The theme “Sustainability in companies” is no longer a question of differentiation, but of survival. It is necessary to invest in sustainable practices to avoid being left behind, as consumers are more attentive to the practices of companies, especially women.

Research from Yale University, in the United States, showed that women are part of the segment of consumers who are most concerned about sustainability aspects in their daily lives, choosing products that generate less waste (and then recycling) and deciding on products with less environmental impact, in addition to being decision-makers in many purchasing processes. The act of caring, protecting, working in a cooperative and long-term manner has always been more connected to the female profile in society.

Not only from a consumer point of view, but behaviors attributed to women in companies can translate into better performance, building a long-term perspective based on principles of sustainable development, in which economic growth is achieved through, with and for a consumer market. This is a strategic look at the company’s longevity.

Hard Skills/Soft Skills

Some behaviors based on empathy, kindness, gratitude and trust – often subjective and difficult to measure and even express –, when found in a conducive, open and respectful business environment, pave the way for a solid business culture, generating esteem, admiration and legitimacy. I reiterate how women, in various positions in corporations, contribute these behaviors, with a new perspective on the way we do business.

Here, it is necessary to emphasize respect. Respect for the environment, respect for people, respect for stakeholders. Respect, simple as that. If it were more practiced and served as a foundation for human and business relationships, we would have more encounters and fewer disagreements, as well as more prosperity.

Respectful relationships need to gain traction in companies, and leadership has a fundamental role in guiding new behaviors, and renouncing others that are unacceptable. Decision-making will be even more assertive, resulting in concrete issues such as ethics, citizenship, transparency, innovation, creativity and performance.

If we consider a demand for professionals, sustainability behaviors will be necessary, which go beyond gender, as it is a demand for human business.

And are companies, in this ESG wave that many are positioning themselves, really prepared to change their unconscious filters (and even their conscious ones) for equal, fair and respectful treatment?

Pay Equity / Equal Pay Certification

Reality tells us that there is still a lot to be done in relation to gender equality in society and, consequently, in organizations as well. The salary discrepancy between men and women represents one of the greatest social injustices today. At the heart of this issue in relation to combating inequality, within the framework of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations (UN), we come across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which, in its Objective 8, more specifically in target 8.5, directly calls for the need for equal pay for work of equal value.

Why do women generally earn less than men?

According to International Labor Organization (ILO) Global Wage Report 2018/2019, what lies behind the unexplained component of the gender pay gap are issues that include the low returns to education for women in the same occupations, the effects of the feminization of occupations and workplaces on wages, and the effect of maternity for women and paternity for men with regard to their respective salaries.

Data and observations from studies suggest that women's participation in the labor market is affected in a different way than men's due to the years dedicated to raising children, which indicates that this is not just a short-term and proportional effect significant number of women around the world.

As a means of resolving these issues, reinforcing the pillars of governance in organizations and minimizing indices that indicate such unequal metrics, the University of Geneva, Switzerland, developed a methodology to certify pay equity practices. The Certification Equal Pay aims to audit remuneration practices in organizations in the process of gender pay equity. Certification is granted by EQUAL-SALARY Foundation and is valid for three years and, let's agree that this period is reasonable for those who truly want to make adjustments and continue with the process of continuous improvement in their activities.

This is a period in which some organizations and professionals are learning about and forming the ESG agenda and, as a result, identifying issues relating to the dimensions that most impact their businesses. For example, in the social aspect, salary, educational, racial and age issues, many women rise in their careers and achieve (senior) leadership positions in various organizations. Currently, it is possible to find women occupying positions with decision-making power, something that decades ago was unimaginable.

Despite mutual efforts (let's understand that this mutuality comes from the representation of different stakeholders who work in the fight for human rights), we still have a meager number of representation, even more so, of representation of women in the ESG segment. Several experts on the topic of Women recommend that there be a greater number of chairs for these professionals, that is, with greater representation in organizations and that they demonstrate in daily practices the Governance that appears in their policies and programs.

However, unfortunately, in this area of Corporate Governance, not all organizations (re)know and follow what “the bible of corporate governance” says, that is, the Code of Best Governance Practices, from the Brazilian Institute of Corporate Governance ( IBGC) which recommends the composition of the Councils “taking into account the diversity of knowledge, experiences, behaviors, cultural aspects, age group and gender” and that guarantee that “the board establishes and disseminates policies that provide equal opportunities for women to access senior leadership positions in the organization”. But, it seems that current scenarios point to other sermons…

Women on the Board of Directors

A study carried out by the consultancy Comdinheiro at the request of the newspaper Valor Econômico, showed an increase in female participation on the boards of directors of the largest publicly traded companies. The data shows that in 2021, 16.1% of seats are occupied by women. Compared to previous years, the percentage was 11.4% in 2019 and three years earlier, 6.9%. Although the number of representation has increased, it is still far from the level considered ideal – the reasonable number, considering international parameters, would be 40%.

The study indicates that the participation of women in directorship positions grew by 148% in five years, going from just 33, among 507 directors in total in 2016, to the current 82, among 674. And, despite the growth, the participation of women in board is only 12.2%. The scenario is not at all encouraging when they present the information that of the 81 companies evaluated, 36 do not have any women at this hierarchical level.

Still reflecting…

We want to continue this dialogue: Is it appropriate, in today's world, to deny the transformative power of women's presence in companies, on an equal basis? Who takes the opposite position, knowing how much value can be added to the business? There is little questioning of this approach and need, and we know that there is silent activism against this change in society, because speaking in public to the contrary is quite negative.

We were educated with filters, all of us, which leads us to feel, think and act with our biases, making it a daily exercise to reverse this view, not only of men, but of so many women who can reduce barriers for other women.

This article was written by four hands, by women passionate about sustainability, with personal and professional trajectories of achievements: Christie Bechara and Claudia Leite. They believe in the transformative power of knowledge for more women and share their vision, beliefs and values in their activities. They connected for similar purposes, and discovered more common ground and opportunities to grow as professionals and as individuals.

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