Diversity and Inclusion

A gender audit is a process aimed at promoting organizational learning at the individual, structural unit and organisational levels on how to practically and effectively mainstream gender. Being a “social audit” it helps identify critical gaps and challenges and recommends how to address them, suggesting possible improvements and changes. A gender audit enhances the collective capacity of the organization to examine its activities from a gender perspective and identify strengths and weaknesses in promoting gender equality issues. It monitors and assesses the relative progress made in gender mainstreaming and helps build organizational ownership for gender equality initiatives.

The main activities performed during a gender audit are:

• Analysis of best international practices on non-discrimination policies, family-friendly policies, work-life balance policies and other policies, including in the industry in which the organization operates
• Analysis of internal policies of the organisation with the same focus
• In-depth interviews with the top management of the organisation
• Focus group discussions with the staff from different structural units
• Systematisation of received data and development of recommendations.

The gender audit report will contain:

• The results of desktop research on the analysis of international practices and internal policies of the organisation
• The results of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with the defined state of gender equality in the organisation and issues identified
• Recommendations on possible steps that the organisation should take to achieve gender equality.

The purpose of equal employment policies is to guarantee equal opportunities to employees in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, career advancement, development, renumeration and work-life balance, implementation of non-discrimination, and combating gender-based violence, harassment, sexual harassment and bullying at workplace. Such policies are aimed at creating an inclusive corporate culture and workplace as critical enabling factors to maximise employee engagement, productivity and, therefore, business competitiveness. They also contribute to the staff diversity to form more dynamic workplaces and creative decision-making and vastly impact the well-being of both workers and their families helping employees to balance work with family responsibilities. 

Among equal employment policies are:

• Gender equality policy
  
• Policy on the prevention of sexual harassment and discrimination
  
• Policies to combat gender-based violence, including domestic violence
  
• Work-life balance policy
  
• Responsible parenting policy, including childcare and paternity leave
  
• Recruitment policy
  
• Breastfeeding support policy
  
• Procurement policy
  
• Employee social support policy.