50 years of the OECD Guidelines: Contributions, limitations, and what is needed next
Recommendations for the OECD and member governments on the future implementation of the Guidelines
Our work on gender
OECD Watch advocates for companies to integrate a gender perspective throughout their due diligence and responsible business conduct.
OECD Watch tracks complaints focused on harms to women. Our Guide to Gender Due Diligence helps civil society organisations assess whether companies are applying a gender lens to their due diligence. CSOs can use it when engaging with companies, advocating with governments, and filing NCP complaints.
We pushed to ensure the OECD Guidelines call on companies to take account of intersectionality in their human rights due diligence. We continue to call for focus on women’s and LGBTQI+ rights.
We have contributed to international discussions on applying a gender lens to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, highlighting both the disproportionate impacts women can experience from corporate activities and the barriers they can face in accessing remedy. We push for reflection on gender-specific impacts in wider corporate standards.
What the OECD Guidelines say
The OECD Guidelines expect companies to respect human rights and conduct due diligence that takes into account distinct and intersecting risks faced by people who may be particularly vulnerable or marginalised.
Companies should also communicate transparently about their gender-related impacts and the measures they are taking to address them.
A gender-responsive approach to due diligence means companies should:
- Identify and assess actual and potential gender-related impacts across their operations and business relationships;
- Recognise that women, LGBTQI+ people and others may experience business impacts differently, including where gender intersects with factors such as race, age, disability or other forms of marginalisation;
- Meaningfully engage women, LGBTQI+ people and their representatives when identifying and addressing impacts, while removing barriers that may prevent them from participating safely and effectively;
- Take action to prevent and mitigate gender-related harms, including by using their leverage with business partners; and
- Provide or cooperate in remedy where gender-related harms have occurred.
Get involved
Want to learn more about OECD Watch’s work on this issue? Get in touch with us to find out more about our advocacy and resources, or to discuss how the OECD Guidelines can support your work. Reach out directly.
Recursos relacionados
Guide to gender due diligence
Our practical guide helps civil society assess whether companies are meaningfully addressing gender-specific harms. It is available in:
English
French
Spanish
Portuguese
Video explainer: Gender Due Diligence
Learn how gender-specific impacts can be addressed throughout the six steps of due diligence.
Watch the video here
How to use the Guidelines
The OECD Guidelines provide civil society with a framework for engaging companies, governments and other decision-makers on responsible business conduct. You can use the Guidelines to:
Help communities and other affected people understand the standards companies are expected to meet and the rights and protections they can demand.
Use the Guidelines to talk to companies about their impacts and demand that they prevent, address and remedy harm.
Use the Guidelines to advocate for strong laws, policies and corporate practices that protect people and the planet and hold companies accountable.
When a company falls below the standards in the Guidelines, you can bring a complaint to an NCP and seek accountability and remedy.
Connected issues
Derechos humanos
How companies can respect human rights, prevent harm and provide or contribute to remedy when harms occur.
Human rights defenders
How companies should respect human rights defenders and prevent and remedy reprisals against those who speak out.
Indigenous Peoples’ rights
How companies should respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights, including collective rights to culture, self-determination, and free, prior and informed consent.
Land rights
How companies should prevent harm to people’s land, housing and tenure rights and respect legitimate land rights.
Stakeholder engagement
How meaningfulengagement can ensure affected people have a voice in decisions that impact them.
Workers’ rights
How companies should respect workers’ rights across their operations and value chains, including freedom of association and collective bargaining.
Noticias y publicaciones relacionadas
Evaluating corporate due diligence through a gender lens in Latin America
Workshop report
Fighting business impacts on women in Latin America: Practical case workshop on evaluating corporate gender due diligence
Español abajo Portugués abajo On 17 May 2022, OECD Watch and Latin American region members ProDESC (Mexico), Programa Laboral de Desarrollo (PLADES, Peru), Conectas Direitos Humanos (Brazil), with support of Swedwatch (Sweden) will hold…
New OECD Watch guidance on gender due diligence
Guide for CSOs on how to evaluate a company's gender due diligence
Submission to the UN Working Group: Gender Lens to the UNGPs
Submission to the UN Working Group: Gender Lens to the UNGPs
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