Committee : United Nations Women (UNW)
Issue : Measures to bridge unequal gender gap in corporations
Main Submitter : United Kingdom
Co-Submitter : Japan, Thailand, Uruguay, Singapore
UNW Committee,
Recognizing that gender equality is not only a human right but also a
necessary condition for sustainable development as mentioned in the Fifth
Sustainable Development Goal of the UN,
Reaffirming the principles laid down in the Convention on the Elimination of
all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW), which calls for the
elimination of gender-based discrimination in all areas, including economy
and corporations,
Expressing concern over the sustained wage gap between men and women
which leads to the unequal access to opportunities,
Noting with concern that despite global economic advancements, women
continue to be underrepresented in leadership and decision making roles with
only 29% of senior management positions held by women globally,
according to the International Labour Organization (ILO),
Taking into account the finding of the World Economic Forum’s global
gender gap report which shows that with the current rate of progress it will
take more than 100 years to fully close the economic gender gap,
Acknowledging that diverse leadership and gender equality in corporations
contributes to better decision-making, innovation and overall economic
performance, as shown by various studies from organizations like McKinsey
and Company, which show that conalines with greater gender diversity in
leadership perform better than those without,
1. Encourages governments to offer financial incentives to corporations
that promote gender equality and meet gender diversity targets :
a) Implement tax incentives such as :
i) Tax deductions or credits for companies which achieve specific gender
diversity targets in leadership positions
ii) Reduced corporate tax rates for organizations that showcase sustained
commitment to gender equality by maintaining a minimum percentage of
women in senior management roles
b) Establishing grant programs to fund for :
i) Initiatives aimed to enhance female workforce participation which include
training programs, mentorship schemes and women recruitment campaigns
ii) Establish a global gender equity fund to allocate money to corporations
c) Providing subsidies for companies which implement flexible
working policies such as :
i) Financial support or providing childcare benefits to support working
mothers
ii) Enhance the parental leave policies so that the father and mother get equal
leave to promote shared caregiving responsibilities
iii) Adjusting meeting times and formats to accommodate women's schedules
is crucial. This includes offering virtual participation options and providing
childcare services during meetings to facilitate greater involvement ;
2. Calls for the establishment of mentorship and leadership development
programs which support women in building the skills that they need to
advance into senior roles within corporations, especially in male dominated
industries, through the following measures :
a) Encourages the implementation of internal mentorship schemes where :
i) Senior female leaders guide and mentor junior female employees and share
experiences
ii) Cross-company mentorship opportunities where women are allowed to
gain diverse perspectives from leaders in different sectors
b) Calls upon educational institutes to partner with corporations to offer :
i) Internship programs designed for young women to gain exposure and
experience in male-dominated industries
ii) Scholarships and grants for women pursuing degrees in fields where they
are underrepresented such as STEM
c) Recommends the creation of formal trainings such as :
i) Workshops and Seminars
ii) Access to coaching sessions led by experienced executives
iii) Establish networking events to connect female leaders and promote
discussions amongst them ;
3. Advocates for the creation of an annual global gender equality challenge
where corporations are incentivized to develop and implement solutions
aimed at closing the gender gap in the workplace, with the most effective
ones gaining recognition and funding for further implementation ;
4. Calls for the implementation of transparency policies that require
companies to publicly disclose gender diversity statistics and progress reports
to ensure accountability and foster a healthy competition which encourages
continuous improvement in gender equality
