The purpose of the Media Education Centre’s Gender Equity Plan (GEP) is to sustainably transform and maintain organizational processes, cultures, and structures to combat and reduce gender imbalances and inequalities within the workplace and anywhere we can make an impact. The GEP provides a systematic and strategic instrument that establishes priorities and concrete objectives.
Monitoring the GEP
This Gender Equity Plan will be monitored through data and employee culture on an annual basis, and more regularly for some qualitative data such as staff surveys.
The data used will include:
- The gender pay gap
- Staff survey results
- Staff turnover based on gender distribution
- Recruitment based on gender distribution
- Progression based on gender distribution
Whilst most monitoring will be carried out on an annual basis, it may be necessary to carry out ad hoc monitoring to ensure alignment with the GEP. For example, if a complaint or grievance was to be received where it is directly or indirectly related to gender.
Keeping employees aligned with the GEP
Our plans to address and maintain gender equity are integrated across our organization’s people policies. Our employees are consulted on any new policies and have constant access to these. This includes a Transgender Policy that guides how to support an employee who is transitioning, as well as a Maternity Policy that includes a Maternity Returnship Programme that provides a plan to support returning mothers in progressing in their role and their confidence.
Media Education Centre also requires all employees to complete mandatory online training including Equality, Diversity, and Human Rights training. This training is required on the commencement of employment and every three years thereafter.
Gender equity in recruitment and career progression
MEC monitors gender equity in recruitment and progression through holistic monitoring, as well as through processes such as data reviews, including gender pay gap reviews.
As part of the GEP, MEC would like to build a way of monitoring who applied for vacancies and were successful in interviews alongside their gender, to identify any downfalls or areas for improvement. This is not currently available in our recruitment software but has been made as a suggestion to them to add in the future.
Measure against gender-based violence including sexual harassment
MEC’s’ GEP includes measures to address gender-based violence and operate on a zero-tolerance approach. This is reflected in the Disciplinary Policy where the process is set out that serious misconduct and gross misconduct (including sexual harassment) would constitute dismissal from employment.
We measure gender-based violence in the workplace by monitoring the level of complaints or disciplinary directly or indirectly linked to gender. There have not been any cases since the Media Education Centre was first founded.
Gender balance in leadership
As can be seen from the statistics above, women are relatively well represented in all roles within the organization, including leadership roles and a gender-balanced board. This is also represented in our recent gender pay gap review. Due to the size of the organization, we are not required to monitor the gender pay gap, but we consider it important to do so regardless of the number of employees.
Work-life balance / organizational culture
The importance of work-life balance is reflected in our culture and ways of working. It is also an important consideration concerning home office arrangements regulated in the Health and Safety Policy. MEC aims to improve the productivity of employees and support their overall well-being and stress management by facilitating a better work-life balance. MEC are also continuously supporting the expansion of flexible, family-friendly working arrangement. The organization is remote-first, with the option to go into the office as and when. Employees are given full choice and flexibility, and are encouraged to work hours that suit them, providing core hours, meetings, and tasks are met.
Our workplace culture is an inclusive one, and we will maintain it as such, with 100% of employees feeling as though Media Education Centre is an inclusive place to work, and 100% of staff reporting that MEC values diversity. We continue to strive to build a culture of equity and diversity, with this being built into the HR Strategy.
As part of the GEP, we also plan to continue to build our external culture and have a larger impact on those outside of the organization, through the external communications and relationships we have. This represents itself in sharing public social media posts on behalf of the organization for all important topics, including those relating to gender and gender equity.
Communication
This Gender Equity Plan is published on the MEC’s website and is shared with all employees and new employees. We will continue to build external and internal communications into the Media Education Centre Gender Equality Plan.
