Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion (GDI) in CGIAR workplaces

Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion (GDI) in CGIAR workplaces

As the CGIAR gender, diversity and inclusion (GDI) in the workplace Function moved into its second year, it continued to provide expert support, guidance, training, and tools to implement the ambitious two-year Framework and Action Plan for advancing GDI in CGIAR workplaces.

GDI Data

CGIAR collected and published a second set of workforce data in 2021, which drew on 2020 efforts to establish a strong baseline of workforce data made publicly available on a dashboard and an accountability framework that captures cross-system performance in CGIAR’s GDI Matrix.

Data from 2021 showed significant progress. Despite disruptions from COVID-19, and in the context of the transition to One CGIAR, the target of 40% representation of women in professional roles continues to be exceeded, with the latest data showing more than 41%.

The “women in professional roles” category includes staff in the Director-General, Entity Leadership Team, senior management, senior scientists/researchers (non-management), non-research fellows (managerial), scientists/research fellows, senior research support, post-doctoral fellows, junior scientists, associate research fellows, and administrative/non-research support.

The appointment of CGIAR’s new Senior Leadership team led to a dramatic advancement of gender balance in senior leadership, reaching 41% women by the end of 2021. Promising increases in the number of women scientists have also been made at both the entry and most senior levels of the research career pathway. By December 2021, women comprised 25% of the senior scientist and senior research management group, 33% of mid-career scientists, and 45% of post-doctoral fellows and junior scientists, providing an excellent opportunity for aligning opportunities for career growth with CGIAR’s talent priorities.

At the end of 2021, CGIAR’s workplaces remained truly multicultural, multidisciplinary, and multigenerational, with more than 9,700 people of 128 different nationalities working in 86 countries. In addition, significant progress has been made across all key objectives.

Of the 108 targets set for the end of 2021, 67 have been fully achieved. Thirty-four are well progressed and will continue to be advanced in 2022 in the new multi-year GDI Action Plan (2022–2024). The remaining seven targets are yet to be launched because these activities are being reconfigured to align with the new One CGIAR operating structure.

Learning products

Using insights gleaned from data collection, CGIAR continues to focus on providing learning products, such as training and best practice guides. The first batch of participants graduated from the eight-month specialist GDI focal point training program, which launched in July 2020.

In 2021, the course was codified into a series of eLearning modules that are available to all staff across CGIAR, which ensures that GDI skills become embedded at an entity level.

Workplace wellness and community building

A newly relaunched GDI Knowledge Hub provided greater access to all GDI guides and training, and supported entities to adopt best-in-class GDI workplace practices. These cover a broad range of topics from inclusive leadership, unconscious bias, wellness, anti-racism action plans, and the Inclusive Recruitment Guide, which is now fully integrated into the way CGIAR recruits. Shared counseling services were also available and accessible to all staff in multiple languages.

The three Employee-led Resource Groups (ERGs) launched in 2020 continued to gather momentum. Operating across CGIAR, these open, voluntary platforms enable staff members to gather to share common interests, concerns, and support.

Other highlights from 2021 included the Wellness ERG event held on World Mental Health Day, with discussions held on mental health and mindfulness, and the Women in Research and Science (WIRES) ERG event on International Women’s day that launched the CGIAR Panel Pledge. The Panel Pledge aims to advance gender equity and diversity in all its forms on panels, at conferences, in fora, and at other public events. More than 330 staff have signed up to demand diversity on the panels in which they participate.

Advancing GDI

A strong foundation has been established to advance gender equity, diversity, and inclusion (GDI) in CGIAR’s workplaces.

The next multi-year GDI Action Plan (2022–2024) will take lessons learned from the Two-Year Progress Report in development and build on this early progress with the same level of ambition, ensuring that best practices are embedded into ways of working in the new operating structure.

PREV
Working together:
Innovation Catalogue
NEXT
Working together:
Use of pooled funding