Resource information
Worldwide, most countries recognize
equal rights between men and women. Many have produced
regulations intended to fight discrimination and programs
granting women access to health, education, and economic
rights such as land ownership. However, the fact remains
that women have fewer opportunities than men to benefit from
economic development, with lower participation in the labor
force. Even in the most advanced countries, their wages
average 73 percent of those of men. International programs
such as the millennium development goals point out the
benefits of addressing gender inequality and the positive
impact this can have on poverty reduction. This and other
similar initiatives have been successful in improving the
social conditions of women but have been less effective in
enhancing women's participation in economic activities.
In the private sector in particular, the advantages of
giving equal opportunities to men and women have not been
fully assessed. While the principle of gender equity in the
workplace is generally accepted, discriminatory practices
persist in many organizations despite regulations to the
contrary. The Gender Equity Model (GEM) developed and tested
in Mexico has proved to be a successful tool for promoting
gender equity in the private sector under a participatory
approach that has gained support by workers and staff alike.
