Gender Diversity and Inclusion Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends HR Managers, Diversity and Inclusion Professionals and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-HM-100

Before you join: Participants should have practical familiarity with HR processes, people management or workplace policy development.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Gender diversity affects who is recruited, promoted, heard, paid fairly and retained. HR teams and line managers must address unequal outcomes without reducing the subject to awareness messaging or one-off events. This requires reliable workforce data, clear policy controls, fair decision processes and the confidence to respond appropriately to bias, exclusion, harassment and discrimination concerns.

This course examines gender diversity and inclusion through the employee lifecycle: workforce planning, recruitment, selection, onboarding, performance management, pay, promotion, flexible work, parental leave and employee relations. Participants learn to distinguish equity from equality, identify structural barriers, interpret representation and pay data, assess policies against recognised standards, and design interventions with measurable ownership. The course also addresses intersectionality, gender identity and expression, allyship, psychological safety, inclusive language and respectful handling of sensitive workplace discussions.

Teaching combines short instructor briefings with case analysis, facilitated group work, policy review, data interpretation and manager conversations. Cases reflect issues commonly faced in banks, public bodies, multinationals, NGOs and large employers, including promotion bottlenecks, gender pay gaps, biased selection panels and exclusionary team norms. Participants leave with a gender inclusion action plan, diagnostic tools, policy review criteria and practical templates that can be adapted to their own organisation.

The course suits HR professionals and managers who already work with people policies, recruitment, employee relations or talent processes and need a structured method for improving gender inclusion outcomes.

What you will be able to do

  • Diagnose gender inclusion risks using employee lifecycle and intersectionality analysis
  • Interpret representation, recruitment, promotion and gender pay data to identify disparities
  • Conduct bias reviews of job descriptions, selection processes and performance criteria
  • Design gender-inclusive HR policies using ISO 30415 and ILO Convention 190 principles
  • Apply structured decision methods to reduce bias in hiring, promotion and reward decisions
  • Build gender diversity action plans with measures, owners, milestones and governance
  • Facilitate respectful manager conversations about gender identity, inclusion and inappropriate conduct
  • Produce a practical gender inclusion audit and implementation roadmap

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Confidence to identify gender bias within routine HR and management decisions
  • Practical language for discussing gender identity, inclusion and inappropriate conduct
  • Capability to challenge unsupported assumptions in recruitment and promotion discussions
  • A structured method for interpreting gender representation and pay disparity data
  • A credible action plan for leading gender inclusion improvements

For your organisation

  • More consistent recruitment, promotion and performance decisions
  • Earlier identification of gender disparities in workforce and reward data
  • Stronger controls against discrimination, harassment and exclusionary conduct
  • Improved retention of talent affected by unequal progression or workplace norms
  • Clearer accountability for gender inclusion actions, measures and reporting

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can distinguish core gender inclusion concepts and identify workplace risks across the employee lifecycle.

  • Sex, gender identity, expression and sexual orientation distinguished accurately
  • Intersectionality maps overlapping advantage, disadvantage and workplace barriers
  • Direct, indirect and structural discrimination identified through workplace scenarios
  • Psychological safety linked to voice, belonging and error reporting
  • Tokenism, assimilation and inclusion contrasted using observable workplace behaviours
  • Business and public-interest cases tested against workforce evidence

Participants can use recognised standards and duty-of-care principles to assess gender inclusion controls.

  • ILO Convention 190 requirements for violence and harassment examined
  • ISO 30415 principles applied to diversity and inclusion governance
  • Equality, equity and reasonable accommodation differentiated for policy decisions
  • Protected characteristics considered within relevant national legal requirements
  • Confidentiality boundaries established for gender identity and personal disclosures
  • Human rights principles translated into workplace policy commitments

Participants can interpret gender workforce data and identify patterns requiring further investigation.

  • Workforce representation segmented by grade, function, location and contract
  • Recruitment funnel analysis identifies gender conversion-rate disparities
  • Promotion rates compared using eligible populations and decision outcomes
  • Gender pay gap and equal pay concepts separated clearly
  • Median, mean and quartile measures interpreted without misleading conclusions
  • Four-fifths rule used as a screening indicator for selection impact

Participants can redesign recruitment stages to reduce avoidable gender bias and exclusion.

  • Workforce plans test assumptions about availability, mobility and career paths
  • Job descriptions remove gender-coded language and unnecessary selection criteria
  • Structured interviews use behaviour-based questions and anchored scoring guides
  • Diverse selection panels assigned clear roles and decision responsibilities
  • Candidate sourcing channels assessed for reach, access and exclusion risks
  • Recruitment metrics track applicant, shortlist, interview and offer outcomes

Participants can apply structured decision controls to hiring, performance and advancement processes.

  • Selection criteria aligned directly with documented job requirements
  • Behaviourally anchored rating scales improve scoring consistency between assessors
  • Calibration meetings challenge unsupported ratings and stereotyped performance narratives
  • Potential assessments separate future capability from similarity-based judgments
  • Promotion panels review evidence, eligibility and comparable candidate outcomes
  • Sponsorship access examined for unequal exposure to career opportunities

Participants can review people policies for gendered assumptions, access barriers and inconsistent treatment.

  • Parental leave policies assessed for eligibility, uptake and career impact
  • Flexible work arrangements tested against visibility and progression penalties
  • Benefits language reviewed for gender identity and family inclusiveness
  • Dress codes assessed for necessity, safety and discriminatory effects
  • Travel and security policies consider gender-specific safety concerns
  • Policy exceptions governed through documented criteria and consistent approvals

Participants can support gender-diverse employees while maintaining privacy, dignity and workplace respect.

  • Pronouns and names handled respectfully in workplace communications
  • Transition support plans define confidentiality, timing and manager responsibilities
  • Gender expression protected from appearance-based judgments and informal policing
  • Facilities access addressed through dignity, safety and local requirements
  • Misgendering incidents addressed promptly using proportionate corrective conversations
  • Employee records managed with privacy, data minimisation and access controls

Participants can strengthen reporting routes and response processes for gender-related misconduct concerns.

  • Sexual harassment distinguished from conflict, poor conduct and performance issues
  • Bystander intervention options matched to risk, authority and safety
  • Reporting channels designed for confidentiality, accessibility and non-retaliation
  • Trauma-informed interviewing principles applied during initial concern intake
  • Investigation scopes separate allegations, evidence sources and decision questions
  • Retaliation indicators monitored after complaints, findings and workplace adjustments

Participants can help managers create team practices that support voice, fairness and belonging.

  • Inclusive leadership behaviours translated into observable manager actions
  • Meeting protocols reduce interruption, credit-taking and unequal speaking time
  • Allyship actions distinguish advocacy, sponsorship and performative support
  • Microaggressions addressed through timely impact-focused feedback conversations
  • Psychological safety practices encourage challenge, reporting and learning
  • Manager accountability linked to team climate and people outcomes

Participants can develop a measurable gender inclusion plan with clear ownership and review arrangements.

  • Gender inclusion maturity assessment identifies priority control gaps
  • Root-cause analysis separates symptoms from process and culture drivers
  • SMART actions specify outcomes, owners, resources and review dates
  • Balanced scorecards combine representation, experience, process and risk measures
  • Executive sponsorship defined through decisions, visibility and accountability
  • Application plans convert course findings into workplace implementation priorities

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Gender inclusion diagnostic checklist
  2. Employee lifecycle bias review template
  3. Gender workforce data analysis model
  4. Inclusive recruitment and selection checklist
  5. Gender-inclusive policy review framework
  6. Gender inclusion action plan template

Who should attend

  • HR Managers — responsible for fair people policies and employee lifecycle controls
  • Diversity and Inclusion Professionals — building evidence-based gender inclusion programmes
  • Talent Acquisition Managers — improving gender balance and fairness in recruitment decisions
  • Learning and Development Managers — preparing managers to lead inclusive teams
  • Employee Relations Specialists — handling discrimination, harassment and workplace conduct concerns
  • Line Managers — making daily decisions on hiring, performance, flexibility and progression

Skills and tools covered

Gender inclusion diagnosticsBias-resistant selectionPay equity analysisInclusive policy designManager conversation skillsDiversity action planning

Tools and standards

ISO 30415:2021 Human resource management — Diversity and inclusion, ILO Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190), Four-fifths rule, Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scales

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short briefings to establish concepts, standards and decision methods, followed by case work based on realistic HR scenarios. Participants analyse workforce data, review job advertisements and policy extracts, assess selection and promotion decisions, and practise manager conversations involving bias, exclusion or gender identity. Facilitated group exercises compare alternative interventions and their likely outcomes. Each participant develops an application plan linked to a current workplace issue, supported by reusable templates and instructor feedback.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have practical familiarity with HR processes, people management or workplace policy development. Experience in recruitment, performance management, employee relations, reward, learning, workforce planning or diversity initiatives is useful. Participants should be able to discuss workplace cases professionally and work with basic headcount, recruitment or promotion data. No specialist legal qualification, statistical software expertise or previous diversity certification is required. The course does not assume participants are gender specialists; it provides the terminology, frameworks and practical methods needed for workplace application.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants should understand basic HR or people-management processes, such as recruitment, performance management or employee relations. No legal qualification, diversity certification or advanced data-analysis background is required.

Participants should bring a current workplace challenge, policy question or people process they want to improve. If organisational rules permit, they may also bring anonymised workforce, recruitment or promotion data for application planning.

The course is designed for HR professionals, diversity specialists, talent managers, employee relations practitioners and line managers. It is particularly useful for staff who influence hiring, promotion, policy, reward or team culture.

General awareness courses usually focus on recognising bias and respectful behaviour. This course goes further into HR process design, workforce data, pay equity, policy controls, gender identity support, reporting arrangements and measurable implementation plans.

Participants leave with diagnostic, policy-review and action-planning templates that can be used in current HR projects. They can apply the methods to a recruitment campaign, promotion cycle, pay review, flexible-work policy or team inclusion concern.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. The five days cover ten linked modules through briefings, case analysis, group work, simulations, policy review and application planning.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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