Community insights

The 2024 WEPs Forum Germany, titled "Accelerating Business Action for Gender Equality," was successfully held 22-23 May 2024, at the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) in Berlin. The event was a collaborative effort organized by the Agency for Business and Economic Development (AWE), DIHK, and the UN Women National Committee Germany. The Forum brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from WEPs signatory companies in Germany, with a total turnout of more than 160 participants.

“Building a diversity agenda that includes inclusive action is like building a house – with the foundation being the leadership commitment. In the middle, you have the pillars that support the house. This becomes your gender action plan. You must check [performance] in these areas. You must report so that decisions can be taken, which is [key] for the intervention.” — Beatrice Kiruri, HR Business Partner / DEIB Manager at Bamburi Cement Ltd.

“Our work continuously shows that men want gender equality and gender equality wants men. This is not a zero-sum game where some gain and some lose. We are working towards a goal in which everybody feels nurtured and live in a world that’s equitable.” – Chris Hook, Private Sector Engagement Lead at Equimundo.

“What we observe in high-income countries, low-income countries, and middle-income countries is that you have gender inequality everywhere.” - Hélène Périvier, Economist and Head of the PRESAGE programme at Sciences Pro in Paris, France. 

Accelerating progress towards advancing SDG 5 with ESG in the private sector 

In the realm of leasing, women often face multifaceted barriers that limit their access and involvement in financial transactions. From challenges in accessing capital to confronting gender biases in decision-making processes, these barriers underscore the need for a more inclusive and equitable leasing landscape. LeaseLine, a Belgium-based leasing broker with over 35 years of experience, recognizes the significance of addressing these challenges.

“We are not investing in women with a political agenda or motivation; but rather doing this on a “pure return” perspective” - Eva Halvarsson, CEO of Andra Ap-fonden (AP2) from Sweden, one of northern Europe’s largest pension fund.

Setting the scene – we need to speed up to achieve SDG 5 by 2030

Every year, the United Nations reviews progress made on gender equality through its Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). This year, the Commission’s priority theme was “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”. The two-week session coincided with the International Women’s Day on 8 March.

“If the law is the floor – some countries are still in the basement. There are many economies around the world where women do not have the same legal rights as men. We all need to work on making a big push to ensure that our next generation will not have to face the same issues”, said Daniela Behr, Economist, Women, Business and the Law team at the World Bank.

Last month, G20 heads of State and Government gathered in Indonesia to discuss how their countries will “Recover Together, Recover Stronger” from the current socio-economic challenges. In this important group – representing 60 per cent of world population and 80 per cent of global GDP – only one head of a State or Government was a woman.