Reduced Inequalities

Leaving women out of the equation when it comes to science, math and innovation fields isn’t just unfair — it can deprive the economy of valuable insights, opinions and the potential for productivity growth. That’s why companies who cultivate an inclusive, female-empowered environment are vital to making STEM more accessible for women, thus creating a better, more productive world for everyone. One company that is stepping up to the plate in this department in a big way is Mars, Incorporated, a family-owned global pet care, confectionery and food business. Currently, women represent 42 percent of Mars’ talent pipeline globally, and their goal is to increase this by two percent each year.

The readymade garments (RMG) industry in Bangladesh is the greatest contributor to female employment in Bangladesh; over 3.2 million of its employees live at the bottom of the economic pyramid (defined as people with less than US$10 per day in purchasing power in 2015 US dollars). Recognising this, at DBL Group we have focused on increasing the number of female workers: in 2012 women made up only 35 percent of DBL’s female workers in its garments manufacturing units, but today, in 2018, almost half of our employees (49%) are female.

This forum brings together more than 400 business leaders, governments, academia, trade unions and civil society, from 25 countries, to share best practices for reducing gender gaps in the workplace and to highlight the role of the business sector as a key player in advancing gender equality and building inclusive work environments for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.

“I remember when I was hired by the Memphis Department of Public Works on April 15, 1967,” recalls Rev. Cleophus Smith. “This particular morning, it was cold. I’m talkin’ about cold, cold. We didn’t have sufficient gloves, clothes, nor did we have water to drink on the job.” Mid-January, 1968: Memphis, Tenn. The low on most days around this time of year was 19 degrees Fahrenheit (°F). The high, falling somewhere in the mid-20s. Hundreds of men – black workers for the Memphis Department of Public Works – went to work each day in the cold, sometimes having to brave freezing rain, sleet, or snow, too.

On March 1, Whole Planet Foundation launches its Annual Prosperity Campaign to alleviate poverty around the globe for the world’s poorest people – mostly women – living in communities where Whole Foods Market® sources products. This year’s campaign goal is to raise $3 million to increase the foundation’s current reach of 72 countries and 16 U.S. cities.

No Barriers Youth and Wells Fargo announced the winners of their year-long Global Impact Challenge, a diversity and inclusion competition designed to spark ideas from high school and middle school students for building a world free of barriers, stereotypes and discrimination.

At the recent TDn2K™ (Transforming Data into Knowledge) conference, the Wendy’s Company received a 2018 Global Best Practices Award for being an industry leader in hourly and management turnover, diversity, compensation and year over year results.

TransCanada has earned global recognition for our efforts to create a gender equal work environment.

We are one of 104 companies from 10 sectors to be named in Bloomberg’s inaugural Gender-Equality Index (GEI), released January 22, 2018 – and one of only two energy companies to make the cut.

"Making Every Day a Better Day through Diversity and Inclusion" is Sodexo’s award-winning initiative. What is unique about this initiative and the work Sodexo is doing in diversity and inclusion?

On Tuesday 30 January 2018, we hosted an engaging conversation on the role business has played and can play in empowering women economically – whether through the development of appropriate goods and services or through job creation and income generation opportunities.