Business for Millennium Development Position Statements
Gender Equality Policy Statement
Ensuring parity between men and women is crucial to a fully functioning society.
B4MD takes achieving gender equality very seriously. This is a key part of our mandate to work with the Australian private sector to achieve the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) together with poverty stricken countries in the Asia Pacific region.
B4MD strives to promote and enact the gender equality MDG principle together with business in two ways:
- Tackling gender discrimination; B4MD advocates business to change discriminatory social norms, practices, work conditions and disincentives towards women in the workplace that perpetuate gender inequality. These include unequal pay for equal work, limited access to skills development and career opportunities and poor work-life balance; and
- Encouraging businesses to economically empower women through innovative core business linkages which reduce the level of poverty for women and their families.
It has been proven that investing in women is economically productive and will create a multiplier effect for the wellbeing and survival of poor households, particularly headed or maintained by women. Addressing the limited economic opportunities faced by women in low-income countries will contribute greatly to addressing poverty. In this regard, any projects that B4MD undertakes will be screened by a gender equality expert to ensure that the project empowers women.
B4MD will continue to work to ensure women as much as men are provided with skill building employment opportunities based on equity principles. We recognise there is much more work to be done in this area, both within our own organisation and in those we serve. B4MD therefore welcomes comments and ideas to better promote gender equality in all its activities and amongst its participant corporations. Please email your feedback to contactus@b4md.com.au.
