A Papua New Guinea company has been recognised internationally for its promotion of gender equality in the workplace.
A group of women who work for PNG company NCS. Photo: Facebook/ IFC
NCS, which is PNG's largest catering and camp management company, has been awarded the leading global assessment and business certification for gender equality - the Economic Dividends for Gender Equality.
NCS is the first company from the Pacific Islands region to be awarded the certification.
With its headquarters in Port Moresby and various branches around the country, NCS employs 680 women in a workforce of 1300.
The company cites International Finance Corporation support in its efforts to develop female capacity.
This includes measures such as sending high-potential female staff to leadership training and setting up an in-house mentoring program.
The company has also built a workplace culture that values women as equals, and has implemented a policy on family and sexual violence.
NCS now joins 12 other organizations in the East Asia Pacific region to be awarded Economic Dividends for Gender Equality, or EDGE, gender certification.
The certification evaluates companies' workplace gender equality performance against global and industry benchmarks.
The EDGE gender certification provides a competitive advantage by positioning a company or organization as a gender equal environment to work in, invest in, and do business with.
EDGE is currently working with nearly 200 organizations, in 50 countries, and 23 industries.
"NCS now stands out as an employer of choice for women. We hope more companies will discover the strength of the business case for greater gender equality in the workplace," said Thomas Jacobs, IFC's Country Manager for the Pacific.
"There's no doubt that companies can deliver greater business impact and be more competitive by fostering an equitable and inclusive workplace for women and men."
