Employers organizations taking the lead on gender equality: case studies from 10 countries

The case studies in this publication provide insights into the efforts that are being made in this respect by employers and their organizations in countries across the world. The gender equality issues that employers' organizations seek to address evidently vary considerably from country to country.

Gender equality and non-discrimination between men and women are fundamental principles that have been promoted by the ILO since it was first established in 1919 and are set out in its Constitution. These principles are developed in ILO Conventions and particularly in the Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) and the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111).

The case studies found in this publication make a compelling case for the involvement of employers' organizations in gender equity issues. They also confirm that this is an area in which employers' organizations need to take a leadership role. In particular, leadership is required to raise awareness among the members of employers' organizations, both lower level federations and individual employers, of the importance of adopting a more proactive approach to gender equality and the benefits of such an approach.