The Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) — a partnership initiative of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) and the United Nations Global Compact — is a set of seven principles for business, offering guidance on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community.

More than 250 chief executive officers, including those of major multinational corporations, have affirmed support for these principles, relating to corporate leadership to promote gender equality; fair treatment and mutual respect in the workplace; health, safety and well-being of all workers; education, training and professional development for all women; business development and practices that empower women; community initiatives to promote equality; and measurement and reporting on progress in achieving gender equality.

Companies have also demanded gender-specific reporting guidelines to help put these principles into practice. In response, gender-specific reporting guidelines are being developed by the WEPs that take into consideration the Global Reporting Initiative standards and the Global Compact Communication on Progress.
Source: The United Nations Global Compact, www.unglobalcompact.org/Issues/ human_rights/equality_means_business.html.