Re-wiring gender power hierarchies: Insights from sector, national, and European-level organisations

Achieving gender equality, a cornerstone of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG5), requires systemic transformation across institutions such as family, society and organisations. Thus, it requires a transformative approach across the public, private and civil spheres of society to address gender inequality, particularly in the realm of employment and enterprises. Within this context, organisations such as employer and employee associations can play a pivotal role in addressing gender inequality issues such as gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and pay disparities.

This paper examines how organisations operating at regional (European), national, and sectoral levels—including finance, healthcare, and sustainability—understand and address the long-standing gendered power structures shaping workplaces. Drawing on in-depth interviews with representative organisations, the study identifies strategies aimed at dismantling structural barriers faced by women in the workplace. These strategies include but are not limited to developing and promoting toolkits for inclusive recruitment processes, innovative ways to champion flexible work arrangements without reinforcing gender stereotypes, addressing gender and ethnicity pay gaps, designing leadership development programs without reinforcing gender stereotypes, providing actionable guidelines on preventing workplace harassment, and creating meaningful networking opportunities for women.

By examining sector-specific and cross-sectoral practices, the research uncovers innovative approaches that can inform broader efforts to transform gendered organisational cultures. The interviews also highlight a critical shift from focusing solely on individual-level interventions to fostering systemic solutions that address deeply embedded power imbalances. This shift reflects a growing recognition that sustainable gender equality requires not only empowering individuals but also reshaping the institutional norms and structures that perpetuate inequalities.

Furthermore, the research considers how crises—economic, political, environmental, or health-related—exacerbate gender inequalities in the workplace and explores how organisations have adapted strategies in response. Therefore, it considers measures and practices concerning gender equality as proactive, essential elements of organisational resilience and innovation in an era of multiple crises.

Conducted as part of the Re-Wiring Project (European Commission and UKRI, grant no. 101094497), this study contributes to the gender equality agenda by demonstrating the unique and transformative potential of sectoral-, national-, and European-level organisations to advance SDG5. By bridging practice and policy, it offers actionable insights for practitioners, policymakers, and scholars committed to fostering equitable futures in work and organisations.