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Gender lens to the UNGPs
Working Group on Business and Human Rights
Women (including girls) experience business-related human rights abuses in unique ways and are often affected disproportionately. Women also face multiple forms of discrimination. They experience additional barriers in seeking access to effective remedies for business-related human rights abuses.
Gender references within the guiding principals
The UNGPs acknowledge the importance of gender in several places:
- The commentary to Principle 3 provides that States should provide appropriate guidance to businesses on “how to consider effectively issues of gender, vulnerability and/or marginalization”.
- Principle 7 underlines that States should provide adequate assistance to business enterprises operating in conflict affected areas “to assess and address the heightened risks of abuses, paying special attention to both gender-based and sexual violence”.
- The commentary to Principle 12 states: “Depending on circumstances, business enterprises may need to consider additional standards.”
- The commentary to Principle 20 underlines that business enterprises “should make particular efforts to track the effectiveness of their responses to impacts on individuals from groups or populations that may be at heightened risk of vulnerability or marginalization”, underlining the importance of “using gender-disaggregated data where relevant”.
Unpacking the gender dimension of the UNGPs
Despite these references to gender in the UNGPs, the business and human rights (BHR) discourse has not so far given adequate attention to the differentiated impacts of business-related human rights abuses on women. Nor has the discourse given enough attention to the unique barriers women face in accessing effective remedies.
Against this background, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights launched in 2017 a thematic project to unpack the gender dimension of the UNGPs.
The project aimed to:
- Raise sensitivity amongst all stakeholders about the need to adopt a gender lens to implement the UNGPs and in turn mainstream the women issues within the BHR field;
- Develop guidance to assist both States and business enterprises with practical recommendations for what it means to protect, respect and remedy the rights of women in a business context in line with the UNGPs; and
- Bring together various agencies, institutions, organizations and actors working in the BHR field to continuously explore ways to empower women who are at-risk or have been adversely affected by business-related human rights abuses.
Report on gender lens to the UNGPs to the HRC
In line with this project, the Working Group presented during the 41st session of the Human Rights Council, on 26 June 2019, the report on the Gender dimensions of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The guidance provides practical recommendations for what it means to "protect, respect and remedy" the rights of women in a business context in line with the UNGPs.
Access the illustrated, "user-friendly" booklet of the report on Gender Dimensions of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Gender roundtable at the 2018 UN Forum
During the 2018 UN Forum, the Working Group organized an interactive roundtable on "Developing a gender lens to business and human rights". A pool of interested stakeholders were divided into small groups to focus on five thematic areas. Access the background briefs here:
- Sexual harassment and sexual violence against women
- Gender sensitive human rights due diligence
- Economic inclusion and empowerment of women
- Impact of trade, investment and tax regimes on women
- Women’s experiences of accessing effective remedies and defending rights
Gender roundtable at the 2019 UN Forum
During the 2019 UN Forum, the Working Group organized an interactive roundtable on "Gender Guidance for the UNGPS: From Paper to Practice." During this session, diverse stakeholders showcased, and brainstormed collectively, ways to implement the gender guidance for the UNGPs developed by the Working Group.
Please find the written interventions of panelists during the session: