From this it is clear that IT and consulting sectors are at
Also, as umbrella organisations, business associations can
the forefront in investing resources for the professional
customise their services to suit the needs of their industry.
development of women through programmes that foster
They can also draw upon expertise from their membership
networking and leadership among women professionals.
pool while at the same time influence members to take up the cause of gender equality.
When their efforts are examined against the percentage of women in the workforce, the IT sector's efforts have been
PRINCIPLE 5: IMPLEMENT ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT,
brilliant. With their women workforce ranging between
SUPPLY CHAIN AND MARKETING PRACTICES THAT
24% and 34%, their efforts to pitchfork women into
EMPOWER WOMEN
positions of leadership needs applause. It can be safely concluded that women join this sector because of the
Expand business relationships with women-owned
promising and lucrative career paths it offers them as well
enterprises, including small businesses, and women
as the many opportunities for growth and development
entrepreneurs
that come their way. Support gender-sensitive solutions to credit and In the area of skill upgradation, although a few companies
lending barriers
provided information on how many women employees have received trainings, specifics of these trainings have
Ask business partners and peers to respect the
been hard to determine. Hence, it has not been possible
company's commitment to advancing equality and
to assess whether these training programmes have
inclusion
contributed in any way towards women's empowerment. Respect the dignity of women in all marketing and Business associations, having a huge network of members,
other company materials
are well placed to provide networking and capacity building services to women. A few associations are making concerted attempts to support the development of MSMEs as they have amply demonstrated their potential in economic development.
Ensure that company products, services and facilities are not used for human trafficking and/or labour or sexual exploitation
Introduction
According to the Fourth MSME Census (2006-2007), there are 26.1 million MSME in India; 8% of these are women-run
Principle 5 moves beyond the domains of organisation and
enterprises. By closely working with these women-run
looks at how businesses can meaningfully engage with
businesses, and by building their capacity and strengthening them, businesses can make a tremendous impact on women's empowerment while also adding to their profits.
women outside of their value chain. It tackles several 'how's' -- how businesses can take actions to support women in their supply chain, how gender sensitive policies in marketing and communication can help empower 49