work through Responsible Business Conduct in G7 Countries (WE EMPOWER - G7 Programme) is a programme funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by UN Women and the International Labour Organization (ILO). The WE EMPOWER G7 Programme convene multistakeholder dialogues in the EU, Canada, Japan and the US to exchange knowledge, experiences, good practices and lessons learned in the context of the changing world of work.
The Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) are a set of Principles offering guidance to business on how to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and community. Established by UN Global Compact and UN Women, the WEPs are informed by international labour and human rights standards and grounded in the recognition that businesses have a stake in, and a responsibility for, gender equality and women’s empowerment.