International standard for gender equality: France takes the lead
Equal opportunities, the fight against discrimination, access to education, the place of women in organizations… What if an ISO standard, international in scope and voluntary in application, set down good practices on paper, as is the case for many other everyday subjects? After the publication of an initial Franco-French document, the project is now in gestation within the International Organization for Standardization, under tricolor animation. France is at the origin of this initiative, which will be launched in 2021,” reminded Olivier Peyrat, CEO of AFNOR, at the start of a videoconference attended by over 300 people from 42 countries on February 25, 2022. Standardization makes it possible to establish a common language for better understanding and dialogue, and to support the implementation of best practices and operational tools in all organizations, whatever their nature, sector of activity or nationality.”
Initiated in 2022, the work is due to be completed in 2023, drawing on everyone’s experience and respecting consensus. Strict gender equality does not exist today in any country in the world,” emphasized Elisabeth Moreno, French Minister for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunity, as she opened the discussions. This issue is one of the major causes of the French presidency of the European Union.
We are committed to producing a final document that is flexible and accessible to all, in the belief that it will contribute to the development of a more sustainable economy and a fairer society.
Business isn’t gender-neutral either. Sweden therefore advocates trade policies that favor women. “For example, we need to develop purchasing processes that take gender into account,” explains Amélie Kvarnström, Trade Policy Advisor at the National Board of Trade Sweden. For its part, the Organisation internationale de la francophonie (OIF) is focusing on deconstructing stereotypes. We are developing educational materials to help change these prejudices, with the aim of promoting women’s economic autonomy and equality. “says Madeleine Oka-Balima, head of the OIF’s Gender Equality Unit.
France’s AFNOR SPEC, a global think tank
The health crisis has reinforced the need for this international dimension.. “The situation of women and girls is deteriorating, and their vulnerability is increasing, says Marie Soulié, head of the “gender, education, population, youth” unit at the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. Standardization work carried out with all the organizations concerned will make this a representative and participative process, which will strengthen the arsenal of measures in favor of equality”. To this end, the work will be supported by
the French AFNOR Spec
developed in 2021.
Drawn up in less than six months with a wide range of stakeholders (ministries, local authorities, companies, universities, associations, etc.), this document has established itself as a working basis for standardization. 60 experts from 30 organizations took part in discussions on the various themes,” explains Sophie Schwamberger, Project Manager at AFNOR. Built around best practices, it constitutes a guide of concrete elements applicable in all organizations.”
At present, according to ISO, 187 voluntary standards contribute directly or indirectly to the United Nations’ MDG 5. And this is just the beginning. Because work is also carried out from within,” explains Javier Garcia Diaz, Director General of the Spanish Standards Association and ISO Gender Champion. “Since 2019, we have been directly integrating the gender issue into the work of our technical committees. This includes collecting data on the representation of women on our committees, sharing good practices with our 180 members and constantly raising awareness of the issue. “An issue fully supported in Canada, where the feminization of standards is emerging as a major topic. “Studies have shown that one size does not provide sufficient protection in personal protective equipment standards. In fact, the specifications correspond to men’s morphologies, not women’s,” explains Chantal Guay, Executive Director of the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). This has a lot to do with representation: in Canada, only 24% of our committees are made up of women. They need to play a greater role in standards development.
The ISO/PC 337 committee is at the helm.
AFNOR Spec’s approach, tools and methods are highly operational, ” says Mireille Péquignot, President of the Halte Discriminations association. In addition to the societal argument, the economic argument is an important lever that proves the value of committing to this approach.
Although women are increasingly present in universities, they are absent from certain fields, with a cost to society estimated in the billions every year. Conversely, 80% of companies that have taken action to promote equality have reaped the commercial benefits.”
Next step: structuring internationally. Just as the French AFNOR Spec inspired the creation of a French commission, the international standard project is being led by an ad hoc committee at ISO. Our thinking is in line with historic initiatives, such as the4th UN World Conference and the United Nations Agenda 2030, known for its list of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” explains Denis Roth-Fichet, chairman of this committee called ISO/PC 337. Our focus is on MDG5: achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. We also take into account the national laws passed in many countries.. “
Moving the lines
For all participants, an international voluntary standard would generate immediate positive and concrete effects. For a multinational group like ours, having a text applicable in all countries, whatever the level of maturity, is of major interest,” says Tanguy de Belair, Director of Inclusion and Diversity at Vinci. Such a document will set out a clear framework that can be appropriated and applied worldwide. Each local initiative will make sense in terms of global expectations.
A step forward, at a time when women’s access to the workplace is still restricted by law in 104 countries? Certainly, according to Fanny Benedetti, Executive Director of UN Women France. “Over-representation of women in the informal economy, wage gaps, the weight of unpaid work… The task is immense, but the standard can strengthen women’s place in the economy,” she says. How? “For example, by accelerating progress through a program of in-depth transformation of the company. The text will help define the most important areas of work in relation to each company’s situation, such as governance, non-discrimination, health, safety and well-being in the workplace… Concrete steps forward!
One thing is certain for Olivier Peyrat, CEO of AFNOR: the collective work carried out will have a ripple effect throughout the company. ” Identifying problems means starting to identify solutions. This is precisely the role of the voluntary standard, which lays down precise definitions, without interpretation or connotation, so that universal good practices can be adopted throughout the world. Or how to make life easier and better!
