The budget allocated by companies for gender is very low

Although 25% of Argentine companies say they implement plans for gender equality, within their teams, only 2.6% have a budget allocated for it.

“Gender equality is not a good in itself,” says the International Labor Organization (ILO) in its report on employment equality policies, which includes guidelines for States in the implementation of these policies. According to her, “gender inequality can be a significant drag on economic growth”, since “the countries with the highest levels of inequality tend to be those with the lowest levels of per capita income”.

In Argentina, according to the latest Survey of Labor Indicators of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, 40% of companies have in their records information disaggregated by sex or gender “that allows monitoring of the application of the principle of equality wage”.

Training to encourage women’s access to better positions or to sectors occupied by men, the policy of a quota for women in decision-making positions or the extension of licenses beyond those established by law, are among the most common measures to promote organizational equality. .

Regarding care tasks, in addition to licenses, 70% declared that they grant permission to care for sick sons or daughters, and 60% extend this concession to other family members. And it is that, despite the fact that women are gaining spaces, they continue to be mostly responsible for fulfilling this function. However, only 2.2% of the companies have care sectors in their establishments, and 3.8% make up for this lack with some monetary transfer to cover the expenses destined for that.

Regarding harassment and gender violence, 30% of the companies said that actions had been implemented to prevent them, especially through talks and training for staff. But, in the event that this type of violence occurs, 35% affirmed that they have mechanisms to address and contain the victims.

The ILO highlights that gender policies at the company level “transcend the framework of individual autonomy.”

Equal opportunities “can unleash their socioeconomic potential and catalyze their development” but, furthermore, “women play a key role in breaking the cycle of poverty between one generation and the next.