York St John University is recognised by Stonewall (the LGBT campaigners and rights charity) as a Top 100 LGBT-Inclusive employer. Part of the accreditation application is dedicated specifically to procurement and asks us to evidence how well our supply chains contribute to improving inclusion and diversity across our organisation and the wider economy.
It may not be immediately obvious why this might be the case, but where we employ third parties to provide services or do work on behalf of the university – we have a responsibility to ensure that they reflect our values in the performance of those duties. If not, then we are at best hypocrites and at worst we can be seen to be counteracting the positive impact we have had in making gender equality and diversity a core characteristic of our institution.
Introducing greater diversity into supply chains is an incredible generator of innovation, particularly in sectors that are typified by a risk-averse approach to procurement. Well-structured procurements seek out fair and open competition, in order to drive new solutions from the market and to attract the best offerings from potential suppliers – this is not controversial or new thinking. Britain is a modern Western economy, but much of its supply chains reach out beyond its geographical borders to places where equality law is not so well developed, and workplace legislation does not offer the protection that is does here.
Gender Equality in Supply Chains
I can run a perfectly compliant tender, through all the right channels and publish it across prominent, public forums but still when it comes to sit down in front of supplier presentations I can be faced with a parade of grey haired, middle-aged, white men in suits who all appear an awful lot like me. Clearly specified, transparent and open procurements can limit the impact of unconscious bias, but we all have blind spots, and these can allow for unintended tunnel vision.
The procurement process primarily assesses the suitability and capability of potential suppliers – but it can also inform us of much more about the way their services are provided and who by. We can dig deeper to find evidence of the training they provide for their staff in diversity, inclusion and LGBT equality awareness. Women and girls are statistically particularly vulnerable to exploitation in supply chains and forced labour of any form should be identified and eradicated. As part of ongoing contract management, we can hold suppliers to account to ensure that the standards they have assured us of are being maintained throughout the lifetime of their contracts.
Global Goal 5
Working like this helps us to achieve Global Goal number 5 – which challenges us to combat prejudice and strive for fairness in our trading, whatever the background, gender or sexuality of the people we encounter. Some of our targets that will help us to reach this goal are;
- Adopting and enforcing polices that support equality of gender and sexuality
- Ending violence and discrimination against women and girls
- Ending the exploitation of women and girls
- Eliminate forced marriage and FGM
- Valuing unpaid care and the sharing of domestic responsibilities
- Ensure full participation for all in leadership and decision making
- Promote empowerment of women through technology
The complexity of our international supply chains makes it ever more difficult to ensure that our good and services are provided in the manner that we would wish. Ongoing vigilance is required by procurement professionals to ask deep and critical questions of the suppliers they work with in order to shine a light on unacceptable behaviours so that they can be challenged
If you would like to learn more about diversity and gender equality in our supply chains, please feel free to get in touch. Some further information on how good supply chain management can actively support gender equality, diversity and the promotion of LGBT awareness can be found here;
http://www.ecu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/external/equality-through-procurement-in-fe-and-he.docx