IDB Invest, the private-sector institution of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and EDGE Certified Foundation (Economic Dividends for Gender Equality), worldwide leader in promoting standards for gender equality, have published the report “The Power of Gender Equality at Work. Sustainable Growth and Inclusive Economic Development in Latin America and the Caribbean”.

The document shows how Latin America and the Caribbean is a region facing significant opportunities and threats with respect to equal rights at work. It considers whether the contributions made by men and women are equally valued and respected, and whether they are given equal pay for equivalent Jobs, whether they are equally represented in all kinds of work and at all corporate levels of responsibility, and whether a culture is being built up in which everyone has similar chances of becoming successful.

The report includes data from 11,417companies, 1,620 of which are in Latin America and the Caribbean. It gives examples of how to unlock the potential of undervalued female talent in the region. The authors analyze how the different degrees of proactivity in gender equality management in different organizations (equality in pay, recruitment and promotion practices, access to training and mentoring, flexible work schemes, etc) generate diverse results in the representation of women at all levels of business and, in the final instance, in their participation in the region’s economy.

It concludes that the companies pioneering the application of gender-equality measures have shown themselves to be more successful in attracting and retaining highly qualified staff and in generating engagement and satisfaction among their employees. This in turn, boosts their productivity and the general results achieved by such companies.