Women’s representation
Presence, participation and progression of women across teams, management, decision-making bodies and leadership pipelines.
European standard. Independent verification.
Equality that is proven, not proclaimed.
FemCert is the European Equality Certification for organisations that can demonstrate real progress in representation, equal pay, work-life balance and equality culture.
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FemCert
Equality Certification
Evidence verified
Independent review
Valid for 3 years
4 areasOne global equality view
IndependentEvidence-based verification
3 levelsFEMCERT, SILVER and GOLD
3 yearsCertificate validity
What FemCert is
Not an award. Not a badge without substance. A verified certificate of real equality.
Policies alone do not create equality. FemCert evaluates what an organisation can actually evidence: outcomes, practices, safeguards and the culture that sustains them.
Organisations may bring existing certificates, audits, registered plans and internal evidence. An independent verifier maps and checks the evidence against the FemCert framework. A global score determines the certification level.
The detailed weighting and thresholds are governed by the Technical Committee and are not published, protecting the integrity of the assessment.
Four evidence areas
A complete view of workplace equality
The assessment connects representation, pay, everyday working conditions and culture—because lasting equality depends on all four.
Real equal pay
Verified pay equity supported by analysis, transparent criteria, corrective action and consistent monitoring—not a declaration of intent.
Work-life balance actions
Practical measures that help people combine work, care and personal responsibilities without harming career progression or pay.
Equality culture
Leadership, behaviour, prevention, accountability and employee experience that embed equality in daily decisions and relationships.
Certification levels
One framework. Three levels of verified maturity.
Verified foundation
Recognises organisations that meet the framework’s essential requirements and provide verifiable evidence across the assessment.
Advanced practice
Recognises a stronger and more consistent level of implementation, results, measurement and organisational integration.
Leading equality
Recognises organisations demonstrating the highest level of maturity, evidence and sustained impact under the framework.
Levels are assigned through a global score. Individual weights and score thresholds are confidential and governed by the Technical Committee.
Certification process
A clear route from evidence to certification
Existing work is recognised. Independent verification turns it into a credible, comparable European certification.
Initial request
The organisation submits its profile and identifies existing certificates, equality plans, audits and other available evidence.
Scope and evidence map
The applicable scope is confirmed and available evidence is mapped to the four FemCert areas.
Independent verification
An eligible independent entity reviews documentation, validates internal evidence and requests clarification where necessary.
Global assessment
The verified findings are scored under the controlled methodology and reviewed through the certification governance process.
Certificate and use
The approved level is issued for three years, subject to the rules of use, scope and continued accuracy of the certified information.
Benefits
Turn fragmented evidence into one credible equality signal
Independent credibility
Replace self-declared claims with evidence reviewed by an entity independent from the applicant organisation.
European positioning
Communicate equality performance through a clear certificate designed for companies operating across European markets.
Existing work recognised
Use relevant certificates, audits, plans and internal controls as evidence instead of starting the assessment from zero.
Stronger employer brand
Give candidates and employees a verified basis for evaluating the organisation’s commitment to equality.
Stakeholder confidence
Support customer, investor, procurement and ESG conversations with a structured and independently checked result.
Practical improvement
Identify gaps across the four areas and focus future action where it can strengthen equality performance.
Governance and trust
Designed to protect independence
The organisation applying for certification does not certify itself. Evidence verification, methodology governance and the certification decision are separated.
The Technical Committee safeguards the framework, scoring logic, eligibility rules and consistency of certification decisions.
- Evidence-based: conclusions must be supported by verifiable documentation and records.
- Independent verification: eligible third-party entities assess the applicant’s evidence.
- Controlled methodology: scoring rules and thresholds are protected and consistently applied.
- Three-year validity: each certificate identifies its level, scope, issue date and expiry date.
- Accountable use: certificate claims and visual use must match the approved scope and level.
Partners
A European equality ecosystem
FemCert connects with organisations advancing evidence, policy, participation and visibility for gender equality across Europe.
European Institute for Gender Equality
EIGE is an EU agency that provides research, data and practical tools to support gender equality in Europe.
Visit EIGE
European Platform of Women Scientists
EPWS is an international non-profit organisation representing the needs and aspirations of women scientists in Europe and beyond.
Visit EPWS
European Women Alliance
EWA strengthens public policies through a gender perspective and creates dialogue between institutions, civil society and social partners.
Visit EWAPartner names and logos are the property of their respective organisations.
Request certification
Start with the evidence you already have.
Tell us about your organisation, current certificates and available equality evidence. We will contact you to confirm scope and next steps.
Prefer email?
info@femcert.org