There is an increasing awareness in various companies in the world that ensures gender equality in the workplace. Many organizations have already understood the significant importance of this matter and its strategic implications. A gender sensitive workplace creates the right condition for the fullest utilization of the human potential in an organizational setting.
In February 2016, SOCOTECO-1 participated in an invitational workshop for Gender Assessment sponsored by the World Bank. As an offshoot to this workshop, the cooperative, together with Benguet Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BENECO) was chosen to be one of the EC beneficiary of the Gender Assessment Study for Electric Cooperatives funded by the same organization.
Earlier this year, World Bank, through its representative has already conducted its study for the Gender Assessment. The visit has also paved the way to the awareness of the coop employees regarding gender sensitivity in the workplace. Although SOCOTECO-1 has current practices pertaining to gender parity, like specific rest rooms for the male and female sexes, celebration of Mother’s and Father’s Day, and gender sensitive communications among others, the cooperative became more cognizant of the impacts of a gender-sensitive workplace.
In March, the coop started celebrating International Women’s Day. Also, the explicit incorporation of the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law in the organization’s Code of Ethics and Discipline is underway. The coop clinic is now also thought of to be a Lactating Room which could be used by employees and member-consumers. We have also hired women engineers, where among them already does field works just like any other male employees.
These are but a few steps we take toward a more gender-sensitive organization. SOCOTECO-1 relentlessly pursue excellence, and promoting gender sensitivity and equality in the workplace can only drive the coop to its vision of becoming the most competitive electric utility of choice.