More and more companies are implementing gender policies in employment

More and more companies across the country are committed to mainstreaming gender equality policies. They do this as part of the business strategy that has a positive impact on the workplace, the market and the community.

According to the UN sector that promotes gender equality and women's empowerment (UN Women), nearly 70 Argentine companies have already signed the Principles for the Empowerment of Women (WEP). It is a tool designed to help the private sector focus on the key elements to promote gender equality.

They lead the way

Among the companies that are already part of the program in the country is Renault Argentina. It was the first automaker to sign this pledge in August 2015, before the arrival of UN Women in the region.

So, starting in 2017 and for the first time in the history of the country's auto industry, women have been incorporated as actresses in different areas of the Santa Isabel factory of Córdoba, which accounted for 26% of new income.

Ethel Zulli, head of sustainable development at Renault Argentina, estimates that women now account for 15% of the total of some 2,900 company employees in the country. In 2013, this indicator was 7%. Currently, they are present in 25% of key positions in decision making.

Newsan is the first household appliance company to have an action plan to promote gender equality in its sector, which it achieved after the signing of WEP in 2018 .

"We are the society with the highest number of women in their payroll, of which more than 6,000 workers are female," said Sandro Cosentino, head of human resources at Newsan, a company consisting of eight production plants and three logistics centers in the country.

In terms of identifying the benefits of incorporating gender policies, plurality is different from Renault. "This has allowed us to have a plural vision within the company, as in society, and that has enriched us a lot," Zulli said, adding, "It is very important to have a good business. to attack this type of policy, because 30% of the cars sold in the countries are bought by women, and of the remaining 70%, 54% is a woman who has the power of veto or vote. "

In Latin America, as reported by UN Women with data from the Mckinsey Global Institute in 2015, "2% of businesses in the region have a female manager" and only "52% participate in the labor market", compared to 80% of men. In the same way, "only 11.2% of management positions are held by women".

The international body also warned of the absence of women in certain sectors, such as construction (6%), agriculture (11%) and, in particular, industry, where women only represent women. 19% of women. the workers.

To contribute to the economic empowerment of women, recognizing them as beneficiaries and partners of growth and development, the UN, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the United States. European Union (EU), together with the European Union, promote good deals ", in Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Uruguay and Argentina.