According to the report, Employer and Business Membership Organizations (EBMOs) have made notable advances in promoting gender equality and diversity within their structures and among members. However, the journey towards gender parity remains ongoing, particularly in leadership roles.

The main findings can be summarised as follows:

Progress in Gender Equality: EBMOs have advanced their efforts to promote gender equality over the past six years. There is an encouraging trend in increasing the representation of women in decision-making roles. Notably, the percentage of EBMOs with female CEOs has grown to 30 per cent, and 44 per cent of EBMOs have increased women's representation on their boards. These figures are up from significantly lower numbers in previous years, indicating a positive shift towards gender-balanced leadership.

While progress is evident, work remains to broaden EBMOs board composition where representation ranges from 40 to 60 per cent for either gender.

Strategic Integration of Gender Initiatives: The most effective EBMOs embed gender equality and diversity deeply into their everyday activities rather than running them as ancillary programmes. This integrated approach ensures that gender equality is considered a standard element of business operations, enhancing organisational culture and solidifying the business case for diversity. Such integration is crucial for sustainable advancement and leverages the full potential of gender-diverse perspectives within business decision-making processes.

Measuring and Understanding Impact: A critical gap identified in the report is tracking gender diversity impacts. About 46 per cent of EBMOs acknowledge the enhanced business outcomes due to their gender initiatives, citing benefits such as increased income, better organizational reputation, and improved talent attraction and retention. However, the lack of robust mechanisms to measure these benefits hindrances EBMOs to measure and evaluate the impact of inclusive and diverse initiatives contributes to their success. Improving tracking mechanisms could significantly reinforce the business case for diversity, providing clear, data-driven insights into how gender equality initiatives benefit businesses.

Looking Ahead: The road ahead for EBMOs involves not only continuing to foster internal gender diversity but also expanding their advocacy and support services related to gender equality. It is crucial for EBMOs to enhance their support for gender-related challenges faced by their members, such as access to finance for women entrepreneurs and improved childcare solutions, to ensure comprehensive support for women in the workforce.

The findings of this report hold significant weight, given the substantial influence of national employers' organisations in the private sector. As leaders within the business community, they serve as role models and are pivotal in propelling progress toward gender equality and diversity, as noted by Akustina Morni, Director of Policy at IOE.

Currently, it will take over 63 years for women to make up at least 30 per cent of all national EBMO boards. However, the Sustainable Development Agenda, adopted by UN Member States in 2015, sets a 2030 deadline for achieving gender equality. This underscores the need for more, better, and faster action on gender equality, a cause that EBMOs are fully committed to, as stated by Deborah France-Massin, Director of ILO-ACT/EMP.