Network of Equality-in-Work Professionals

Good Practice

Equality

Network of Equality-in-Work Professionals

Advancing effective equality between women and men in the workplace throughout Catalonia.

Catalan Government

Spain

Regional policy

POLICY OBJECTIVE

The Network of Equality-in-Work Professionals is an initiative promoted by the Ministry of Equality and Feminism, through the Directorate-General for Equity in Work and Co-responsibility, with the aim of advancing effective equality between women and men in the workplace throughout Catalonia. The Network was created in 2023 through a collaboration agreement between the Government of Catalonia and local authorities.

CONTEXT

Gender inequalities in the workplace persist in access to employment, working conditions, promotion opportunities, pay, time organisation and the recognition of work, particularly care work. In this scenario, strengthening the role of local administrations and equipping them with specialised resources to implement equality policies with real, territorially adapted impact is essential.

POLICY DESCRIPTION

The Network works to make equality between women and men a reality in work environments through close, free and specialised support for companies, organisations and public administrations. This support is provided by an equality-in-work professional based in local councils or county councils, who can offer assistance with:

Identifying gender inequalities.
Designing solutions adapted to organisational and territorial contexts.
Implementing concrete measures.
Accessing specialist training, resources and guidelines.
Sharing good practices and experiences.

The Network of Equality-in-Work Professionals is promoted by the Ministry of Equality and Feminism of the Catalan Government, through the Directorate-General for Equity in Work and Co-responsibility, in collaboration with local authorities.

KEY ASPECTS

The advisory work of the Network is structured around several key areas:

Equity in work

Development of equality plans and measures.
Carrying out pay audits and pay registers.
Job evaluation with a gender perspective.
Reduction and elimination of the gender pay gap.
Prevention of horizontal and vertical occupational segregation.
Promotion of equity in access to employment, working conditions and career progression.
Promotion of parity in positions of responsibility.
Visibility of female role models.
Support for entrepreneurship in sectors with a higher presence of men.

New forms of time organisation

Creation of projects to reorganise time in a fairer and more equal way.
Implementation of time-use and time-management measures with a gender perspective (digital disconnection, remote working, flexible working hours).
Promotion of work–life balance and shared responsibility.

Shared responsibility for care

Promotion of men’s involvement in care work.
Dissemination of labour rights, leave and benefits linked to care.
Social and economic recognition of domestic and care work.
Support and training for workers in the care sector.
Dissemination of good practices that democratise care.

Coeducation

Development of actions for an equal education free of stereotypes.
Training, workshops and activities in formal and non-formal education settings.
Development of teaching materials and awareness-raising campaigns.
Promotion of equal participation in educational and decision-making spaces.

With the extension of the Network’s scope of work, coeducation has been incorporated as a line of intervention, strengthening its comprehensive approach.

RESULTS

The Department supports and funds the position of equality-in-work professional in counties and municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants, with the aim of increasing and consolidating a territorial network specialised in equality policies. This action contributes to:

Expanding the number and diversity of equality-specialised professionals at local level.
Strengthening coordination and coherence in public equality policies.
Promoting equity in work, equal use of time, shared responsibility for care and coeducation.

The Network currently includes 60 professionals, and the Department provides them with training, advice, resources, coordination spaces, annual meetings and mechanisms for the exchange of good practices in order to guarantee the consolidation and quality of this role across the territory.

Policy's Website

xarxaprofessionals.igualtat@gencat.cat