Promoting gender equality and women’s economic empowerment (WEE) is essential to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Women are key contributors to innovation, inclusive growth, and sustainable development. The private sector has a critical role to play in ensuring their full and equitable participation in the world of work.

This online training course provides practical tools, global frameworks, and real-world examples to support the advancement of gender equality and WEE through responsible business conduct (RBC) and human rights due diligence (HRDD). It focuses on how governments, enterprises, employers’ and workers’ organizations can work together to foster inclusive and equitable workplaces.

Over three weeks, participants will engage in a flexible and interactive learning journey that includes self-paced modules on the ITCILO eCampus and live webinars led by international experts and practitioners.

By participating in this course, you will explore:

• The global normative frameworks that support gender equality and WEE, including ILO standards, the MNE Declaration, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the Women’s Empowerment Principles.
• Best practices in human rights due diligence by companies from different geographical, sectoral, and operational contexts.
• What actions different stakeholders can take to create an enabling environment through regulatory frameworks and policies for gender equality in the world of work.
• Case studies of companies advancing pay equity, work-life balance, women’s leadership, and violence- and harassment-free workplaces.
• Approaches to supporting women entrepreneurs and leaders, including gender-responsive procurement and access to finance.

By the end of the training, participants will be able to:

• Navigate key international instruments and guidance supporting gender equality and WEE.
• Integrate a gender perspective into RBC and HRDD processes.
• Identify and recommend measures that different stakeholders – governments, employers, workers  and enterprises – can take to foster inclusive work environments.
• Apply concrete approaches and tools to promote work-life balance, pay equity, women’s leadership, and safe and respectful workplaces free from violence and harassment.
• Contribute to gender-transformative change across business operations, supply chains, and ecosystems.

The course is delivered online over three weeks and combines asynchronous and live components to accommodate participants across different time zones and work commitments.

Components include:

• Self-paced learning modules via the ITCILO eCampus, featuring interactive content, practical readings, and guided exercises.
• Live webinars, held twice a week (1.5 hours each), led by international experts and practitioners, allowing for live Q&A, discussion, and peer exchange.

This format ensures that participants benefit from both flexibility and direct engagement, while applying new concepts in their own organizational contexts.

This course is designed for:

• Government representatives and policymakers working in labour, enterprise development, gender equality, and sustainability.
• Companies, including SMEs and multinational enterprises, aiming to integrate gender equality into their operations and supply chains.
• Employers’ and workers’ organizations engaged in promoting responsible business practices and gender-inclusive workplaces.
• CSR, ESG, and sustainability professionals looking to align their strategies with international norms.
• Gender, diversity, and inclusion specialists advancing equity in business environments.