Top 5 tips for taking GENDER action that matters

Here's a blog for Impacti members (or soon to be members) looking for tips on how to use our GENDER tool.

In this post we’ll tell you a bit more about HOW you can start deepening your gender impact, and we’ll also talk about WHAT you can do (although, of course, it’s ultimately up to you). Oh, and if you’re interested in WHY gender equality matters you can check out our earlier post: Join Impacti’s GENDER Journey.

This GENDER tool is about both (i) taking action and (ii) tracking your progress. Just like in our SDG MANAGE tool you can absolutely use GENDER to create a list of priority actions for your company, set goals over the next 5 years, and monitor your progress towards them.  But if you decide to spend this year working on only one action, like crafting a gender policy, that’s great too. We’ll provide the resources, support and community you need to make it happen. And you can then use our tool to set priorities for the future and measure your progress towards meeting your goals.

So here are our top 5 tips for taking gender action. They’re designed to be relevant to you wherever you are in your gender journey - whether you’re just getting started or are already established as a gender champion.

1. ‍Collect gender data. Learning more about who’s in management and leadership positions, or what people are being paid, is an important step to prioritizing your actions. For every indicator you create in GENDER, you can track numbers separately for women and men, and add additional categories (to learn more about diversity in your company, such as racial, ethnic, and LGBTQ2+ identities).
2. ‍Define what gender means.  Many businesses start by focusing their general initiatives on women, but gender can mean much more. Women are not a homogenous group, but rather face intersecting challenges based on elements of their identity like gender, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religion, caste, income, geographic location, migratory status, or age. By thinking more broadly about intersectionality you can build up the impact and credibility of your gender programs.
3. ‍Support government, NGO and community programs; don't replace them. Find out who’s working on the issues you care about and team up with them for greater impact.
4. ‍Engage suppliers to adopt your company’s approach. You can suggest any and all of these actions and indicators to your suppliers. Make sure that they’re working towards the same goals that you are.
5. ‍Work with experts. Let’s admit, tackling gender issues can be tricky. We can connect you with the people you need to bring your ideas to life.

Get in touch with Impacti

Here at Impacti, we've developed a SaaS technology solution backed by world-class gender experts designed especially for small and medium businesses to make gender action simple. Sign up now to get instant access or book a demo with our experts to learn more.