BEIRUT — The United Nations Global Compact Network Lebanon (UNGC Lebanon) has released a new policy and organisational guidance brief aimed at helping businesses strengthen gender inclusion in the workplace and turn corporate commitments into measurable action.
Titled “Advancing Gender-Inclusive Workplaces in Lebanon: A Policy and Organisational Guidance Brief,” the publication brings together findings, insights and recommendations from the 2025 Peer Learning Group (PLG) on Gender Equality, highlighting the persistent gap between commitments to gender equality and their implementation within organisations.
Developed under the strategic guidance of UNGC Lebanon Executive Director Deenah Fakhoury and drafted by Communications Lead Yara Saliba, the brief positions gender inclusion as an important driver of economic resilience, competitiveness and sustainable growth, particularly as Lebanon continues to face significant socioeconomic challenges.
A Persistent Gender Gap in the Labour Market
The brief highlights the continuing disparity between women and men in Lebanon's labour market. Drawing on figures from Lebanon's Central Administration of Statistics (CAS) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), it reports that women's labour force participation stands at 22.2 percent, compared with 66.2 percent for men, while women also face higher unemployment rates.
The publication argues that closing this gap requires more than corporate commitments, calling for concrete workplace policies, stronger accountability and institutional reforms that enable women to enter, remain and advance in the workforce.
The brief includes contributions from a range of public, international and civil society stakeholders, including former National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW) board member May Makhzoumi, Minister of Social Affairs Haneen Sayed, and representatives from UN Women, ESCWA, UNDP, and the Lebanese League for Women in Business (LLWB).
Five Priorities for Workplace Reform
The white paper identifies five key areas where organisations can strengthen gender inclusion.
The first is governance and leadership, with recommendations including board-level oversight, gender-disaggregated data and measurable gender-related indicators linked to leadership performance.
The second focuses on gender-inclusive workplace systems, including more structured recruitment and promotion processes designed to reduce bias and improve women's access to leadership opportunities.
The third addresses financial equity, calling for transparent salary structures, job grading systems and salary bands to help identify and reduce gender-based pay disparities.
The fourth pillar focuses on wellbeing and allyship, including shared caregiving responsibilities, flexible working arrangements, psychological safety and effective mechanisms for reporting workplace misconduct without fear of retaliation.
The fifth addresses occupational stereotypes, encouraging organisations to increase women's participation in traditionally male-dominated technical, industrial and engineering roles through education partnerships, workplace adaptations and greater visibility of women in non-traditional careers.
Business Practices in Focus
The publication also presents examples from companies that have introduced measures to strengthen gender inclusion.
Technica, for example, highlights the role of structured salary scales, job grading and merit-based governance in strengthening succession planning.
Deloitte Middle East showcases data-driven talent pipelines, representation scorecards and sponsorship initiatives designed to support women's career progression beyond traditional mentorship models.
Meanwhile, i engineering SAL demonstrates how family-friendly workplace policies can support employees through measures including 16 weeks of paid maternity leave, paternity leave, family-care options and anonymous grievance channels.
The brief also highlights Coral Oil Company Limited, where women hold operational, technical and engineering leadership roles, and Matelec, which has focused on adapting industrial workplaces and building partnerships with technical schools to increase opportunities for women in engineering.
Beyond Corporate Policies
The paper argues that workplace reform alone cannot close Lebanon's gender gap and calls for broader national measures.
Among its recommendations are expanded statutory paid parental leave, stronger paternity leave provisions, greater investment in childcare infrastructure, and gender-responsive reforms to the National Social Security Fund and pension systems.
It also calls for stronger enforcement of Law No. 205, which criminalises sexual harassment, including effective protection and reporting mechanisms in workplaces.
The brief further highlights the need to review restrictions under Article 27 of Lebanon's Labour Code, which have historically limited women's participation in certain industrial and operational sectors.
The recommendations align with the UN Global Compact's Ten Principles, the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs), and Lebanon's National Strategy for Women 2022–2030.
The publication ultimately calls for a shift from commitment to implementation, arguing that gender-inclusive workplaces require measurable policies, transparent data and accountability mechanisms that can translate equality commitments into lasting organisational change.
