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Resource Type: Report

The Women’s Empowerment Principles: Reporting on Progress

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ATTRIBUTES
  • Measuring and Evaluating
  • Reporting

SOURCE
  • UN Global Compact, UN Women

TYPE OF RESOURCE
  • RReport

TARGET AREA
  • Implementation

TARGET UNIT
  • Corporate Reporting, Diversity & Inclusion, Human Resources

LINK TO RESOURCE

The Women's Empowerment Principles: Reporting on Progress

UN Global Compact, UN Women
The UN Women and UN Global Compact have produced this gender-specific guidance that offers practical advice on how to report on each of the seven Women’s Empowerment Principles. It provides general reporting approaches and specific examples of disclosures and performance indicators for each Principle. Importantly, the guidance aligns with established reporting frameworks such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), and can be integrated into businesses’ UN Global Compact Communication on Progress (COP).

To learn more, click here.

In Focus: Addressing Investor Needs in Business Reporting on the SDGs

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ATTRIBUTES
  • Reporting

SOURCE
  • UN Global Compact, Global Reporting Initiative

TYPE OF RESOURCE
  • RReport

TARGET AREA
  • Strategy

TARGET UNIT
  • Corporate Reporting

LINK TO RESOURCE

In Focus: Addressing Investor Needs in Business Reporting on the SDGs

UN Global Compact, Global Reporting Initiative
This document builds on currently available disclosuresand provides perspectives and recommendations to help companies include information related to the SDGs in their corporate reporting.The report aims to effectively inform investor decision-making processes.

The 10 key recommendations in this report provide context on different investor approaches and essential elements for investor-relevant SDG business reporting. They complement the recommendations provided in “Integrating the SDGs into Corporate Reporting: A Practical Guide.”

Message and Approach

  1. Consistency of message for investors aligned with others addressing SDG contributions
  2. Integrated approach between SDG-related strategy and performance and overall sustainability and business strategy

Strategy and Governance

  1. Linkage of SDG trends and key factors driving corporate strategy
  2. Management approach to critical issues
  3. Appraisal and reward for meeting SDG targets

Report Content

  1. Analysis of risk and opportunities towards SDGs
  2. Quality and balance between facts and statements about SDG contributions
  3. Forecasting by demonstrating cause and effect between SDG and business performance

Data Format

  1. Standardized data that is comparable across time and companies
  2. Links to data in raw form

To read more, click here.

Integrating the SDGs into Corporate Reporting: A Practical Guide

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ATTRIBUTES
  • Goal Setting
  • Reporting

SOURCE
  • UN Global Compact, Global Reporting Initiative

TYPE OF RESOURCE
  • RReport

TARGET AREA
  • Strategy

TARGET UNIT
  • Corporate Reporting, Diversity & Inclusion, Human Resources

LINK TO RESOURCE

Integrating the SDGs into Corporate Reporting: A Practical Guide

UN Global Compact, Global Reporting Initiative
This guide was developed by the UNGC to help companies establish or further improve their reporting mechanisms related to the SDGs. It does not propose a new reporting framework; instead, it outlines a three-step process designed to entrench the SDGs into a pre-existing reporting framework.

Step 1: Define priority SDG targets

  • 1.1: Understand the SDGs and their targets
  • 1.2: Conduct principled prioritization of SDG targets
  • 1.3: Define your SDG-related report content

Step 2: Measure and analyze

  • 2.1: Set business objectives
  • 2.2: Select appropriate disclosures
  • 2.3: Collect and analyze data

Step 3: Report, integrate, and implement change

  • 3.1: Consider general features of good practice when reporting on the SDGs
  • 3.2: Consider data users’ information needs
  • 3.3: Report and implement change

To read the guide, click here.

Business Reporting on the SDGs – An Analysis of the Goals and Targets

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ATTRIBUTES
  • Baseline Assesment
  • Reporting

SOURCE
  • UN Global Compact, Global Reporting Initiative

TYPE OF RESOURCE
  • RReport

TARGET AREA
  • Strategy

TARGET UNIT
  • Corporate Reporting, Diversity & Inclusion, Human Resources

LINK TO RESOURCE

Business Reporting on the SDGs - An Analysis of the Goals and Targets

UN Global Compact, Global Reporting Initiative
The resources that make up “Business Reporting on the SDGs – Action Platform” were developed collaboratively by UNGC and GRI to help organizations uphold and track the progress of SDGs. While the Action Plan includes detailed information about how to implement, analyze, and record all 17 SDGs, the summaries below focus on SGD 5 – Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls.

The three resources listed below, “An Analysis of the Goals and Targets”, “Integrating the SDGs into Corporate Reporting: A Practical Guide”, and “In Focus: Addressing Investor needs in Business Reporting on the SDGs” correspond with one another to build the five steps of the SDG Compass:

  • Step 1. Understanding the SDGs: “Integrating the SDGs into Corporate Reporting: A Practical Guide”
  • Step 2. Defining priorities: “An Analysis of the Goals and Targets”; and “Integrating the SDGs into Corporate Reporting: A Practical Guide”
  • Step 3. Setting goals: “Integrating the SDGs into Corporate Reporting: A Practical Guide”
  • Step 4. Integrating: “Integrating the SDGs into Corporate Reporting: A Practical Guide”
  • Step 5. Reporting and communicating: “An Analysis of the Goals and Targets”; and “Integrating the SDGs into Corporate Reporting: A Practical Guide”

To learn more, click here.

Partnering and Partnership: Lessons Learned in the DI

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ATTRIBUTES
  • Outreach Initiatives and Partnerships

SOURCE
  • Devonshire Initiative

TYPE OF RESOURCE
  • RReport

TARGET AREA
  • Implementation

TARGET UNIT
  • Community Outreach, Corporate Social Responsibility, Diversity & Inclusion

LINK TO RESOURCE

Partnering and Partnership: Lessons Learned in the DI

Devonshire Initiative
The Devonshire Initiative has synthesized lessons learned from workshops, affiliate organization resources, and documents in the public domain related to cross-sector partnerships.

Due Diligence: Strong partnerships start with a strong foundation established through the due diligence process. Some lessons learned on due diligence are:

  • Know why you and the potential partner are interested in partnering
  • Get to know each other’s organizations
  • Build personal relationships and ensure there are common values and shared objectives

Communication: Strong communication is key in maintaining a strong relationship throughout the life of a partnership. Some lessons learned on communication are:

  • Communicate drivers, interests, and wants with the partner
  • Understand that partners don’t always communicate in the same ways
  • Communicate about the partnership with everyone in the organization

Evaluating Partnerships: Partnership evaluation is an ongoing process through the life of the partnership. Some lessons learned on evaluating partnerships are:

  • Use evaluations to continue improving the partnership
  • Don’t focus only on tangible and measurable benefits
  • Discuss boundaries and what is included in the evaluation

Strengthening Partnerships: This will help best ensure success of the partnership. Some lessons learned on strengthening partnerships are:

  • Formalize the agreement, establish timelines, make commitments
  • Establish good governance and accountability protocols
  • Commit adequate human resources to the partnership

To learn more, click here.

Strengthening Women’s Rights Organizations Through International Assistance

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ATTRIBUTES
  • Outreach Initiatives and Partnerships

SOURCE
  • MATCH International Women's Fund, Nobel Women's Initiative, Global Affairs Canada

TYPE OF RESOURCE
  • RReport

TARGET AREA
  • Strategy

TARGET UNIT
  • Community Outreach, Corporate Social Responsibility

LINK TO RESOURCE

Strengthening Women's Rights Organizations Through International Assistance

MATCH International Women's Fund, Nobel Women's Initiative, Global Affairs Canada
This report is the summary of a workshop held by the MATCH International Women’s Fund and Nobel Women’s Initiative with support from Global Affairs Canada. The workshop discussed lessons learned on funding mechanisms, models, and approaches that effectively support women-led organizations and movements. This resource provides key learnings and recommendations that can help the private sector support women’s organizations and improve any existing relationships with those organizations.

  • Fund women’s organizations. Long-term, core funding is essential to enable women’s organizations to bring about social change. Seek out organizations committed to gender equality and women and girls’ empowerment.
  • Strengthen relationships. Long-term and meaningful relationships are key to advancing a women’s rights agenda. This requires ongoing dialogue and collaboration between donors, intermediaries and local activists.
  • Reduce administrative burden. Donors’ complex monitoring and evaluation frameworks, such as overly onerous results-based management requirements, end up squeezing out small organizations in favour of bigger non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that can recruit or pay for the expertise needed.
  • Intermediaries can help donors achieve impact and scale. Intermediaries such as women’s funds serve as a vital link to grassroots groups.

To read the full report, click here.

Unlocking Opportunities for Women and Business – Women and Community Engagement

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ATTRIBUTES
  • Outreach Initiatives and Partnerships
  • Supply Chain

SOURCE
  • IFC

TYPE OF RESOURCE
  • RReport

TARGET AREA
  • Development

TARGET UNIT
  • Community Outreach, Corporate Social Responsibility

LINK TO RESOURCE

Unlocking Opportunities for Women and Business – Women and Community Engagement

IFC
This resource is a toolkit of actions and strategies for oil, gas, and mining (OGM) companiesto reach their gender goals. Even though the toolkit is focused on the OGM sector, the actions and recommendations provided in the resource can be easily translated to other industries.

This toolkit provides steps to ensure that companies incorporate gender equality as they develop community engagement strategies. It provides recommendations in three sections:

  1. Assess and Prepare: This section offers tools to help community engagement teams review the company’s community engagement activities to assess the extent to which gender is an explicit theme.
  2. Address: This section offers tools to help integrate gender sensitivity into the initiatives based on the assessment information collected.
  3. Monitor and Sustain: This section offers guidance on setting benchmarks, measuring impact, and improving practices to address potential concerns and avoid problems altogether.

Some examples of initiatives and programs to support women and girls:

  • Gender-based violence education and awareness
  • Capacity building and financial support for local and regional women’s organizations

Some examples of initiatives to encourage women’s economic empowerment:

  • Promotion of women’s entrepreneurship (e.g. start-up grants, microfinance, access to local markets or supply chains)
  • Scholarships and apprenticeship programs for women and girls (general in nature or specific to the sector of the company)

To learn more, click here.

Why Gender Matters: A Resource Guide for Integrating Gender Considerations into Communities Work at Rio Tinto

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ATTRIBUTES
  • Intersectionality
  • Outreach Initiatives and Partnerships

SOURCE
  • Rio Tinto

TYPE OF RESOURCE
  • RReport

TARGET AREA
  • Strategy

TARGET UNIT
  • Community Outreach, Corporate Social Responsibility

LINK TO RESOURCE

Why Gender Matters: A Resource Guide for Integrating Gender Considerations into Communities Work at Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto
This guide provides organizations in the mining industry with direction on how to foster inclusive engagement and development by incorporating gender considerations into their work; avoiding putting women and men, communities and projects at risk; and better achieving diversity goals. The guide includes four phases for integrating gender into community work and connects all phases through inclusive engagement considerations to make sure women and men from different social groups can participate in meaningful and impactful ways.

The four stages of Communities work are:

  1. Know and understand the gender roles and responsibilities and the differences in women’s and men’s access to resources. Integrate gender considerations into: social impact assessment, baseline communities’ assessment, and social risk assessment.
  2. Plan and implement, avoiding adverse impacts and maximizing benefits. Integrate gender considerations into policies at business unit level, communities’ strategy and plans, operational plans and communities’ work, and standard operating procedures.
  3. Monitor, evaluate, and improve through accurate and reliable data. Use gender-sensitive indicators, evaluate gendered outcomes, review performance, and improve projects and plans.
  4. Report and communicate gender performance internally (e.g. annual reviews of community’s program) and externally (e.g. local Sustainable Development reports) to encourage feedback.

To learn more, click here.

Using CSR and Philanthropy to Close the Gender Gap in Tech

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ATTRIBUTES
  • Organizational Culture
  • Outreach Initiatives and Partnerships
  • Recruitment, Retention and Promotion

SOURCE
  • Reboot Representation

TYPE OF RESOURCE
  • RReport

TARGET AREA
  • Strategy

TARGET UNIT
  • Community Outreach, Corporate Social Responsibility, Diversity & Inclusion, Human Resources

LINK TO RESOURCE

Using CSR and Philanthropy to Close the Gender Gap in Tech

Reboot Representation
McKinsey and Pivotal Ventures collaborated on this study to examine how tech-company philanthropy and corporate social responsibility investments can improve the gender diversity of the tech pipeline.

Through a survey they found insight on practices that can increase tech gender diversity through philanthropic and CSR investments.

  1. Focus on women and girls: It is important for companies to support either girls-only programs or coeducational programs. Maintain a focus on women’s equal representation, with stated goals at the program level to avoid replicating current gender ratios.
  2. Solve for those facing the most barriers – underrepresented women and girls of color: Companies can support programs that target specific challenges faced by the sub-segments of women who are facing multiple forms of marginalization.
  3. It is never too late; consider multiple on-ramps: According to research, because girls are less likely than boys to have exposure to computing as children, later on-ramps – such as those during higher education – offer high-impact opportunities for women and girls.

To learn more, click here.

Supporting and Growing Women-Owned Businesses

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ATTRIBUTES
  • Supply Chain

SOURCE
  • Canada-United States Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders

TYPE OF RESOURCE
  • RReport

TARGET AREA
  • Strategy

TARGET UNIT
  • Community Outreach, Procurement

LINK TO RESOURCE

Supporting and Growing Women-Owned Businesses

Canada-United States Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders
In this research, the Canada-United States Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders has outlined specific initiatives to support women entrepreneurs.

Expanding the use of private sector supplier-diversity programs and increase outreach to women-owned businesses. “Best practices” capturing the full benefit of supplier diversity include:

  • Having a dedicated team focused on meeting specific supplier diversity targets.
  • Maintaining a central database of procurement needs and registered suppliers.
  • Prioritizing outreach efforts such as attending conferences and summits and working closely with networks, accelerators, and incubators in your sector.
  • Implementing a supplier diversity policy and a reporting mechanism.
  • Partnering with catalyzing organizations like WEConnect International, Women Business Enterprises Canada, National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC) or Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)to connect with women-owned businesses.

Challenge accelerators and professional networks to attract and develop women-owned businesses. “Best practices” that stand out in attracting and developing women entrepreneurs:

  • Tracking and transparency: MaRS Discovery District reached a 30 percent participation of female founders under the guidance of a female CEO.
  • Women-focused programming: Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women program helped participants reach an average annual growth of 20 percent in revenue.
  • Co-ed networking: Entrepreneurs’ Organization provides all participants (male and female) with access to a network of entrepreneurs.
  • De-bias investment decisions: The Business Development unit in Bank of Canada conducted an independent accessibility review of all steps in a female entrepreneur’s journey.
  • Role modelling and public commitment: YPO Canada joined the #GoSponsorHer Challenge to encourage members to reach out to women entrepreneurs.

To learn more, click here.