Diversity

ICC World Business Women launched by staff on International Women’s Day

  • 9 March 2012
Corporate responsibility

ICC celebrated International Women’s Day yesterday with the launch of an enterprising initiative to improve gender balance both within the secretariat of the world business organization and in its representative bodies.

Speaking to a packed room of participants at a launch breakfast meeting, ICC Secretary General Jean-Guy Carrier said that he was honoured to champion the staff-driven initiative.

Affirming ICC management’s commitment to the campaign Mr Carrier said: “Gender equality is not only a matter of social justice, but also a matter of practical business performance. We should not wait another 50 years for improvements to be made.”

Under the working title ICC World Business Women, the initiative will look not only to influence gender balance at ICC through management practices but also improve gender balance in ICC policymaking and governance bodies to better reflect the population of the global business community it represents.

Aiming to improve gender balance in ICC’s representation, leadership and positioning to better serve as a guide and advocate for global business, the initiative will undertake two key projects. One is the establishment of a network or experts bank of high level professionals and business women to serve as a resource pool for ICC activities and the other is to set up an internal diversity think tank. The think tank will study and make recommendations to management on remuneration, training, promotion, work/life balance and other issues that affect diversity and advancement of staff into leadership roles.

“Already this initiative has attracted a large number of staff willing to contribute to the focused projects outlined to advance gender diversity in their workplace and community,” said Elizabeth Thomas-Raynaud, ICC Policy Manager, who initiated the proposal. “The positive reaction from both women and men speaks to the timeliness of the proposal and recognizes that ICC has an important contribution to make in improving the visibility and balance of women in business leadership and representation.”

For more information as it becomes available follow us on Twitter (iccwbo_org), Facebook and LinkedIn (International Chamber of Commerce).

ICC and Diversity