BPW Canada supports the UN Women and UN Global Compact Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) and encourages the awareness, promotion and integration of the Women's Empowerment Principles into all aspects of Canadian life; including small business, all levels of government and civil society.
Women's Empowerment is a top organizational priority and we invite all stakeholders in Canada to demonstrate their support for the WEPs and encourage business leaders to implement them to demonstrate their commitment to gender equality in Canada.
What are the WEPs?
The Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) are a set of Principles for businesses that offer guidance on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community.
WEPs Vision
Transform corporate behaviour and intentionally position gender and women's empowerment as essential core business objectives.
WEPs Objective
Motivate and guide business to take wide-ranging actions to empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community and to view such action as an integral and necessary part of corporate sustainability.
How Can Stakeholders use the Seven Women's Empowerment Principles?
While designed as a tool for the private sector to strengthen company policies and programs to create a culture that can achieve gender equality, the Principles provide a platform for all stakeholders to advance their commitment to gender equality. Together we can create a Canada where women’s economic capacity is unleashed and where women are fully engaged in positions of leadership and strategic decision-making. As well as being a useful guide for business, the Principles seek to inform other stakeholders, including governments, and civil society in their engagement with business.
The Seven Principles:
- Establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality
- Treat all women and men fairly at work – respect and support human rights and non-discrimination
- Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men workers
- Promote education, training and professional development for women
- Implement enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices that empower women
- Promote equality through community initiatives and advocacy
- Measure and publicly report on progress to achieve gender equality