Organizations must take conscious steps for inclusive leadership: UN Women's Naciri

We are not living up to our own commitments to promote women's rights, and we are also harming the prospects for sustainable, inclusive, economic growth that research shows is within reach if we succeed in creating a more gender equal economy and society, says Mohammad Naciri

- Mastufa Ahmed

Mohammad Naciri is the Regional Director of UN Women for Asia and the Pacific. Prior to joining UN Women, Mohammad was the Deputy Country Director of UNDP in Yemen, where he supported the country in the formulation of its Gender Strategy and the Gender Responsive Budgeting process. He has worked in Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Cambodia, dealing with issues from human trafficking to ethnic cleansing.

In an exclusive interview with People Matters, Mohammad Naciri talks about the need to create a level playing field for women to succeed at work. Here are the excerpts of the interview with Mohammad.

What are some patterns you’ve noticed over the years about women at work, and things they could be doing better to advance their careers?

Rather than focus on what women need to do better to advance their careers, it is important that we all take responsibility for building labor markets and workplaces that allow all staff members, men, and women, to thrive, learn, and ultimately be as productive as they can be. In some cases, this means gender-specific actions and policies, such as maternity leave but it is also about addressing the unconscious bias of companies that result in, for instance, the overrepresentation of one gender in certain job functions, or in inherently discriminatory criteria for the promotion.

We also know that across the world, women take on more of the unpaid care work at home and in their communities, such as taking care of children, elders, or household tasks. So let us first ensure that there’s a level playing field, that women have as much time to focus on their work and career, and that they are given equal opportunities to grow and advance in their workplaces.