Information Pack for Business Organisations

What is Gender Equality?

Gender equality refers to that stage at which the rights, responsabilities and opportunities will not be determned by the fact of being born male or female. Gender equality implies equal access to opportunities irrispective of one's gender but focuses on the individual's capabilities.

Unlike the sex of men or women that is biologically determined, the gender roles of women and men are socially constructed.

Gender Equality is a Human Right belonging to every individual.

Gender equality emanates out of the advancement of human rights in the world. Just lika all human rights, gender equality must be protected and promoted.

What is Gender mainstreaming?

Gender mainstreaming is the process of integrating a gender perspective into all activities.

The ultimate goal of gender mainstreaming is to achievegender equality.

Why should I as an employer/director introduce gender mainstreaming?

• Gender Mainstreaming involves both women and men and makes full use of human resources.     

Gender mainstreaming respects both men and women.  Through gender mainstreaming access to opportunities in employment are made equal thus utilizing the existing human resource capacity.

• Gender mainstreaming leads to better administration.

By introducing gender mainstreaming, policies would be gender inclusive       and this in turn would make sure that such organisational policies will not   negatively       affect any of the genders.  Thus gender mainstreaming leads      to better administration.

• Gender Mainstreaming takes into account the diversity among women and men.

Men and women are not a homogenous group, they differ in various aspects.  In order to pay due attention to this diversity, policies and policy   instruments have to take diversity into account.  Gender mainstreaming is able to target better the particular situation of different groups of men and women because it leaves room for diversity.

• Gender mainstreaming allows new ideas and concepts to be created.

By involving both genders in decision-making and in think tanks, products and services will be more sensitive to the needs of both genders.

• Gender mainstreaming of policies leads to more efficiency.

Trained individuals would not be lost, since work arrangements such as reduced hours of work and teleworking will be provided, thus retaining valuable staff.

• Gender mainstreaming is the way forward.

Attracting the more able individuals from the human resource market is the challenge we face today.  Providing policies and training initiatives sensitive to gender is a necessity.  Gender mainstreaming accommodates the needs of each and every one of us.

Gender Mainstreaming in Practice

• An employer should plan and prioritise which policies to mainstream initially.  The employer should review particular work processes, policies and activities within the business organisation.

• The following are simple steps to be followed in order to develop a gender mainstreaming plan:

1. Identify the person or group in charge and who will be responsible for gender mainstreaming.
2. Ensure that the concept is well understood.
3. Assess the situation at present, that is assess the services provided, employment conditions and the work environment.
4. List down the targets to be met as well as the expected results.
5. Identify the tools and techniques needed for the development and implementation of the policy plan including the need to educate the actors involved.
6. Set up a monitoring system.
7. Seek help and support from NCPE or other non-governmental organisations versed in these issues.

Critical Success Factors:    

1. Construct a gender mainstreaming policy plan. 
2. Identify an initiator/leader who is the person who will be responsible for carrying forward gender mainstreaming. 
3. Design a plan that takes the actual situation into account.  The final step is to monitor the results.
4. Conduct regular consultation sessions with staff and customers in order to assess the effects of such policy.  This is necessary to build on this learning curve and strengthen its potential.
5. Provide induction training to new recruits in order to make them aware of the work processes, policies and activities within the business organization.

Policy initiatives require follow-up, thus monitoring is necessary to serve this purpose.  The manner in which monitoring is to take place has to be decided when the gender mainstreaming project is initiated.  During this stage the techniques, tools and criteria for monitoring policies need to be defined.

The ultimate goal of monitoring is that of continuously improving the quality of your service provision.  Monitoring is of utmost importance for the further development and improvement of the quality of gender mainstreaming.

From where can I obtain assistance and information?

National Commission for the Promotion of Equality
The National Commission for the Promotion of Equality (NCPE) was set up in January 2004.  NCPE provides assistance and information to the general public regarding family friendly measures.
It also provides information about Maltese legislation regarding equality, gender equality issues, sexual harassment, employment, race, education, equal pay for work of equal value, women’s participation in politics, women in decision making levels.
Furthermore, NCPE has a Research and Documentation Centre at its premises that is open to the public. This library consists of over 5,000 books, journals and articles covering various literatures related to gender issues.

This leaflet is one of the products that project ESF/No. 48 Affirming Gender Mainstreaming at a National Level is delivering.

The National Commission for the Promotion of Equality (NCPE) is the project leader of this project.  This project is funded partially by EU Funds and co–financed by the Government of Malta.   The objectives of the project are to:

• Instill the principle of gender mainstreaming in all public and private organisational spheres of activity;
• Promote a culture of equality and non-discrimination at a national level;
• To eliminate the barriers that hinder female employment through discrimination.