Highlights from IFC-PBC Gender Diversity Awards & Climate2Equal Closing Ceremony

CERB continues to emphasize highlighting business contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the CERB Sustainability Directory and the SDG Leadership Programme. To learn more about both, please email [email protected].

What's new this week:

• Highlights from IFC-PBC Employer of Choice” Gender Diversity Awards & Climate2Equal Closing Ceremony?

The 3rd IFC - International Finance Corporation - The Pakistan Business Council "Employer of Choice" Gender Diversity Awards and the Climate2Equal Closing Ceremony took place on September 26, 2024, bringing together a diverse group of businesses dedicated to promoting gender equality and inclusion in Pakistan's private sector.

The ceremony began with opening remarks by Khawaja Aftab Ahmed - IFC Regional Director for the Middle East, Pakistan, and Afghanistan where he highlighted that inclusive and sustainable economic growth can only be realized when gender diversity is achieved in the workplace. He mentioned that companies need to provide various initiatives to support the retention of women employees. Following his remarks, Nazish Shekha – Head of Initiative, CERB delivered a presentation on the Climate2Equal Initiative, highlighting the role of the private sector in advancing gender-inclusive climate action. Nazish’s presentation also covered the types of pledges companies can take and where the gaps and opportunities lie for Pakistani businesses. Following her presentation, the winners of the Climate2EqualCollaboration were announced.

This year’s ceremony was especially significant as it marked the culmination of the IFC-PBC Climate2Equal Peer Learning Collaboration. The initiative engaged over 20 companies in driving gender-inclusive climate action, with Packages Group , National Foods Limited , and Bank Alfalah Limited emerging as leaders of this initiative. The commitment of these organizations to not only promoting gender diversity but also integrating it with climate action reflects the holistic approach needed to achieve the SDGs and gender parity in the workplace.

A parliamentary-style debate on the topic ‘This house believes that corporations, not governments, should take primary responsibility for ensuring gender diversity in the workplace’was one of the highlights of the event. The debate featured Rajaa Bokhari – Programme Manager, CERB, and Anam Fatima Khan - Group General Counsel, House of Habib as the proposition along with Faiqa Naseem , Joint Director, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), and Nabila Zar Malick , Head of Partnerships and Communications, UN Women as the opposition. The debate was moderated by Fauzia Viqar , Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace. The speakers from the opposition highlighted the importance of regulation and how government push is needed for corporations to perform better whereas, the proposition argued that businesses are best positioned to push for more gender-equal workplaces as they can incorporate best practices through their HR policies. The debate chair closed off the session by stating how both businesses and the government need to work together to support gender diversity in the workplace.? Moreover, she spoke about the importance of women in leadership roles and spoke of Doughnut Economics which highlights an inclusive and balanced approach for people, businesses, and the planet to prosper.

Following the debate, Safia Hussain – Programme Coordinator, CERB delivered a presentation on the Gender Diversity and Disclosure Scorecard, used to assess the submissions received for the Awards. Safia’s presentation highlighted various trends observed in the data along with information on the various indicators included in the scorecard such as equal pay, inclusive workplace culture, and leadership and mentorship opportunities. Her presentation also highlighted the gaps identified in the submission and areas where companies can perform better.

Following the presentation, the Employer of Choice" Gender Diversity Awards were announced. With 46 nominations this year, the Awards celebrated the commitment of companies to advancing gender diversity. Jazz took the top position as the Employer of Choice, with Bank Alfalah Limited and The Bank of Punjab securing 1st and 2nd runner-up spots. These companies have gone above and beyond in implementing comprehensive gender diversity programs, proving that inclusive workplaces drive innovation and success. 7 companies were awarded honorary mentions as a recognition of their efforts towards promoting gender diversity and disclosures in Pakistan. These include Allied Bank Limited , Engro Fertilizers Ltd , Interloop Limited PepsiCo Pakistan Telenor 联合利华 Faysal Bank Limited

The ceremony also recognized category leaders for their outstanding contributions to specific areas of gender equality, such as Jubilee Life Insurance Company Ltd. for Promoting Women in Leadership, PepsiCo Pakistan for Family-Friendly Workplaces, 联合利华 for Creating Respectful Workplaces, Jazz for Pay Equity and Fair Wages, and MG Apparel and Sapphire Mills for Advancing Gender-Inclusive Climate Action.

After the winners were announced Ehsan Malik, CEO of the Pakistan Business Council delivered the closing remarks where he congratulated the winners and reflected on the evolving business landscape, with inclusion and equitable workplace practices becoming central to corporate strategies. He also highlighted the work that needs to be done by corporates, particularly within their supply chains to improve responsible business conduct and gender equality in Pakistan.

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