A new human rights based tool will help companies find sustainable solutions to e.g. lack of access to clean drinking water, transport, medicine and health care. The tool is developed by the Danish Institute for Human Rights in cooperation with the Zambia based investment and advisory firm Kukula Capital. It offers companies in developing countries in Africa and other parts of the world the opportunity to improve conditions for their employees and their families, which may lead to enhanced employee loyalty and motivation with the effect that the productivity of the companies increases.
Online tool
The tool, named Social impact Toolkit, is an online tool offering guidance for companies on how they can identify, map and analyse challenges for their employees. Based on that they can develop sustainable human rights based solutions, improving the rights and living conditions of the employees and increases the turnover of the company.
A number of the Zambian pilot companies have already made significant improvements based on the toolkit. By using the toolkit, they have developed solutions to providing access to medical care and purchasing bicycles for employees. The improvements have led to increased motivation and loyalty towards the workplace among the employees, fewer sick days, increased gender equality and a number of other factors, which increase the productivity of companies.
IFU: Toolkit can be used across the globe
IFU has invested in Kukula Capital and has been part of the steering committee that has monitored the development of the tool.
– I am convinced that the tool can be of benefit to many companies in developing countries across the globe. Particularly small and medium sized enterprises need tools that can help them contribute to the fulfilment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and to comply with human rights, said Birgitte Bang Nielsen, Sustainability Director at IFU.
The Social Impact Toolkit is online here.