Department for Tourism Gender Workplace Policy Review

The State Department for Tourism is reviewing its Gender Work Place Policy to provide a comprehensive framework to guide in achieving gender equity and equality to incorporate emerging issues since the time it was developed in 2015.

The reviewed policy is geared towards acknowledging ongoing initiatives globally, regionally and locally in bridging the gender gaps in the provision of services.

The policy identifies special measures that the Department will undertake to redress identified gender inequalities and inequities, among them, the establishment of Gender Mainstreaming Committees tasked with addressing gender issues and concerns.

The objective of the review is to ensure equity and equality of opportunities for women and men in the department, to ensure that the work environment is gender responsive and to discourage all forms of violence, sexual harassment and gender discrimination at the place of work.

Upon its review, gender issues and concerns shall be integrated at the planning cycle, and that all programs shall demonstrate gender responsiveness to show evidence of systematic consideration of differences between the conditions, situations and needs of women and men.

The reviewed policy will also ensure that the state department undertakes measures to ensure that family responsive provisions are incorporated including facilitating child support for parents such as establishment of onsite daycare facilities.

A gender analysis of the sex disaggregated data of the State Department shows that as of January 2020, women constituted 47 percent while 53 percent of the staff are men. In terms of hierarchy of command, the distribution of female to male at the top management level was at that time 38 percent- female to 62 percent male, at the middle level was 55-female to 45 percent- male, while at the lower level was 39 percent- female to 61 percent-male.

The first gender policy adopted in 2015 provided for a legitimate point of reference for addressing gender issues at the work place. Since then, a number of achievements have been made in the Department, including training, sensitizing Gender Mainstreaming Committee and members of staff on Gender matters.