UN Women continues supporting diversity, equality and inclusion in the private sector

Diversity, equality and inclusion are the values that lay the foundation for a strong corporate culture, a healthy work environment and the success of any organization. International experience proves that diverse teams play a particularly important role in improving business outcomes, public life and the economy, although nowadays these values are facing many challenges globally. Against the backdrop of the current reality, UN Women, in collaboration with the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA), continues working with HR management (HRM) professionals in Georgia so that even more companies can take steps towards mainstreaming diversity, equality and inclusion.

Within the framework of this support and cooperation, a certification course on diversity, equality and inclusion was developed for HRM specialists, already completed by more than 100 professionals. The first practical manual on this topic was also developed for the representatives of this field; the manual’s author Adriana Leigh visited Tbilisi on 10 June and held a workshop for HRM professionals.

While attending the meeting, 20 participants had the opportunity to discuss strategies for deepening inclusive and diverse work culture together with Ms. Leigh, as well as to deliberate on how to start creating a diverse, equal and inclusive environment in the workplace. HRM professionals became acquainted with the best practices and success cases of diversity and inclusion, as well as with the ways of mainstreaming them in organizational processes and strategies.

The meeting also focused on the emerging global challenges that exist regarding diversity, equality and inclusion, as well as emphasized that it is important to transform these challenges into opportunities.

“Sharing practical aspects and international experience was very important and valuable for each professional during the meeting,” noted Sergo Nozadze, HRPA President. “Adriana Leigh is the right expert, and the manual, which was developed in cooperation with her, has already become a global resource and is being used in various countries around the world. We continue working with HRM professionals in this direction and creating HRM processes that are focused on attaining advanced standards in Georgia.”

Promoting diversity, equality and inclusion in Georgia’s private sector is one of the priorities of UN Women. The initiatives implemented in this direction will continuously contribute to building the capacity of HRM professionals in the future so that they can effectively fulfil their important role in shaping and developing sound and equitable organizational culture.

UN Women supports diversity, equality and inclusion in HRM processes within the framework of the Women’s Economic Empowerment component of the project “Good Governance for Gender Equality in Georgia”, which is generously funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). Adriana Leigh’s visit was arranged as part of the regional project “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the South Caucasus”, supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).