A coastal zone management project in Tanzania found that women were not actively participating in the village producer associations and environmental management groups and purposefully set out to achieve more gender-equitable participation. A meeting was held with both men and women to discuss the lack of participation by the women. The men recognized that when women did not participate, their understanding of the issues would suffer and the men themselves would not benefit from the ideas, experiences, suggestions and help they could get from the women. [The men] perceived the lack of participation by women to be the result of customs and tradition, rather than their own unwillingness to listen to the women. Women identified poor timing of the meetings and the lack of advance notice as the problem. Men and women discussed their different perceptions. The women decided that they would attend the meetings and men promised that they would listen to the women, and that meetings would be held at a time that would be more suitable for women and announced in a better manner. Subsequently women attended many of the meetings (although initially in low numbers); they took seats in the village environmental committees, and participated in the formulation of the fisheries management agreement. The project helped the village to establish quotas for
o e s o ittee e e ship to efle t the a ti ities o hi h o e o ked.
Source: Van Ingen, T., C. Kawau, and S. Wells, 2002, Gender Equity in Coastal Zone Management: Experiences from Tanga, Tanzania. The World Conservation Union, December 2002.
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4.3 Businesses
There are ethical and legal reasons for promoting gender equality in the Corporate Social Responsibility policy of your businesses and value chain, but there are also compelling business case arguments for supporting greater gender equality, including increased productivity, staff retention, wider talent pools for recruitment, and greater security of product supply. The tools presented here can assist companies in integrating gender in their business strategy and, as a consequence of this, in their sustainability/ CSR reports. By doing so, companies may win recognition by workers, investors and consumers. It could allow all interested stakeholders to gai i sights i to the effe ts of o ga izatio s ope atio s, p odu ts, a d se i es o oth o e and men.
The e a e th ee ge de a d C“‘ tools that ea h o k o a diffe e t i pa t le el of ou company:
Tool 4.3a Business as a direct employer
This tool supports the integration of sound gender and CSR practices directly at the work floor.
Tool 4.3b Business as a key player in value chains
This tool supports the integration of sound gender and CSR practices wider in the value chain your business operates in. This tool includes special attention for agri-food supply chains and suppl hai s fo the u tapped a ket of the Base of the P a id .
Tool 4.3c Business and the community
This tool supports the integration of sound gender and CSR practices in the wider community your business operates in.
Credits
Oxfam International, 2012, Ge de e ualit , it s ou usi ess. Briefings for Business. No 7. International Edition. © Oxfam International February 2012.
IFC & GRI, 2009, Embedding Gender in Sustainability Reporting, A P a titio e s Guide Executive Summary. IFC In partnership with the governments of Germany, Iceland, and Switzerland.
United Global Impact and UNIFEM, 2009, Wo e s E po e e t P i iples. Equality Means Business. I additio , a p ese tatio p o idi g a o e ie of the Wo e s E po e e t P i iples a e fou d o Slideshare.
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Tool 4.3a Business as a direct employer
From Oxfam International, GRI & IFC and UNIFEM & UNGC Why use this tool?
Large companies could do much more to improve their business by better representing and supporting women employees. For example, in the EU, the gender pay gap increases with age, level of educational attainment, and years of service: it exceeds 30 percen t in the 50–59 age group, compared with 7 percent for those under 30. The periods in which pay gaps increase are often linked to the years when families have young children.
What do you gain from using it?
Improve the efficiency of your business
Addressing gender equality in the labor force and in the Board room of your own company enables you to attract and retain the best employees, increase productivity, improve morale, reduce absenteeism, increase return on investment in staff training and career development, enhance your corporate image and reputation, and increase innovation. There is also evidence o the li k et ee u e s of o e i a age e t a d o the Boa d, a d a o pa s fi a ial pe fo a e. Co pa ies ith o e at the top ake ette decisions, produce better products, and retain several key business advantages over more homogeneous
o pa ies . Fi all , e ide e suggests that o e ial tea s that efle t the de og aphi characteristics of the market are better positioned to respond to changing consumer needs, and that products developed in this way can better respond to the needs of the consumer base.
Meet the equality requirements
Companies in most countries where they directly employ personnel are obliged to promote the rights of women and guarantee that female workers enjoy equal wages, adequate working conditions and fair career prospects. These obligations are supported by the ILO. The ILO Co stitutio s P ea le also st esses the p o isio of a ade uate li i g age . The CEDAW (The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women), adopted in 1979 by the UN and signed by 64 countries a year later is an international bill of rights for
o e , a d dedi ates a hapte to o e s ights i e plo e t.
Who applies this tool and for whom?
This tool provides a checklist of possible actions to be taken by the management of a company. The checklist can also be used for lobby by personnel of the company to encourage the management to address gender equality.
How does it work?