80 SURVEY RESULTS Parental leave Almost all NHRIs offer parental leave. Women are guaranteed their positions back once they return from leave. 95% of NHRIs said that their parental leave policies were based on rules set out in national laws. Approximately 50% of NHRIs offer parental leave for up to 12 months. Approximately 50% offer longer leaves, between 12 months and three years. Staff capacity and training 67% of NHRIs reported that lack of human resources, namely the small number of staff members in their institution, was a barrier to systemic work on women’s rights and gender equality. 9% of NHRIs consider lack of knowledge and skills on gender programming/mainstreaming as a barrier in their institution. NHRIs reported that they offer specialized training for staff in gender equality as follows: 71% integrated women’s rights into their staff training, 9% undertook gender sensitivity training. (NHRIs were permitted to check more than one option. Totals do not add up to 100 %.) HANDBOOK FOR NHRIs ON WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND GENDER EQUALITY 7.7 HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT Women should be equitably represented in hiring and promotions across the organization, including in senior positions. For organizations with women clustered in the administrative levels of service or in junior positions, it is important to develop strategies to address these issues, including temporary special measures to support their professional development, as well as ensuring that steps are taken so that male colleagues are treated, and perceived to be treated, fairly and equitably. Human resources policies should include parental leave and flexible work arrangements for persons with parental and/or caretaking responsibilities. Women and men should be guaranteed their positions or equivalent positions upon return from parental leave. Internal training on women’s rights and gender issues should be offered on a regular basis, to ensure that staff are kept up-to-date on recent developments. Gendersensitivity training for all officials and staff should be part of NHRIs’ overall learning strategy as well. Given the survey findings, OSCE participating States should consider seriously increasing the human resources of NHRIs, as appropriate, to ensure that women’s rights and gender equality can be properly protected and promoted. It is also important for the NHRIs to ensure that staff-training programmes on women’s rights and gender equality are regularly offered, in order to ensure sustainability and knowledge transfer within the institution.