Gender Equality Manifesto 2030

1. Why a manifesto

Solo Lattices works in engineering, software and health, three fields in which women remain under-represented. Our ESG Statement already sets out equal opportunities as a principle. This manifesto turns that principle into concrete, dated commitments up to 2030.

For us, equality is also a question of technical quality. We design insoles, orthoses, implants and structures that rest on real bodies. A product developed with male reference data and testing works less well for women. Taking sex and gender into account is part of doing the work properly.

We are a small company, and today our team is made up only of men. We therefore commit to processes we can carry out and verify every year, rather than workforce percentages that in a small team would depend on a single hire.

2. People and employment

• Recruitment. We write job offers in inclusive language and do not ask about previous pay. At least one woman will take part in every selection process; until our team includes one, we will bring in an external woman assessor.
• Pay. Once a year we will review pay by sex and correct any gap that has no objective justification. We endorse the principles of Directive (EU) 2023/970 on pay transparency and will publish the salary range in our job offers once the Irish legislation transposing it comes into force.
• Promotion. The criteria for promotion and for assigning responsibilities are written down and known to the whole team.
• Work-life balance. We offer flexible hours and remote work. Care leave is applied and encouraged equally for men and women. Internal meetings take place within working hours.
• Harassment. We do not tolerate sexual or sex-based harassment. Anyone can report it confidentially through the channel set out in our Code of Ethics, with protection against retaliation.

3. The gender dimension in R&D

• In every new R&D project we will assess from the design stage whether sex or gender may affect the results, and we will record that assessment.
• We will collect and analyse anthropometric, biomechanical and clinical data disaggregated by sex, and we will validate our products with participants of both sexes when the intended use requires it.
• We will review the datasets used to train and evaluate artificial intelligence tools for sex bias.
• When we publish, we will report results following the SAGER guidelines (Sex and Gender Equity in Research).
• We aim for balanced project teams, with women researchers leading work packages, not only tasks.

4. The STEM ecosystem

• We will offer mentoring and internships to engineering and health-science students, with particular attention to women students, drawing on our founders' university teaching.
• When we organise events or seminars, panels are mixed. When we are invited to an all-male panel, we say so and propose a woman speaker.
• We credit the work of women researchers and engineers by name and authorship in our publications, case studies and communications.

5. Partners and suppliers

• When forming research consortia, we consider whether partners have a gender equality plan and whether the project team is balanced.
• All else being equal, we give preference to suppliers that can demonstrate equality policies.

6. Roadmap to 2030

• 2026. Approval and publication of this manifesto. The Board appoints one of its members to oversee it.
• 2027. Recruitment guide in force. First pay review by sex. Sex and gender analysis built into every new R&D project. First progress report published on this page.
• 2028. Every active R&D project has a documented sex and gender analysis. Mentoring programme running.
• 2030. Independent assessment of how this manifesto has been met, publication of the results and approval of the commitments for the next period.

7. Monitoring and contact

The Board of Directors reviews this manifesto at least once a year, together with the ESG Statement and the Code of Ethics, and publishes an annual progress report here from 2027.

Questions and suggestions: admin@sololattices.com.