Study on non-legislative initiatives for companies to promote gender ...

100 Gender equality initiatives
o societal changes in education and labour market: the success rate of
women in tertiary studies is high, the biggest growing population on the
labour market are women;
o societal changes have to be reflected to raise commitment of the
employees;
• changes in expectations of the younger generation: growing rate of dual
earners, changing roles in families - importance of work-life balance, flexibility in
work organisation (rising family obligations also for male employees);
• research findings show that organisations that have women in senior positions
are more likely to prosper.
Internal drivers:
• philosophy of gender equality is an integral part of the company, since the start
of the business;
• internal statistics show the discrepancy that while women are representing half
of the workforce, their shares in higher positions are relatively low;
o analysis of internal statistics and figures reveal that women are not
progressing in the firm in the way that the company would expect them
to;
o observation that within the company women’s careers are progressing
clearly slower than men’s;
• sustainability of the workforce: attract, retain and develop workforce by
guaranteeing access to skills, ensuring succession and loyalty as well as
keeping personnel costs in control;
o avoid the cost and competence loss when a well qualified (female)
employee quits;
• feeling that not all of the employees’ potential is being used in order to have
maximum profit (both intrinsic and extrinsic) for the company;
o take advantage of all different qualifications and talents of the
employees;
o skills and abilities of the employees can only be used to a maximum
effect when the company helps to master the challenge of combining
career and private life/family;
o ameliorate the working climate and be a company where all employees
feel valued and can develop competencies;
• male and female customers (marketing analysis shows that women in many
cases carry out or influence purchase decisions);
o industry specific motive: company operates in e. g. software engineering
that is dominated by men; but the clients are men and women – the
company therefore seeks to better understand the needs of their female
clients;
o company is more competitive when the structure of the customers is
reflected (easier to meet the customers’ needs).