Gender Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Network group on how business’ work with Gender Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
This network group is for business professionals responsible for driving action on Gender Equality, Diversity & Inclusion. Prior participation in the Accelerator Programme Target Gender Equality is preferable.
UN Global Compact Network Denmark’s approach
Every individual should have an equal opportunity to thrive, regardless of their background, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or any other personal characteristic.
While UN Global Compact Network Denmark fully acknowledges the importance of valuing all differences among individuals, our primary focus is on promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. The foundation for our work is the Women’s Empowerment Principles and it ties into Principles 1,2 and 6 of the Global Compact. It is, however, possible to apply the knowledge and tools gained from working with gender equality to promote and ensure all individual differences amongst people in the workplace, marketplace and community.
A fundamental human right
Gender equality is a fundamental human right. Yet despite progress, women and girls around the world do not fully experience equal rights and their potential as economic, social and sustainable development change-agents remains untapped. It will currently take over 267 years to achieve equality in terms of women’s economic empowerment and participation.
Women are underrepresented across business. They receive unequal pay for equal work and they continue to be targets of physical and sexual abuse. Additionally, women-owned enterprises are economically disadvantaged and lack equal opportunity to compete for business opportunities. Women also face legal and other barriers that affect their opportunities at work and as entrepreneurs.
Empowering women and girls helps expand economic growth, promote social development and establish more stable and just societies. In fact, studies show that women and men participating equally in the economy could add a further US$28 trillion to global annual gross domestic product (GDP) by 2025.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) underscore women’s empowerment as an important development objective, in and of itself, and highlight the relevance of gender equality to addressing a wide range of global challenges.
How this group works
By joining this group, you’ll have the opportunity to meet colleagues and have the opportunity to share knowledge, best practices, and challenges you face in your organizational role.
The group convenes 3 – 4 times per year. Meetings are facilitated by Head of Programs Lene Westergaard, with support of Berit Kirstine Bøggild from Mannaz who has been facilitating the Accelerator Program Target Gender Equality for the past two years.
Meetings are hosted by member companies of UN Global Compact Network Denmark on a voluntary basis.
Want to know more about this group?
Reach out directly to Head of Programmes, Lene Westergaard, lene@globalcompact.dk if you have any questions.
Lene Westergaard
Head of Programmes
Human Rights, Diversity & Inclusion, Anti-Corruption
lene@globalcompact.dk
(+45) 81 77 77 00