AIPMO Gender Equality Plan (GEP)

1. Introduction & Leadership Commitment

AIPMO (Association of International Project Management Officers) is committed to creating an organisational culture where equality, fairness, respect, and inclusion form the foundation of everything we do. Gender equality strengthens the quality of research and innovation, enhances organisational performance, supports professional excellence, and enables a diverse global community of PMO practitioners to thrive.

This Gender Equality Plan outlines AIPMO’s long-term commitment to advancing gender equality across all areas of our work. It has been endorsed by AIPMO’s Executive Committee and will be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure continued progress.

2. Scope and Objectives

This GEP applies to:

    • AIPMO’s leadership and governance structures

    • All employees, contractors, trainers, assessors, and consultants

    • Committees, advisory groups, working groups, and expert panels

    • AIPMO’s research, education, assessments, and certification activities

    • Events, conferences, and community engagements

    • Partnerships and collaborations

Strategic Objectives

AIPMO aims to:

    1. Promote a gender-balanced and inclusive organisational culture.

    1. Strengthen gender equality in leadership, governance, and expert roles.

    1. Ensure fair, transparent, and gender-sensitive recruitment and career development.

    1. Integrate gender considerations into research, assessment frameworks, and educational content.

    1. Prevent and address all forms of gender-based violence and harassment.

    1. Collect, monitor, and publish gender-related data annually.

  1. Build organisational awareness and capacity through continuous training and engagement.

3. Core Foundations of the Plan

3.1. Public Endorsement & Publication

    • The GEP is published on AIPMO’s official website.

    • It is signed and endorsed by AIPMO’s Executive Director and Executive Committee.

    • Regular communication campaigns will ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the GEP and its commitments.

  • Annual progress updates will also be published.

3.2. Dedicated Resources

To effectively implement this plan, AIPMO will allocate:

    • A Gender Equality Officer (GEO) responsible for coordination and monitoring.

    • A Gender Equality Steering Committee, composed of staff, leadership representatives, and external experts.

    • A dedicated annual budget to support training, data collection, awareness campaigns, and policy implementation.

    • Additional external expertise when necessary.

3.3. Data Collection, Monitoring & Annual Reporting

AIPMO will collect gender-disaggregated data annually in the following areas:

Leadership & Governance

    • Executive and committee composition

    • Decision-making structures

Human Resources

    • Staff and contractor gender breakdown

    • Recruitment, promotion, and retention data

    • Role distribution and pay parity monitoring

Expert Community

    • Trainers, assessors, speakers, consultants by gender

    • Representation in panels and exam boards

Programs & Membership

    • Participation in courses, certifications, and events

    • Research and publication contributions

All data will be published in an Annual Gender Equality Report along with a summary of actions taken, progress made, and new targets set.

3.4. Training & Awareness Building

AIPMO will implement ongoing training for all staff, leadership, trainers, and committee members, including:

    • Unconscious gender bias training

    • Gender-sensitive recruitment and evaluation training

    • Inclusive communication training

    • Training for integrating gender perspectives into research, teaching, and assessment activities

Awareness initiatives will include internal campaigns, events, expert talks, and community engagement activities.

4. Thematic Priorities & Actions

4.1. Work–Life Balance & Organisational Culture

AIPMO commits to:

    • Promoting flexible work arrangements where possible.

    • Ensuring inclusive language and imagery in all policies and communications.

    • Supporting equitable workload distribution.

    • Recognising caregiving responsibilities and personal circumstances.

    • Conducting annual surveys on inclusion, wellbeing, and organisational culture.

  • Increasing visibility of women and underrepresented groups across AIPMO channels.

4.2. Gender Balance in Leadership & Decision-Making

AIPMO will:

    • Aim for a minimum of 40% representation of each gender within leadership and governance bodies.

    • Ensure gender balance in selection committees, working groups, and expert panels.

    • Encourage diverse leadership pipelines and mentorship opportunities.

    • Ensure balanced representation in conferences, webinars, and public events.

  • Implement transparent, competency-based selection processes.

4.3. Gender Equality in Recruitment & Career Development

Commitments include:

    • Using gender-inclusive language in all job and role postings.

    • Ensuring gender-balanced shortlists wherever possible.

    • Implementing structured, bias-reduced evaluation procedures.

    • Providing equal access to career development, professional certifications, and leadership opportunities.

  • Monitoring the gender balance in recruitment, contract awards, and promotions.

4.4. Integration of Gender in Research, Education & PMO Standards

AIPMO will:

    • Integrate gender-sensitive approaches into research methodologies where relevant.

    • Encourage studies and insights into gender-inclusive PMO practices.

    • Include gender considerations in PMO maturity models, standards, and frameworks where applicable.

    • Ensure that learning materials, case studies, and assessments reflect diverse perspectives.

  • Provide training for trainers, authors, and assessors on how to integrate gender considerations.

4.5. Prevention of Gender-Based Violence & Harassment

AIPMO will maintain:

    • A Zero-Tolerance Policy toward sexual harassment, discrimination, bullying, or any form of gender-based violence.

    • A confidential, accessible reporting system, including anonymous channels.

    • Clear procedures for investigation, response, and resolution.

    • Safeguards to protect complainants and witnesses.

    • Mandatory training for leadership and committee chairs.

  • Behavioural rules and codes of conduct for all events, courses, and online platforms.

5. Implementation Structure

5.1. Gender Equality Officer (GEO)

Responsible for coordination, data collection, monitoring, reporting, and supporting training and policy initiatives.

5.2. Gender Equality Steering Committee

Provides strategic direction, ensures alignment with AIPMO’s mission, and oversees implementation progress.

5.3. Annual Implementation Cycle

    1. Audit – Collect data and identify gaps

    1. Plan – Update objectives and actions

    1. Implement – Conduct activities and initiatives

    1. Monitor – Track KPIs and gather feedback

    1. Evaluate – Review progress and identify improvements

  1. Report – Publish the Annual Gender Equality Report

6. Key Performance Indicators

AIPMO will track:

    • Gender representation across leadership and committees

    • Gender ratios among trainers, assessors, consultants

    • Recruitment, promotion, and retention patterns

    • Pay parity indicators (where applicable)

    • Participation in programs, courses, and certifications

    • Gender balance in event speakers and panelists

    • Training completion rates

    • Incidents reported and resolved under the anti-harassment framework

  • Results of the annual inclusion and organisational culture survey

7. Timeline

Year 1

    • Publish GEP and appoint GEO and Steering Committee

    • Complete baseline data collection

    • Conduct unconscious bias training for all leaders

    • Introduce annual data monitoring procedures

Year 2

    • Launch organisational culture survey

    • Implement gender balance targets across committees

    • Integrate gender considerations into research and learning materials

    • Strengthen anti-harassment and reporting mechanisms

Year 3

    • Complete full monitoring and evaluation cycle

    • Publish three-year progress review

  • Update the GEP based on results

8. Review & Continuous Improvement

The GEP will be reviewed formally every three years, with annual updates informed by new data, feedback, evolving best practices, and changing organisational needs.
AIPMO is committed to sustained progress and continuous improvement in all aspects of gender equality.