Gender Networks
STORY
Many organizations have utilized employee networks, as well as working and steering groups, to engage as many employees and members of leadership as possible in gender mainstreaming goals.
The level of efficacy of such groups, however, can be limited to the level of engagement achieved by members and sustained over a long period of time.
One gender specialist who participated in our research was pleasantly surprised to find that their international gender network was an active place for employees to discuss gender equality in the workplace, learn more about the issues, and find ways to elevate gender mainstreaming initiatives in their own organization. The gender specialist attributed the high level of engagement experienced in the network to the grassroots approach that was taken to its formulation; wherein workers outside of their gender team were able to take leadership roles in the activities planned by the group. Moreover, the network provided a space for all of their workers, located internationally, to connect on issues of gender and discuss cultural differences related to the topic.
Gender networks are an excellent tool for identifying individuals within the organization who are interested in promoting gender mainstreaming within their own departments as well as a way to encourage informal dialogues about gender equality issues. Learn more about gender networks and similar tools in the following solution set:
