EFC launches gender policy for corporates
View(s):The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC), in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched a document entitled ‘Maximizing Benefits: Ensuring Equality in Human Resource Development’ which promotes gender equality in the workplace.
The document provides a practical framework for business establishments in the private sector in Sri Lanka to promote gender equality in the workplace. It includes a framework of guidelines and steps for developing a gender policy as well as a model gender policy that can be adopted by private sector companies and institutions as a component of the entities’ comprehensive human resource development policy, according to an EFC statement to the media.
It was authored by Dr. Ramani Jayasundera, Consultant to the ILO. The EFC also launched a Code of Conduct and Guidelines to prevent and address sexual harassment in workplaces. This document was also released along with the ILO and is a more comprehensive set of guidelines than what existed before. It provides guidance to employers and employees to address and prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Ravi Peiris, Director General of EFC said the EFC always attempts to promote what is best for the society at large in the sphere of employment. He said that it was the vision of the founders of EFC to promote dialogue between employers, workers and trade unions for better workplace relations. “However, in recent years we have seen that in addition to promoting dialogue at the workplace, we also need to make the workplace a more inclusive place of work where no groups are marginalized or discriminated,” he was quoted as saying. Mr. Peiris also highlighted some of the barriers that exist in the labour legislation which prevent women from gaining access to employment and stated that the policymakers must make the necessary changes to provide equal opportunities for women to enter employment.
Ms. Naoko Otobe, Senior Employment (and Gender) Specialist ILO, Geneva, in her address observed that while the last 20 years has seen progress in advancing gender equality in the world of work, much of women’s employment remains characterized by lower pay, more precariousness and less prestige, compared to that of working men. Women’s labour force participation has increased substantially, particularly in industrialized countries and some middle-income countries. The improved levels of women’s education have contributed to their increased labour force participation. However, with rapid globalization in the last two decades, the world has also witnessed increasing income inequality and a decreasing share of wages in GDP, under “job poor” economic growth.