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

Gender equality initiatives 71
promotion of women in high ranking positions and combining family and professional
life. This prize was part of the PANDORA Community Initiative EQUAL and ended in
2007.
Besides prizes / awards at national level, in some countries there are also regional or
even local prizes / awards. In the Flemish region of Belgium, there is an “Award
Gendervriendelijke Bedrijven” (gender friendly companies award) which is organised by
COMEVA, a joint project of six Flemish magazines. It is an award for the most men-,
women- and family friendly company. The choice for the most gender friendly company
(profit or non-profit) is based on an internet poll. Around 2,000 people working for 600
different companies voluntarily participate in this poll. They are asked about the
situation in their workplace (percentage of female managers, initiatives of management
with regard to work-life balance, possibility of part-time work, flexibility etc.).
In Germany there are regional prizes in Bavaria and in Baden-Württemberg. In France
there is a gender equality prize for enterprises of the region Midi-Pyrénées and in
Poland there is one in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. An example for a local prize is
the gender equality prize awarded in the municipality Kópavogur in Iceland.
Finland constitutes an exception, as the country has a law (“Act on Equality between
Women and Men”) stipulating that an organisation needs to have a gender equality
plan if it employs at least 30 employees. The content of the Gender Equality Plan is
predetermined by the law. The employer has to draw up a gender equality plan each
year in cooperation with its staff and also has to implement the plan's measures each
year. Even though the gender equality plan is drawn up on an annual basis, it may
contain shorter or longer term objectives. The content of the gender equality plan and
the implementation of its measures are primarily concerned with equal pay and other
terms of employment such as working hours/times and leaves. The plan may be
incorporated into the company's personnel and training plan or its occupational health
and safety action plan. The gender equality plan must contain a gender equality
assessment, measures for improving the situation, and a review of the results of the
previous year's plan. Despite the Act, not all companies execute the Gender Equality
plan. Since 2005, the content of the law was further specified and there was imposed a
conditional fine if companies do not execute the plan. So far, the fine has not been
imposed on any company.
In Finland there is a prize called “Tasa-arvosuunnittelukilpailu” (gender equality plan
prize) which is given to companies which use outstandingly efforts in drawing up a
gender equality plan. There is no other prize / award in Finland with a special focus on
gender equality. In general, all companies having implemented the Gender Equality
Plan are eligible for the prize, regardless of line of business. The two main criteria for
the Prize are concreteness on planning and evidence that the company has met the
targets.
The Gender Equality Plan must be based on the gender equality situation at the
workplace. For example, it can cover the recruitment procedure, the employment of
women and men in different jobs, career progress, working conditions, personnel
training, reconciliation of work and family life, attitudes to gender equality as well as
occupational safety and health. The plan can be drawn up by using statistical and
qualitative methods, but it is also important to include information derived from practical
experience.