Ensuring both men and women have equal rights is not only defending a human right, it is helping to make the world a better place through the potential that women can offer.
On this day, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, ISO is proud to be hosting the first meeting of a new initiative to involve its members in the implementation of its Gender Action Plan.
The ISO Members’ Gender Focal Point Network, launched today, brings together ISO members from around the world to contribute, discuss and share knowledge and best practices on promoting gender-inclusive cultures, and ensuring that standards respond to the needs of both men and women equally.
ISO Secretary-General Sergio Mujica said gender equality promotes economic stability and sustainable development, and standards play a fundamental role in that.
“ISO is fully committed to ensuring standards are gender-responsive. Women’s contribution to the development of ISO standards is essential in order to meet the needs of the people and societies that use them,” he said.
“At ISO, we are proud of the role that women play on our governing board, in senior roles at our Central Secretariat and in all of our committees, including those in the scientific sector such as microbiology and artificial intelligence.”
Kylie Schumacher, Manager of technical committee ISO/TC 272, Forensic sciences, said more and more women are excelling in many areas of science, but their full potential is yet to be reached.
“The forensic science committee is comprised of a large number of brilliant and inspiring women providing their expertise on the international stage,” she said.
“I am extremely proud to be involved in a community that champions diversity and equality, and I look forward to working alongside even more young professional women in the standardization space in the years to come.”
Gender equality is also a key component of social responsibility, and the empowerment of women and their equality in society is underlined in ISO 26000, Guidance on social responsibility. It is also the basis of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No 5, which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.