UNFPA Launches World’s First Initiative to Include Reproductive Health in ESG Standards

First-of-its kind metrics to track progress on key social issues in the workplace including maternity leave, fertility treatments, sexual harassment protocols

NEW YORK, 30 May 2024 — Today UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, launches a groundbreaking initiative to help organizations enhance their employees’ reproductive health using the world’s first sexual and reproductive health ESG indicators.

Presented in a new paper entitled “Advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights in the private sector - the case for action and accountability in the workplace,” the initiative includes a slate of new Environmental, Social and corporate Governance (ESG) metrics that serve as a scorecard for organizations’ efforts at protecting their employees' sexual and reproductive health.

These indicators, produced in collaboration with Accenture, measure organizations’ performance across a number of different sexual and reproductive issues, including the prevention of workplace sexual harassment and support for employees’ family planning goals.

“Women represent nearly 40 percent of the global workforce. Yet, the average workplace was not built with a woman in mind,” said UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem. “Investing in the health and wellbeing of women is not just the right thing to do, it’s also good for business. When the workplace works for women, it tends to work for everyone.”

Research shows that prioritizing employees' reproductive rights is not only socially responsible but also lucrative, and can boost workplace attendance by over 60 per cent, reduce staff turnover by almost a quarter, and enhance overall productivity by over 20 per cent. For instance, financial support for fertility treatments, surrogacy, adoption, and egg freezing can expand women’s choices and help them thrive in the workplace, while expanded paid parental leave can help attract younger workers.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to protecting employees’ sexual and reproductive health. Measuring and tracking progress on these new sexual and reproductive health indicators allows businesses to tailor their programmes and staff protocols to be more effective for their employees, whether that’s enhancing measures to prevent and address sexual violence in the workplace or implementing family- and childbirth-friendly policies.

With this initiative, UNFPA aims to propel organizations towards a new frontier of ESG by underscoring the significance of prioritizing employee sexual and reproductive health and rights, extending these standards not only within organizations but also to vendors and suppliers in the supply chain.

The Coalition for Reproductive Justice in Business

Alongside this initiative, UNFPA launched the Coalition for Reproductive Justice in Business at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in January 2023. The coalition is designed to encourage and support the private sector to enhance the sexual and reproductive health of their employees, and provides a platform for sharing strategies to address staff’s diverse reproductive health needs. It also fosters accountability by leveraging the new scorecard within the framework of ESG. This holistic approach seeks to create workplaces where reproductive justice is a central focus, promoting a culture of inclusivity and equal opportunity for all employees.

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