The WEPs are based on seven guiding principles which, as we said earlier, enables the issue’s inclusion in a defined and measurable framework.
First, a company must establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality: the willingness to resolve the issue and to introduce new models, must, therefore, be acknowledged and formalised rather than being generally “desired”. The second principle is to guarantee the fair treatment of all women and men at work, respecting and supporting human rights and non-discrimination. The third principle covers health, safety and well-being of all women and men workers. Once again, these intentions must be included in a structured and agreed framework rather than left up to the individual as part of a generalised invitation. The fourth principle deals with education and training and professional development for women. The fifth principle covers the implementation of enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices that empower women and aims to promote women in business, acknowledge their role in human resources and respect their dignity in all marketing fields. The sixth principle covers the promotion of equality through community leadership and engagement while the last principle is intended to measure and report the progress to achieve the equal treatment of men and women in the workplace.
Although compliance with the WEPS is completely optional as is any decision about which and how many activities to implement, companies can use the WEPs Gender Gap Analysis Tool for self-assessment purposes while the six-step path (consider - sign - activate - engage - sustain - report) is a real roadmap to keep companies on track along the way.