News & Press Releases - Fair procurement for the public sector

A woman in the office looks at gender signs. In the background are work jackets.
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International Women's Day: How procurement can and should promote gender equality

Gender equality is not a "nice-to-have". It is a prerequisite for democratic, sustainable societies. Worldwide, women – and especially women in precarious employment – are disproportionately affected by poor working conditions, discrimination and gender-based violence. Especially in global supply chains, such as sewing plants, plantations or electronics assembly.

The public sector has a special responsibility here and at the same time a strong leverage effect. If only the lowest price counts in these orders, it is often precisely those structures in which women are exploited, threatened or made invisible that are stabilized. If, on the other hand, criteria such as gender equality, participation and protection against violence are anchored in tenders, this can lead to concrete improvements for workers.

To ensure that gender-responsive procurement does not remain an empty promise, we need to take a closer look at certain product groups – especially where the risks are particularly high. The public sector regularly procures enormous quantities of such products, such as textiles (e.g. workwear, bed linen), food (e.g. coffee, rice, cocoa, bananas) or IT products (e.g. computers, laptops, smartphones).

In these sectors, mostly women work in the lower stages of the supply chain: in spinning mills and sewing mills, in agricultural production, in packaging and processing or in suppliers of electronics. Cases of sexual harassment, gender-based violence, wage discrimination, lack of maternity rights and the targeted obstruction of trade unionisation of women are increasing. Anyone who takes gender equality seriously must therefore look at the entire supply chain – from the field or factory to the finished product.

Procure gender-responsive: Pilot project City of Fürth

FEMNET has been committed to improving the working conditions of women in global supply chains for many years, focusing on the role of public procurement. In 2026, we accompany the city of Fürth in tendering a product in such a way that gender equality in the supply chain is explicitly taken into account. Specifically, this means:

  1. We are developing new criteria that ensure protection against gender-based violence, fair wages, the empowerment of women and the promotion of women in positions of responsibility.
  2. We legally integrate the criteria into the procurement documents.
  3. We publish the sample formulations in Compass sustainability, so that other public buyers can also use them for their own tenders in the future.

Together with municipalities such as Fürth, our aim is to show that gender-responsive allocation is feasible – and can have an impact. When contracting authorities use their market power, they send a clear signal to companies: Gender equality is not negotiable, but a quality criterion! In this way, abstract gender equality goals become concrete practice – and an order becomes a step towards more fairness for women in global supply chains.

Remarks: Workshop on gender-responsive procurement

Do you find gender-responsive procurement an exciting topic? This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.We are happy to announce you for our workshop offer in the fourth quarter of 2026, where we will present the Fürth pilot tender. Details will follow throughout the year.