What is EDGE?

EDGE (Economic Dividends for Gender Equality) is the leading global assessment methodology and business certification standard for gender equality. It measures where organisations stand in terms of gender balance across their pipeline, pay equity, effectiveness of policies and practices to ensure equitable career flows as well as inclusiveness of their culture. Launched at the World Economic Forum in 2011, EDGE Certification has been designed to help companies not only create an optimal workplace for women and men, but also benefit from it.
EDGE Certification’s diverse customer base consists of 200 large organizations in 37 countries across five continents, representing 24 different industries and encompassing more than one million employees. BCGE is the sole partner offering EDGE Certification in Myanmar and leading in the region with 13 certified companies.

Why Become EDGE Certified?

Building more diverse and gender-equal workplaces is not only the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do, resulting in higher business growth and performance.

25%

The Diversity Inc. Top 50 Companies outperform stock exchange performance by an average of 25%.

Diversity Inc.

85%

CEO’s whos organizations have a diversity and inclusiveness strategy say its enhanced performance.

PwC. 18th Annual
Global CEO Survey

48%

Higher operating margins generated by gender diverse management teams.

McKinsey

42%

In terms of return on sales, companies with the highest percentage of female board directors outperform those with the least by 42%.

Catalyst

Taking on the EDGE Assessment and Certification will help your organization achieve:

How Does EDGE Work?

EDGE Certification operates under the principle ‘what gets measured gets done’.

1. MEASURE

An online assessment – EDGE Assessment Tool – examines three sources of company information.

2. BENCHMARK

Organizations benchmark themselves against the EDGE Standard and peer organizations. The benchmark serves as a basis for an action plan.

3. GET CERTIFIED

After a successful independent audit by a third party certification body, the organization receives the EDGE Certification Seal – in one of three levels.

4. COMMUNICATE

Public display of the EDGE Certification Seals sends a clear message of commitment to the organization’s stakeholders. The globally recognized business certification enhances the brand’s credibility.

5.TAKE ACTION

Implement EDGE action plan and strategic roadmap and stay well-informed of leading practices within the EDGE community.

MEASURE

WHAT GETS MEASURED GETS DONE

EDGE’s assessment methodology and global business certification standard is based on three sources of information:

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

A HOLISTIC APPROACH

Each source of information is important in its own right, but EDGE goes further by examining the alignment or gaps between all three. This triangulation enables a company to compare and contrast its efforts to build gender equality infrastructure most effectively, in terms of both workplace experience and impact on the gender mix of the talent pipeline. The outcome enables the organization to create clear milestones in the process of building an inclusive culture and reap the economic dividends of workplace gender equality.

BENCHMARK

DETERMINE WHAT TO AIM FOR

Organizations benchmark where they stand against the EDGE Standard and peer organizations. The benchmark serves as the basis for an action plan.

KEY ASSESSMENT AREAS

EDGE STANDARD

The results become the basis for a concrete action plan that is grounded in accountability and business impact.

GET CERTIFIED

IMPACT DESERVES TO BE RECOGNIZED

Organizations become EDGE Certified for their commitment to workplace gender equality and progress through three levels of certification on their journey to achieve excellence.

THIRD-PARTY CERTIFICATION

To maintain impartiality, EDGE Certificates are issued by independent certifiers who are approved and trained to audit organizations against the EDGE Standard.

ASSESS, MOVE, LEAD

EDGE Certification embraces a philosophy of continuous improvement. The EDGE Certification Seal is visible, credible recognition of a company’s commitment to workplace gender equality. It is valid for two years.

THREE LEVELS OF CERTIFICATION

EDGE ASSESS

COMMITTED TO PROGRESS

The company is making a public commitment to maintain strong gender balance across the talent pipeline, proactively manage gender pay equity, effectively implement gender equality policies and practices, and foster an inclusive workplace culture with high engagement levels of both the male and female employees. At the same time, the company is identifying a concrete action plan for further progress.

EDGE MOVE

REACHING MILESTONES

The company has already achieved certain milestones pertaining to strong gender balance across the talent pipeline, proactively managing gender pay equity, effectively implementing gender equality policies and practices, and fostering an inclusive workplace culture as revealed by the high engagement levels of both the male and female employees. It commits to improving its action plan for even greater impact.

EDGE LEAD

CAPITALIZING ON CHANGE

The company demonstrates strong gender balance across the talent pipeline, proactively manages gender pay equity, has effectively implemented gender equality policies and practices, and has an inclusive workplace culture as revealed by the high engagement levels of both the male and female employees. At the same time, the company puts gender equality to work for sustainable business success.