What are reproductive rights in businesses?
Reproductive rights are human rights related to sexuality and reproduction, which have a direct impact on a woman's participation and potential in the workplace. Businesses can impact the reproductive-health agenda for women and girls by providing adequate maternal-health support, access to family-planning information and response to gender-based violence in the workplace.
Businesses can create inclusive environments by adopting family-friendly policies such as flexible working arrangements to help women cope with menstrual or menopause symptoms, by investing in safe spaces at work with reporting and feedback mechanisms, by providing workplace clinics with family-planning provisions, antenatal or postnatal checkups, and reproductive-health consultations, as well as by training employees to serve as peer educators.
Creating value
Research indicates that investing in sexual and reproductive rights in the workplace can increase women’s participation, provide flexibility and growth opportunities for women, and help maximize their potential, which in turn increases both productivity and profitability.
Invest in safe spaces at work, menstrual hygiene needs, factory clinics and more. UNFPA’s Return on Investment (ROI) tool helps organizations evaluate the business case of investing in women’s sexual and reproductive health in the workplace.
What can businesses do?
SEEK
To understand the sexual reproductive health needs across the female workforce, supply chains and communities.
ADOPT
Gender-sensitive approaches and indicators, and create conditions for decent work, equal employment, and family-friendly policies.
INVEST
In programs on women's health, diversity equity and inclusion, and ensure zero tolerance for gender-based violence.
MEASURE
Performance and returns in creating an environment in which women can realize their sexual reproductive rights.
ADVOCATE
With governments and industry groups for better policies, and increased cooperation for better reproductive rights.
Frequently asked questions
When and why was the coalition established?
The Coalition for Reproductive Justice in Business was established as an outcome of a side event at the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in 2022. Together with the UN Foundation, UN Global Compact, Philips and ODI, UNFPA led a side event under the theme “Mainstreaming SRHR, Gender Equality and Women’s economic empowerment in corporate strategy and operations”.
The Coalition for Reproductive Justice in Business was formally presented and launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as UNFPA’s flagship platform to engage the private sector on women’s health in the workplace, supply chains and communities in which they engage.
Who are the members leading the coalition?
The coalition is a multi-stakeholder action platform comprising a broad range of actors including UN institutions, businesses and corporations, foundations and philanthropy, academia, civil society organizations, think tanks, auditing firms/consultancies and others who have come together to advocate for the women and girls' health agenda within the private sector.
What is the objective of the coalition?
The objective of the Coalition for Reproductive Justice in Business, established by UNFPA and its partners, is to advance and mainstream the women and girls' reproductive-health agenda within the private sector. The coalition aims to build a multi-stakeholder platform to define measurable indicators that integrate sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals.
How can an organization join the coalition?
Organizations may make a commitment to integrating reproductive rights in their corporate strategies, supporting the development of metrics, integrating metrics in social-impact reporting, and adopting UNFPA's workplace tools. Organizations may also increase investments in research for sexual and reproductive health and rights, programmes, training and services. They may participate with UNFPA in building advocacy and awareness for the coalition, globally.
