Equality & Inclusion Policy
Commitment
IsoGentiX is committed to equality of opportunity and to creating an inclusive environment for all people associated with our work — employees, contractors, field partners, community members, and commercial counterparties. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.
This policy applies to all aspects of our work: recruitment, employment, commercial partnerships, community engagement, and field operations.
Scope in field operations
IsoGentiX operates in communities in Madagascar where gender, age, and social status affect access to participation in decision-making. We are specifically committed to ensuring that community engagement processes — including FPIC consultations — are structured to enable the participation of women, elderly community members, and marginalised groups, not only the participation of those with customary authority to speak on community matters.
Benefit-sharing arrangements are designed to reach community members equitably, not exclusively through structures that may entrench existing inequalities.
Employment and engagement
Decisions about recruitment, pay, promotion, and termination are made on the basis of merit, capability, and conduct. No person is treated less favourably because of any protected characteristic. Where we engage field staff, guides, and local personnel in Madagascar, we apply the same principle — pay and conditions reflect the role, not the identity of the person performing it.
Inclusive data practices
IsoGentiX acknowledges that biodiversity data collection has historically excluded or failed to recognise the knowledge contributions of local and Indigenous communities. Our data architecture includes traditional knowledge attribution where relevant, and our community engagement processes explicitly document and respect traditional ecological knowledge without appropriating it.
Raising concerns
Any person who experiences or witnesses discrimination, exclusion, or unequal treatment in connection with IsoGentiX's work should raise this through the Grievance Policy process. Concerns will be investigated promptly and without retaliation.