Gender Equality: The IMPACT Solution

In 1945, the era was marked by a commitment to fairness, with the abolition of the concept of a “women’s wage.” The phrase “Equal pay for equal work” was enshrined in French law, and society began to move toward greater gender equality. But that was not enough; time marched on and attitudes evolved. The following year saw the concept of gender equality enshrined in law to prevent discrimination. The 1972 law incorporated the preamble of the 1946 Constitution The law guarantees women equal rights with men in all areas to enshrine it in law alongside the principle of equal pay, for the same work or work of equal value .

Further legislation was enacted in 2006, 2014, and 2022 to promote equality and reduce the pay gap. In 2021, women’s average wages were still 28.5% lower than men’s. Professional equality between women and men is now a major issue for our contemporary societies. The AFNOR Group offers you its expertise through the method IMPACT , led by its subsidiary AFNOR Compétences, to help you create the conditions for equal treatment within your company.

Gender equality: a matter of definition

The Council of Europe defines it as follows: “The equal visibility, autonomy, responsibility, and participation of both sexes in all spheres of private and public life.” In a professional setting, this refers to equal treatment of women and men at various levels, including access to employment, training, career mobility, promotion, and pay policies.

It is essential that all stakeholders in the company take the lead and be included in the process—from the board of directors to employees, including senior managers and labor representatives. By treating gender equality as a matter of corporate culture, the IMPACT approach moves in this direction, with the following objectives:

• Increase appeal your organization’s diversity during the hiring process by ensuring gender equality.
• Retaining talent over time by incorporating an inclusive policy and promoting diversity in your workforce.
• Develop an equality policy an objective approach to fostering calm and cooperation.
• Make the whole thing stick teams on the subject and improve professional practices.

The objectives of the IMPACT support program

• Identify strengths within your organization and identify concrete steps for improvement.
• Identify professional practices to evolve rapidly.
• Define, prioritize, and rank the steps to be taken to achieve the established goals.
• Engage all teams to gain a clear understanding of career development.
• Improve and implement the gender equality policy to tangibly enhance your organization's appeal.

To meet your needs and objectives, the Impact methodology consists of six steps. Each step depends on your level of familiarity with the subject and enables you to address the various aspects of the issue. The method aims to involve different stakeholders at different stages and to provide practical, real-world examples to facilitate adoption.

The IMPACT Method: Who in the company should use it?

Organized by AFNOR Compétences, the IMPACT method is intended for leaders of CSR, workplace well-being, or equality initiatives, whether these roles are based in HR or other departments. The leader of the workplace sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) prevention unit may also be a valuable point of contact, as the method includes a component aimed at raising employee awareness of this critical issue. Are you interested in implementing it in your organization?

Contact us!

We’ll help you launch and implement your gender equality roadmap, working alongside you to identify, enhance, and align your practices… The AFNOR Group’s consulting services are tailored to your specific challenges. Using a proven methodology—the IMPACT method—our consultants will integrate seamlessly into your teams to unlock the full potential of your initiative. And ensure it bears fruit by sharing best practices with you!