What is the WISE Gender Equity Framework?
The WISE Gender Equity Framework underpins many of our products and services at WISE. It gives a structured, comprehensive and evidence-based approach to EDI by providing clear guidance, best practice, and practical solutions that can be embedded across STEM organisations to support inclusive and equitable workplaces for women.
Designed to bring consistency and clarity to EDI efforts, the framework helps organisations take a strategic and measurable approach, aligning initiatives with long-term goals and grounded in impact.
The Framework is centred around key aspects of equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace organised into five pillars:
- Data
- Attraction
- Progression
- Retention
- Engagement
Data
Gender-focused tracking, analysis and strategy integration
Data informs effective strategy and drives evidence-based decision-making. The data pillar focuses on the representation of women within your workforce and how data is used to shape EDI strategy, guide women focused initiatives, and better understand both the reasons why women leave and the support they need.
Attraction
Recruitment, outreach, returners and early careers – with women’s participation in mind
Attraction goes beyond recruitment, it begins with making STEM an exciting and accessible career choice for women. The attraction pillar focuses on inclusive recruitment practices; support offered for returners and early career employees and strategies to boost women’s participation across STEM sectors.
Progression
Career progression, leadership development, visibility and transparency for women
Supporting women’s development and progression is key to building a thriving, inclusive, high-performing workforce. The progression pillar explores promotion pathways, access to growth opportunities, and how to remove barriers for women in the workplace, ensuring transparency, fairness and recognition at every stage.
Retention
Keeping women in the workforce through family-friendly policies, health accommodations and flexible arrangements
Retention is about building an environment where women can thrive long term. The retention pillar addresses how organisations meet employees’ diverse needs to ensure women feel valued, supported, and empowered to build fulfilling, lasting careers.
Engagement
Women’s voices in networks, leadership accountability, communications and culture change
Engagement is rooted in shared responsibility. When women’s voices are heard and leadership is held accountable, real culture change becomes possible. The engagement pillar focuses on the role of leadership, the visibility of women across the organisation, and how good practice is shared, both internally and externally.
How do I use the WISE Gender Equity Framework?
To support effective implementation of the WISE Gender Equity Framework, we have developed diagnostic tools to help organisations benchmark progress and align their EDI strategies. These tools place data and evidence at the centre of EDI work, enabling organisations to track progress, demonstrate accountability, and drive meaningful, lasting change.
HR Diagnostic
The HR Diagnostic Tool was developed to explore core EDI themes relevant across both corporate and academic settings, with the aim of fostering meaningful conversations and driving actionable insights.
The tool is suitable for all STEM organisations, regardless of size or sector, and focuses on workplace support and initiatives for women.
Employee Diagnostic
To better explore workplace culture as well as the wellbeing and views of colleagues, the employee diagnostic offers an extra dimension to your data collection. This includes a deeper dive through an in-person workshop where we can help your organisation to provide actionable next steps for creating an inclusive workplace for women in STEM.
We take a tailored approach to the employee diagnostic to make sure it suits the needs of your organisation, so please get in touch with us at wise@theiet.org to discuss this further.