“We need to address the gender gap in standards to maintain trust in standardization"
Originally published in IEC e-tech Issue 06/2024 “We need to address the gender gap in standards to maintain trust in standardization" | IEC e-tech
Michelle Parkouda is the Manager of Research at the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and also Co-convenor of the ISO/IEC Joint Advisory Group on Gender Responsive Standards (GRS). She explains why GRS are essential to maintain trust in standardization, what are the challenges facing SCC and how baking helps her to unwind.
How important are GRS for the IEC and why?
GRS are very important to the IEC. It signed the UNECE Declaration on Gender-Responsive Standards and Standards Development in 2019, the same year the declaration was released. The IEC has followed up that signature with action. Together with ISO, the IEC established the Joint Strategic Advisory Group (JSAG) on gender responsive standards. The JSAG has developed guidance to help technical committees ensure that the standards they develop can be effective for all genders. Research I led has demonstrated that standards are not currently protecting women as well as they protect men. There is no reason for that. The IEC has shown through its actions that it is committed to ensuring that the gender gap in standards is addressed, so that everyone can fully benefit from standardization.
Do GRS help to instill trust in standardization?
We often refer to standards as the invisible infrastructure. We take products and services that use standards for granted, trusting that they will work as they should. And for the most part they do, which is why we have that expectation. However, there is a growing awareness that standards are not always working as well for women. During the pandemic, it became incredibly clear that standards for personal protective equipment were not adequately inclusive. The European Commission looked into this further and considered the inclusivity of standards with anthropometric components (or human body measurements) and found them severely lacking. We know that there is a gender gap in standards, and we need to address it to maintain trust in standardization.
As a co-convenor of the JSAG on GRS, what are your recommendations?
Standards encompass such a broad range of topics that no one person can identify all the ways that gender might impact them. If we want standards to be gender responsive, I think the most important thing we can do is ask questions. We also need to be willing to challenge the answers we receive and ask follow-up questions. What is the evidence that is provided? How robust is the finding? Is the source reputable?
The guidance that the JSAG developed can help identify questions we should be asking. Gender implications are not always obvious, and you might need to delve deeper on the downstream effects. The guidance recommends assuming that there are differences because, unfortunately, too often the default has been to assume that there are no gender differences, and this has been problematic.
For example, failing to account for gender differences has resulted in a recall of medications because they were only tested on men and unexpectedly had adverse effects for women. Let’s learn from such experiences and not assume that because something works for men that it will work for women.
You are also member of the IEC Diversity Advisory Committee. Can you explain the work of the DAC?
It is working to improve diversity in governance at the IEC. In terms of diversity, the DAC is focused on three areas: gender, stakeholder category and geography. We regularly examine the demographic composition of committees and provide guidance on how committees can be more representative. The IEC and DAC recognize that diversity adds value. Ensuring broad representation on IEC governance committees ensures that decisions are informed by a wider range of perspectives and ideas, which will lead to better outcomes for the IEC.
How is SCC involved in promoting GRS?
I am very proud of the work SCC has done to support GRS. It has taken leadership roles internationally and been a vocal supporter of the recommendations that the JSAG has made to advance GRS. Importantly, SCC has not limited itself to telling others to act, we are also holding ourselves accountable to ensure that GRS is a requirement in our own work.
I’ve been involved in GRS for several years and while we have always had the support of our CEO, I have also seen support across all levels of the organization grow. That is one of our greatest strengths: the work has not been marginalized; rather, staff across SCC have demonstrated a commitment to GRS and followed it up with action in their areas of responsibility.
Can you give an example from the research you carried out at SCC on the gender gap in standards?
Yes! Our first piece of research on this topic examined the difference in how standards are protecting men and women. We found that countries that engaged more in standards development had less men dying because of unintentional injuries, whereas for women the level of participation made no difference. This research helped to show that there are real implications for the gender gap in standards development.
More recently, we conducted research showing that the participation of women in standards development improves the performance of technical committees. In this case, performance was not related to GRS per se, it was related to the overall functioning of the committee. This finding was in line with research from other domains that show the benefits of gender diversity. The gender gap in standards is real and research plays an important role in quantifying that gap and ensuring that gender isn’t dismissed as an invented issue.
What are the key challenges facing SCC as we move forward?
I think, similar to other standards bodies, SCC is concerned with ensuring that the standardization system continues to evolve to meet new and emerging concerns. We need to shape standards that are responsive to today’s rapid technological changes and that safeguard the relevance of the standardization system.
SCC knows the value that standardization brings to governments, industry and the public, and we are invested in keeping relevant parties well informed about the benefits that can be realized from leveraging standardization. We are working to advance our priorities, bring new people into the standardization system and continue to engage in work that is of value to Canada.
What are SCC’s priorities and strategy?
In 2022, SCC released our National Standards Strategy. The strategy was developed after extensive consultation to ensure that SCC is responsive to current global challenges, national interests and the needs of diverse interested parties. The strategy identifies priority sectors for SCC, which include climate change and sustainability, digital economy, supply chain stability and health and safety. The strategy also focuses on the sustainability of the system, which includes ensuring standardization is representative of the diverse population that exists in Canada.
What do you do to unwind?
I’m a morning person, so perhaps counter-intuitively I try to unwind by starting my day right. I love to go for a run or a bike ride in the morning. I have school-aged kids and so getting out in the morning gives me some peace and quiet and gives me time to just let my mind wander. It’s often when I’m not deliberately thinking of anything that I will come up with ideas for things I’m working on. Now if the day has really gone off the rails, which happens, then in the evening I bake. With research you don’t always know how things will work out, or how the work will be received. With baking you have a tangible product and the positive reinforcement from my family doesn’t hurt either.
Michelle Parkouda is the Manager of Research at the Standards Council of Canada (SCC), where she is responsible for leading research to demonstrate the economic and social value of standardization. She is a member of the IEC Diversity Advisory Committee (DAC), Co-convenor of the ISO/IEC Joint Strategic Advisory Group on Gender Responsive Standards (JSAG-GRS), and Chair of the team of specialists on GRS within the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) Working Party 6.
She has published research on the topics of gender, diversity, trade and standards. She has a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from McGill University.