Course Module 6

Module 6 explores initiatives that can be used to shift organizational culture and the role of corporate communications in advancing gender equality. The module highlights how organizations can adopt international standards and join international gender equality campaigns to gain recognition for their actions and improve their reputation. It also examines the importance of publicly committing to gender equality goals, reporting progress, and developing gender-responsive corporate communications practices.

1. Learn how to create a culture that supports, adopts, and advances gender equality. 
2. Discover how to adopt international standards, endorse international commitments, and join international campaigns for gender equality that will improve your organization’s reputation and sustain its gender strategy. Learn how to discuss these options with organizational leadership. 
3. Learn how to disclose gender equality goals (internally and externally) and align corporate communication and branding practices with gender equality goals. 
4. Learn how to engage your organization’s leaders and communications department to develop more gender-responsive corporate communications practices. 
5. Analyze and brainstorm how the content and issues presented in this module could be addressed in the GAP. 

• Review your organization’s website. Look for company reports on gender and diversity indicators and analyze the pictures and wording used to present the organization’s products, services, and workforce. Bring examples from your organization’s website or communications if possible (these can be printed or saved electronically). 
• Read: USAID. (2023). Delivering Gender Equality: A Best Practices Framework for Male Dominated Industries, with special attention on the following sections: 
  • Corporate Culture and Leadership 
  • Corporate Communication and Branding 

• Homework: Corporate Communication Exercise
  • Identify three ways to strengthen your organization’s communications policies and guidelines to be more gender responsive, recording them in your Participant Handbook. 
  • Discuss your key recommendations with the colleagues from your organization and reflect on what you may incorporate into your GAP in the Communications Strategy and potentially in the Communications ELC table, based on what you have recorded. 
  • Continue working with colleagues to refine your GAP, using the content covered and outputs developed during this module. After the module: 
    • Review challenges to changing your organization’s corporate culture and the strategies, actions, and targets you can use to shift culture. Incorporate these reflections in the Corporate Culture section of your GAP. 
    • Review other ideas recorded in your GAP, reflecting on your learning today. 
• Review the required readings for the next session.