| Overview : Gender equality is a fundamental human right and a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world. UNDP's core vision is to help countries eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. Addressing gender equality and women's empowerment is essential to UNDP's approach to achieving its core vision. The UNDP Gender Equality Strategy further provides a roadmap for elevating and mainstreaming gender equality in all aspects of UNDP's work. In addition, in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the AU Agender 2063, gender equality is recognized as a critical catalyst for progress in all development outcomes. In its efforts to achieve gender equality and women empowerment, South Africa has made considerable progress, by developing gender-friendly legislation and policies and being a signatory to many regional, continental, and global treaties and protocols on gender and human rights. Despite these efforts, women continue to face serious gender-related constraints – gender representation is still unacceptably low, and the rate of progress is too slow, including in the labour market. Globally, and in South Africa, the discrimination of women in the labour market persists. According to Statistics South Africa Quarterly Labour Force Survey for quarter 2 of 2022, 47,0% of South African women were recorded as economically inactive. This means that almost half of the working age women in South Africa are out of labour force compared to 35,6% of their male counterparts, and consequently, their productive in the labour market remains unused. This scenario is more pronounced in the in the private sector. In recognition of the key role that the private sector plays in addressing gender equality in the business world, UNDP, through its Gender Equality Seal Certification Programme, supports the private sector in closing persistent gender gaps in the workplace, and contributing towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (in particular, SDGs 5, 8, 10 and 17). The Gender Equality Seal for the Private Sector is a Programme that recognizes private companies for meeting specific standards to promote gender equality and empower women. Designed as a means for the private sector to embrace gender equality and enhance women's economic and social empowerment, the Seal supports many corporations in making their human resources management systems more equitable and gender responsive. The Gender Equality Seal works towards eliminating gender inequalities in the workplace while simultaneously improving the lives of all employees and their families. It is in this respect that UNDP is looking for a consultant to support the roll out of the Gender Equality Seal for the Private Sector in South Africa. |
