Introduction
The Battleground is fully committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees/team members have equal opportunities for career development and advancement. This Gender Equality Plan outlines our specific goals and actions to achieve and maintain a gender-balanced workforce and address potential gender inequalities within the organisation.
EU Regulatory Framework
This plan is aligned with the following key EU regulations promoting gender equality;
EU Directive 2006/56/EC prohibits discrimination based on sex in employment and vocational training.
EU Directive 2014/91/EU strengthens measures to facilitate work-life balance for parents and carers.
European Commission Strategy for Gender Equality 2020-2025 that sets out key actions to achieve a gender-equal Europe.
Rationale
The Battleground conducted a baseline assessment to understand the current gender distribution across the company. This assessment included:
- Percentage of F/M founder members = 50% female/ 50% male
- Percentage F/M core team = 50% female / 50% male
- Contributors = 32% female / 68% male (ratio 1/2)
- Traineeships/Interns = 4 female, 1 male = 4/1 ratio (over 7 years).
- Gender pay gap analysis = 0%
- Identification of potential barriers faced by female employees in recruitment, promotion, and career development = no barriers identified
Objectives
Based on the initial assessment, we set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives for achieving gender equality. These objectives have included:
– Maintain the 50% representation of women in leadership positions.
– Increase the balance of female contributors year on year by actively seeking contributions from women writers.
– Aim to achieve parity in contributors over the next business development phase (2025-2030).
– Increase the percentage of women readers in line with women contributors
Action Plan
To keep our objectives valid, we are implementing a comprehensive action plan that addresses various aspects of the employee life cycle:
Recruitment
- Review and revise job descriptions to ensure they are gender-neutral and attract a diverse pool of applicants.
Training and Development
- Provide mentoring opportunities for female employees to connect with senior leaders.
- Support training opportunities relevant to career advancement, such as leadership skills training
- Offer media training on gender neutral reporting.
Work-Life Balance
- Offer flexible work arrangements such as part-time work, remote work options, and parental leave policies that benefit both mothers and fathers.
- Promote a culture that supports work-life balance for all Battleground team members.
Organisation Culture
- Recognise and celebrate achievements of female employees across the organisation.
- Encourage open communication and address any gender-related concerns raised by employees, team members, volunteers, interns and national/international projects.
Monitoring and Evaluation
We regularly monitor and evaluate the Gender Equality Plan. This involves:
- Collecting data on progress towards achieving our objectives.
- Reviewing the action plan and making adjustments as needed.
- Reviewing gender balance in our annual business plan.
Communication
The Gender Equality Plan is communicated to all team members and published on The Battleground website.
Conclusion
The Battleground is fully committed to creating a work and learning environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and have equal opportunities for success. This Gender Equality Plan provides a roadmap for preserving the Battleground’s gender-balanced and inclusive workplace, aligning with our values and with Belgian and EU regulations. We believe that fostering diversity and gender equality as well as female internships and female board members strengthen our organisations’ culture, attracts top talent, and ultimately leads to a more innovative, balanced and successful media.
Brussels, 2025