It is beneficial to promote non-discrimination and gender equality in entrepreneurial activities

Promoting non-discrimination and gender equality increases the impact of companies’ activities and the diversity of work communities. Taking diversity into account helps your company develop services and products that better meet the different needs of your customers and are accessible to everyone. Diversity creates new ideas and perspectives, so diverse workplaces increase creativity, innovation, and productivity.

Promoting equality and non-discrimination is an obligation laid down by law for all employers. If you employ at least 30 people, you must also prepare the equality and non-discrimination plans required by law.

Initiating equality and non-discrimination work

You can initiate equality and non-discrimination work, for example, by ensuring that your organisation pays the same salary for the same work and work of equal value regardless of gender, that your workplace has instructions for harassment situations and their prevention, and that you have recruitment practices that promote diversity in place. In addition, you should ensure that the management, supervisors, and other personnel have received training related to equality and non-discrimination.

You can also promote equality and non-discrimination as part of your company’s business operations. It is a good idea to start by examining the company’s operating environment and customer needs.

Customers are a diverse group of people, and different conditions, resources, and life situations affect what kind of needs and opportunities they have. Activities designed to be similar for everyone may exclude some people. The operating environment should be examined through gender and different groups of people. When you identify impacts your activities may have on different groups of people, you can better target your activities and plan them to make them accessible and safe for everyone.

Support available

You should seek ideas and perspectives for your own equality and non-discrimination work by networking with other companies that promote diversity. You can also receive support from local or national equality and non-discrimination work networks and events. Training the management and staff on the subject can also be useful.