There are less than ten years left to: "End poverty, protect the planet and ensure a decent life for all". This is the proposal of the 2030 Agenda, adopted in 2015 by the 193 member states of the United Nations. It contains 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets, which would lead us to achieve the change we so desperately want to see in the world.
The good news is that a lot of people are looking at this agenda. In June 2018, Sense-Lab was invited by Pacto Global Brasil (UN Global Compact Brazil) to coordinate and implement the Target Gender Equality (TGE) initiative, a global programme that supports UN Global Compact companies in setting and achieving corporate targets to increase the number of women in leadership positions. The theme addresses SDG 5 - Gender Equality, specifically target 5.5, which refers to "ensuring women's full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life".
Sense-Lab was asked to design the programme's journey and facilitate the Target Gender Equality meetings, which in Brazil are called the "Equity is a Priority Programme". It took place simultaneously in other countries through an interactive virtual process on gender equality in corporate governance, and was focused on companies that are signatories to the UN Global Compact.
The work began by completing the analysis tool to identify each company's gaps in relation to the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs). Developed by UN Women and the Global Compact, the WEPs are a set of considerations that help companies integrate gender equality values and practices into their operations.
METHODOLOGY
The project follows a timetable until May 2021 and to carry it out, Sense-Lab designed a journey based on the Adaptive Action Cycle, which serves as a guiding thread for organisational development processes and runs through six macro stages - initiation, exploration, interpretation, visualisation, iteration and evolution.
The programme brings together 45 people from 15 Brazilian organisations. These include Uber, Natura, Klabin, Suzano, Furnas, Carrefour and PwC. The aim is to strengthen the contribution of these companies to target 5.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals.
THE JOURNEY
After internal work with the project team and analysis of existing materials, Sense-Lab's first meeting with the participating companies was to detail the "Equity is a Priority Programme" and present the gap analysis tool, as well as to promote group integration.
In the exploration phase, Sense-Lab encouraged the companies to map their internal challenges and gaps using the WEPs Gender Gap Analysis Tool. This involved exploring, observing and collecting internal data to identify cultural patterns. Participants were encouraged to broaden the working group and look for people in their company who can connect with the issue and make it even stronger and more visible within the organisation, increasing employee engagement and the work being done.
After a deep dive into the diagnosis, the next step was to look together at the data collected, interpret and reflect on the patterns and challenges identified, and explore the potential and identify the barriers. Stage three was also an opportunity to broaden the vision of gender equality from the perspective of some special guests. There were two workshops, one with Cris Bartis, co-creator and host of the Mamilos podcast, and the other with Leandro Ziotto, founder of the 4Daddy project, a parenting training platform. In all these meetings, the companies were also able to exchange good practices and experiences.
Among the dynamics proposed between the meetings, one was to find a good question that could start the process of change and catalyze new ideas, innovations and actions, as well as to organize internal workshops involving and involving other employees of the company.
Prior to the start of the fourth stage, during one of the dynamics conducted, the group was challenged to think about a utopian future in terms of gender equality and a dystopian future, and then building the path from both futures backwards, generating important reflections on what is important to do and avoid in order to move forward.
In December, the Group reached the fourth stage of the process developed by Sense-Lab. This is the stage where companies begin to visualize pathways, set targets and develop action plans to increase the representation of women in the leadership of their organizations. In 2020, the first workshop will be held to develop each company's action plan, including setting targets to measure change over time.
In 2021, the work will continue with the aim of deepening and implementing the action plans that have been designed, as well as reviewing all the lessons learnt during the Equity is a Priority programme and involving the top leadership of the companies in the next steps.
Sense-Lab is honoured to lead this almost year-long process together with the Global Compact Brazil network, UN Women and the 15 Brazilian companies committed to achieving Goal 5.5 of the 2030 Agenda.