Slobodyan

Lota

Content

• Introduction
• 1. Relevance of the topic
• 2. Review of researches and developments
• 3. Purpose and tasks of the research
• 4. Essense of gender audit in an enterprise
• 5. Methods of audit conduct
• Summary
• List of sources

Introduction

The first gender audits in UN system were conducted in 2001 in compliance with Complex gender policy of International Labour Organization (ILO). Since 2009 gender audits are conducted in enterprises and organizations in Ukraine. Within 3 years audits were conducted in twelve organizations [1].

There are problems with gender equality in accordance to ILO researches in Ukraine [2, 3, p. 53]. Research of social reports of companies regarding gender equality has shown that only minor number of companies reports gender data, but data connected to gender indirectly is included. The importance of gender equality is confessed [4, p. 17]. Classified gender politics is not conducted on the most enterprises. preparation of reports regarding gender audit is not organized [5, p. 2].

The object of researc — adoption of participatory gender audit in Ukrainian enterprises.

The subject of researc — methods, instruments, experience of adoption of participatory gender audit in Ukrainian enterprises.

Research methods: formal and dialect logics, analysis and synthesis, classified approach.

1. RELEVANCE OF THE TOPIC

Subject of gender equality is new and is not developed for Ukraine. That is why development of methodology which is adopted for Ukrainian enterprises becomes important. Showing problems that can be solved with gender audit becomes important too [6, p. 140].

Research is relevant because development and adoption of gender approach are not complete, because gender approach is not used in economic and social politics in Ukraine. Also gender reports are raw at government level, gender politics is conducted in a small number of enterprises, which have a large share of foreign capital.

Current phase of development in Ukraine covers wider basic principles of democratic society based on respect for human rights including gender equality. The reasons for this are worldwide and European integration of Ukraine, open foreign policy, intention to enter international market. Gender equality, based on principles of freedom from discrimination, should be considered as fundamental prinicples of democratic development.

2. REVIEW OF RESEARCHES AND DEVELOPMENT

Aspects analysis of gender inequality in labour market is made in works of foreign authors T. de Lauretis, Gr. Lober, Gr. Scott, G. Rubin, I. Gofman, K. West, D. Zimmerman using gender approach.

Special aspects of behaviour of business woman, managers, members of public movement were analyzed as a part of research of phychology of working woman (A. E. Chirikova, M. V. Komakova and others).

N. M. Onichenko, O. V. Matvienko, C. Bereza, M. O. Tomashevskiy conducted research of gender policy in state.

Essense and importance of gender law theory, gender relationships; to overcome the strains of legal consciousness and gender dysphoria; features, forms and methods of gender analysis of laws and regulations were described in researhes of J. S. Shemshuchenko, N. M. Onischenko, Y. M. Shevchenko, O. F. Andryusha, I. A. Kresin, O. V. Matvienko, N. I. Karpachevoy, J. L. Boshuckogo, S. V. Bobrovnik, T. A. Tarachonich, L. A. Makarenko, A. L. Lvovoy, M. O. Tamashevskoy, N. A. Melnichuk, V. Kikot, V. J. Vaseckiy, O. B. Yarosh, S. V. Berezy, I. V. Gomma.

There were no researches and publications about gender audit subject at enterprise level. Gender audits in enterprises were conducted using instruction of ILO.

Originality of this work is analysis of legal and regulatory framework on gender policy for state contol in enterprises. It is also a research of effect of conducting gender audit using ILO methodology for Ukrainian enterprises based on previous gender audit and most successful examples of conducting complex gender policy. Basic positive effects and their impact on enterprise development are researched in this work.

3. GOAL AND TASK OF THE RESEARCH

Goal of the research is analysis of condition of gender policy state's regulation in enterprises, gender audit results, find ways and national features of participatory gender audit adoption in Ukrainian enterprises.

To achieve the goal following tasks are stated in this work:

• analyse present condition of state gender policy control in enterprises and its legal regulation;
• analyse experience of gender policy adoption in Ukrainian enterprises and gender audit results;
• draw conclusions about the appropriateness of changes in state gender policy, about positive effects and features of gender audits in enterprises.

4. ESSENCE OF GENDER AUDIT IN ENTERPRISE

Gender audit as it is defined by ILO is an instrument and a process based on principles of active participation. It helps personnel to self learn methods of effective complex gender approach [7, p.13].

Gender audit is element of gender policy of an enterprise. And thus it is the first level element of corporate social liability. Thereby gender audit is "social audit" which belongs to category "quality audits" in contrast to traditional "finance audits".

Due to gender audit it can be estimated:

• gender policy effectiveness in an enterprise, adoption rules of complex gender approach and execution support system; how they complement each other and their realization on practice;
• state of gender equality implementation, positive and negative experience of its achievement;
• problems, issues and strong sides;
• methods of solving this problems and also it gives possibility to suggest more effective strategies.

Gender audit facilitates team building, stimulates information analysis and exchange to activate self learning process of gender audit in an enterprise.

Gender audits goal is assistance of enterprise self learning of methods of effective complex gender approach in politics, programs and enterprise functioning. And also estimation of policy working level at practice in enterprise, departments and staff.

Gender audit tasks:

• extend understanding about gender approach activity in enterprise and staff;
• estimate adoption level of complex gender approach concerning gender-sensitive products and services;
• find and distribute information about methods, rules and attitude to gender questions;
• resource estimation, which are allocated and spent to adopt complex gender approach;
• determine gender-sensitivity of personnel policy of the organization;
• research the number of men to the number of women ratio in organization at different levels;
• formulate basic principles and criterias of gender approach adoption in enterprises. This needs to be done to analyse gender equality progress;
• estimate progress in plan execution of gender equality, and make changes if required;
• find possibilities for further improvements and suggest possible strategies of effective plan execution [7, p. 35].

Main audits result — report that contains recommendations to improve service and specific arrangements, that directed to implement audit recommendations. Audits methodology could be effectively used by organizers in other situations when opinions has to be collected, experience needs to be analysed and they should manage trainings to start reform process [8, p. 128]. Participant will learn during collective audit to critically evaluate self position and actions and how to formulate suggestions of active gender equality advancement.

5. AUDITS METHODOLOGY

ILO proposes to base gender audit on principles of active contribution, i.e. audit should be conducted in an enterprise only by employees or management initiative [9].

Principles of self estimation and collective participation leads to situation when staff of different level could be appointed as coordinator. Audit results based on concrete unbiased facts and on personal estimation of situation by employees [10, p. 35].

Gender audit consists of 4 phases:

• preparations;
• conducting
  • documentation analysis;
  • individual interview of employees;
  • seminars for staff;
• gender audit report;
• presentation of results and recommendations to staff and management.

In the first phase units and departments are defined. Audit would be conducted in that units, personnel gets notified, schedule is developed.

Documentation is collected and analysed in the second phase. Interview subjects are developed based on analysis. Staff of different status are interviewed, workpeople are included. Seminars include small lectures, collective excercises, discussions about gender questions.

One of basic audit components is common report writing on conducted audit. This report includes analysis of documentation, obtained information, subjective and objective information during interviews and seminars.

Report is submitted to management and employees as a result. Recommendations are explained about defects elimination and gender policy conduct.

SUMMARY

Gender audit defines effectiveness of internal practices and appropriate systems of complex gender approach support. How they complement each other and the way they adopted. Audit defines basic principles, detects drawbacks, recommends the ways to remove drawbacks, innovations adoption. It also documents best practices, aimed at achieving gender equality.

Gender audit increases enterprise staff ability to analyse its activity from gender point of view and determine strong and weak sides of gender equality process. Gender audit conducts monitoring and estimation of achievements during complex gender audit approach. It also helps an enterprise to strengthen its ability of self adoption of initiatives in gender equality area and activates enterprise self learning on gender questions through teamwork strengthen, information exchange and discussion of gender questions.

ILO researchers call following positive consequences that were achieved by separate ukrainian enterprises in which audit was conducted [10, p. 34]:

• gender aspect is taken into account during monitoring and estimation of enterprise tasks completion;
• project documents are passed through "gender filter";
• flexible schedule and work at home are used in order to create workplaces where family responsibilities are taken into account;
• complex gender approach is taken into account more often in technical cooperation projects;
• new materials are published concerning gender equality questions and child labour;
• group of coordinators on gender question were formed in a number of organizations, their tasks were execution control of audit recommendations;
• position and strategy are formulated to achieve gender equality considering specific conditions of concrete enterprises.

Todays positive effect from gender audit is:

• important problem analysis;
• increase in staff loyalty;
• improvement of enterprise image;
• increasing interest of foreign investors;
• positive positioning on a market;
• additional advantage when participating in tenders.

Gender audit could be a starting point for a discussion of broader issues related to the content of the work and enterprise functioning. During audits conduct different questions could be discussed which go outside the scope of gender, such as those associated with practice of overtime, late at work, work under time pressure, so called "syndrome of the veil of beads" (when people are in contact only with those who above and over them in the post), and the lack of active structures involved in information exchange, training and adaptation of knowledge.

Staff loyalty increase takes place due to involvement of all staff to audit regardless of position, seniority, age, gender and other characteristics. Interviews with employees are conducted, opinion of each employee is taken into account, it is encouraged to help organize audit when situation is analysed at enterprise. During audit collective exercises are carried out to encourage mutual understanding and dialogue between participants, to improve situation understanding in enterprise, its history, ownership, role and contribution of each employee in the work of the enterprise. Gender policy can be viewed as the first level of corporate social responsibility. In this case gender audit will act as a social program of internal focus, which helps reduce stress, attract the best talent, improve its image and increase the company's reputation, stability and sustainability of the enterprise in the long run.

An additional benefit of a gender audit is the novelty of the concept. Conducting a gender audit — an exceptional phenomenon, which covered by media, what means that the company can get more advertising and it can position itself as socially responsible and innovative company.

In developed countries a gender audit of the enterprises is widespread. For foreign investors, a gender audit is an indicator of social responsibility, respect for international law, the success and development-oriented. Thus gender audit is an advantage to attract foreign investment.

In addition to these positive effects, a gender audit may be the deciding factor to win in the tenders in case that other things are being equal.

Following conclusions could be made:

• periodic gender audits in enterprises provides quickly and efficiently analyze the state of social and labor relations, make timely response to emerging conflict situations, and will contribute to more rational decisions in the field of human resource management, which in the long term will ensure greater competitiveness of Ukrainian economy;
• the company has additional advantages because of the audit, an increase in competitiveness in the Ukrainian and international markets;
• for the successful implementation of gender policy in enterprises, a set of actions is required by the state: improvement of the regulatory framework, promotion of gender audits, the creation of advisory services on the audit and gender policies;
• priority work in participatory gender audits area is to examine successfull foreign experience and peculiarities when audit is applied to ukrainian practice.

LIST OF SOURCES

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