Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) – Equality Means Business

The Women's Empowerment Principles – Equality Means Business is a joint initiative of UN Women and the UN Global Compact. The Principles outline seven steps for business on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community. The Principles highlight that empowering women to participate fully in economic life across all sectors and throughout all levels of economic activity is essential to build strong economies; establish more stable and just societies; achieve internationally agreed goals for development, sustainability, and human rights; improve quality of life for women, men, families and communities; and propel business' operations and goals. Learn more at www.WEPrinciples.org 

Each year, in observance of International Women’s Day, more than 300 WEPs business leaders and other stakeholders meet in New York City for the Annual WEPs Event to take stock of progress, discuss challenges and identify concrete approaches and solutions to implementing the Principles. The WEPs CEO Leadership Awards, presented at the WEPs Annual Event, salute CEOs for their exceptional championship of gender equality and support for the seven Principles, in particular Principle One, which urges companies to establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality.

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Diversity & Inclusion

United Nations Global Compact Calls for Companies to Set Ambitious Corporate Targets for Women’s Business Leadership With Launch of New Target Gender Equality Initiative
The United Nations Global Compact Network today launched Target Gender Equality, a new initiative to mobilize and support companies in setting and meeting ambitious corporate targets for women’s representation and leadership in business.

Sustainable Development Goals

Over 60 Stock Exchanges Around the World to Ring the Bell for Gender Equality
In celebration of International Women’s Day, over 60 stock exchanges around the world are joining the United Nations Global Compact, Global Compact Local Networks and their partners to host bell ringing ceremonies in support of gender equality. Held throughout March, these bell-ringing events aim to raise awareness about the business case for women’s economic empowerment and underscore opportunities for the private sector to advance gender equality and sustainable development.

Diversity & Inclusion

In Interview with Forbes, Lise Kingo Speaks to the Value of the New WEPs Gender Gap Analysis Tool
In an interview with Bonnie Marcus at Forbes.com, UN Global Compact CEO and Executive Director Lise Kingo explains how the new Women's Empowerment Principles Gender Gap Analysis Tool can help global business leaders identify strengths, gaps and opportunities to improve gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace and within the markets and communities they serve.

Diversity & Inclusion

UN Global Compact Launches the Women’s Empowerment Principles Gender Gap Analysis Tool
The UN Global Compact has launched the WEP's Gender Gap Analysis Tool, an online platform which helps global business leaders identify strengths, gaps and opportunities to improve gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace and within the markets and communities they serve. The tool offers an assessment of a company’s progress in advancing gender equality, profiling companies as “Beginner”, “Improver,” “Achiever” or “Leader”.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

UN Global Compact Calls Upon Business Leaders to Consciously Champion Gender Equality
The UN Global Compact announces its plans for International Women’s Day and affirms its commitment to uniting the business community to champion gender equality. The UN Global Compact will put its Women’s Empowerment Principles to work through a month-long series of initiatives to enable business leaders to consciously commit to decisions supporting gender equality, diversity and inclusion.

Events, Media & Communications

Business Leaders, UN Member States and Civil Society Agree: Gender Equality Critical to Economic Development
Recognizing gender equality as a fundamental human right, central to driving the global economy and achieving the recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), business leaders joined UN Member States and civil society organizations at the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Annual Event. The event focused on the multiplier effect of empowering women and girls in advancing all development issues and the enormous opportunity for business to lead on promoting gender equality.

Diversity & Inclusion

World’s Largest Corporate Sustainability Initiative Says No to All-Male Panels
United Nations Global Compact Executive Director Lise Kingo announced the UN Global Compact Panel Pledge, a new global effort to help put an end to all-male panels.

Events, Media & Communications

Women’s Empowerment Principles Stakeholders Call for New UN-Business Paradigm

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Hillary Clinton and Business Leaders Call for Women’s Economic Empowerment and Rights

Events, Media & Communications

Stock Exchanges Around the World Ring the Bell for Gender Equality
United Nations Global Compact logo

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