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

Gender equality initiatives 13
Comparative assessment of non-legislative initiatives
In general, non-legislative gender equality initiatives for companies appear to have the
following advantages:
• Positive incentives are easier to be enforced politically than punishment
systems.
• The implementation of gender equality represents a fundamental change within
the organisational structures of an enterprise. The initiatives can contribute to
motivate companies to undergo this process.
• The initiatives can increase the benefits of the enterprises’ “investment” in
promoting gender equality.
• The initiatives represent a possibility for enterprises to assess and improve their
practices.
• The highlighting of good practices illustrates practicable solutions which have
been tested and approved in the enterprises’ daily business.
Moreover, such initiatives can move gender equality on the agenda of the media and
public debate. Thus, they contribute to raising awareness of the issue in general.
However, each type of non-legislative initiative has relative advantages and
disadvantages in terms of effectiveness and appropriateness for different situations.
Labels can initiate a sustainable organisational change and continuous improvement of
the enterprise’s gender equality policy. The assessment process includes clear
requirements and an external evaluation. Based on the analysis of the status quo
development plans are formulated with the help of external consultants. Thus,
sustainable organisational change is fostered. In contrast, such external consultancy
often entails costs and could be rather time consuming. As the labelling is constituted
as a process such an initiative seems to be appropriate for enterprises willing to change
its organisational structure and implement a sustainable gender equality policy
throughout the whole organisation.
Prizes or awards have the advantage of a wide media echo, for the enterprises as well
as for the promotion of gender equality in general. As it is based on the analysis of the
status quo it is an instrument to recognize the efforts an enterprise has already made
rather than initiating further developments. Thus, it also seems to be an appropriate
additional instrument to highlight those enterprises which are active in other initiatives
(e. g. prize for labelled enterprises), too. Furthermore, prizes seem to be a good “starter
drug” for enterprises that have started to implement gender equality measures but have
not yet publicised their efforts or undergone an external evaluation. The enterprise does
not risk much when participating.
The signing of a charter can be interpreted as a missionary act. It represents a strong
commitment of the enterprise to act in line with the charter’s principles which become
part of the mission statement and include implicitly the wish to motivate others to follow.
It is an ideal instrument for enterprises which have already started to support gender
equality and want to promote their activities. As it requires much self-initiative and
includes the commitment that enterprises implement the charter’s principles in concrete
measures tailored to their specific situation it can be seen as a hybrid between nonlegislative
initiatives and initiatives individually taken by companies. This stress to self-