International Monetary Fund’s Commitment to Gender Equality in the Workplace Confirmed Through EDGE Certification
IMF News, October 3, 2017
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- Published: October 3, 2017
EDGE Certification and Significance
- The IMF received the ASSESS level of EDGE (Economic Dividends for Gender Equality) Certification.
- EDGE is described as the leading business certification for gender equality in the workplace, worldwide.
- Receiving the ASSESS certification indicates the IMF has achieved "landmark progress" in ensuring diversity and equality are integral to its work and values.
- The IMF is the first institution to apply the EDGE methodology on both a gender and regional basis.
IMF staffing benchmarks, progress, and commitments
- Benchmarks for women representation have been in place since 2003.
- Current representation figures:
- Women account for 44 percent of the IMF’s total staff.
- Women account for 28 percent of senior management.
- The IMF expects to accelerate progress and has committed to specific actions to achieve greater representation.
- The IMF has committed to apply the EDGE methodology to assess its staffing on a regional basis, with emphasis on underrepresented regions.
- Commitment to the EDGE process is intended to validate progress against an external benchmark.
Rationale and institutional positioning
- The IMF promotes the full participation of women in the workforce globally, arguing this empowers women and "makes sound economic sense."
- The IMF emphasizes the importance of women being fully represented in the institution’s own staffing.
- The EDGE methodology is portrayed as business-focused, using benchmarking, metrics, and accountability.
Statements and endorsements
- Christine Lagarde, IMF Managing Director: “We are honored to be credited for our commitment to diversity and inclusion at the IMF... We are proud of the progress we have made and we are determined to do more. We will continue to raise the bar on our performance, accountability and transparency in these important areas.”
- Aniela Unguresan, Co-Founder, EDGE Certified Foundation: “The IMF, by becoming EDGE Certified, is sending a powerful message to not only its 189 member countries but also to the rest of the world, that gender equality is a global imperative for economic growth. EDGE congratulates IMF’s Managing Director, Christine Lagarde and the IMF on its commitment to gender equality and its important leadership in this area.”
About EDGE Certification (methodology and reach)
- EDGE stands for Economic Dividends for Gender Equality.
- The methodology assesses policies, practices and numbers across five areas of analysis:
- equal pay for equivalent work,
- recruitment and promotion,
- leadership development training and mentoring,
- flexible working,
- organization culture.
- EDGE uses a business, rather than theoretical, approach focused on benchmarking, metrics and accountability.
- EDGE is working with more than 170 organizations in over 40 countries and 22 industries.
- The EDGE assessment methodology was developed by the EDGE Certified Foundation and launched at the World Economic Forum in 2011.
Institutional context and contact points
- The IMF is an organization of 189 countries, created in 1945, governed by and accountable to its 189 member countries.
- Media contacts listed in the release:
- IMF: Wafa Amr, Senior Communications Officer, +1 202-677-8079, wamr@imf.org
- EDGE Strategy: Aniela Unguresan, Co-Founder, +41 41 530 11 49, info@edge-strategy.com
International Monetary Fund press release, October 3, 2017.