inclusion: Accommodating spouses/partners :
Tips and Tools

Tips and Tools

G&D initiatives to support CGIAR spouses/partners

Domestic Partner Agreements IITA Community Resources Center IRRI Family Services Center Direct appointments Consultancies Fellowships Appointment to advertized vacancies Couple appointments A guide for spouses/partners: what to ask

G&D initiatives to support CGIAR Spouses/Partners

1 G&D has taken a number of initiatives to support spouse/partners, for example:

• signing up the CGIAR as part of the Permits Foundation, a lobbyist group representing several large international organizations whose objective is to encourage governments of developing countries to ease their restrictions on spouse employment; and
• providing access for CGIAR spouses to partnerjob.com, a job seekers site that recently established a link with monster.com, thus providing free access into the world’s largest on-line employment agency.

Centers are encouraged to promote these initiatives actively in assisting spouses/partners in their job search

Permits Foundation
2 Permits Foundation represents 36 international organizations working together to promote access to employment worldwide for the spouses and partners of internationally assigned staff members. These organizations set up the Permits Foundation to encourage governments to relax work permit regulations that currently make it difficult for spouses to work in many countries. By joining Permits Foundation, the CGIAR is joining voices with other international organizations seeking spouse/partner work permits.

3 Through Permits Foundation, G&D and, consequently, CGIAR Centers, now have access to a wealth of information including country-specific regulations and specifications.

Good practice
All CGIAR Centers should invite spouses/partners interested
in finding information on work visas and regulations to visit
Permits Foundation at http://www.permitsfoundation.com/home.htm

Partnerjob.com
4 On behalf of all CGIAR Centers, G&D has become a member of partnerjob.com to offer better employment options to the spouses/partners of CGIAR staff. Partnerjob.com provides a proactive and innovative solution for dual career couples. Its member organizations have access to:

• a database of job openings posted by all member organizations;
• a database of resumes/cvs posted by spouses/partners of expatriate employees of the member organizations;
• FAQs, useful links and more.
  
  

Member organizations of partnerjob.com
CGIAR, Accor, Alcatel, Asian Development Bank, Bouyges Construction, DHL Worldwide Network, European Space Agency, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, IKEA, Maersk, Norsk Hydro, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Procter and Gamble, Renault, Repsol YPF, Rexel, SCA Hygiene Products, Schneider Electric, Shell, Siemens, Statoil, Total, United Nations Development Program, Wilh. Wilhelmsen ASA

5 G&D anticipates that joining forces with several private and public international organizations will help the CGIAR in at least two ways:

• improve the employment options for our male and female spouses/partners in several specific locations worldwide, and
• improve the locally available pool of applicants for professional positions.
  We have monitored the success of partnerjobs.com, and it is clearly succeeding in placing spouses/partners from its member organizations across a diverse range of countries in the developing world.
  
  

Good practice
All CGIAR Centers should invite spouses/partners interested in finding work to contact G&D for assistance in accessing www.partnerjob.com

© CGIAR Gender & Diversity Program 2006