Advancing ID&E in Dow's Communities

Dec 6, 2023 1:45 PM ET

Originally published in Dow's 2022 INtersections Progress Report

We are championing a more inclusive society in the communities where we live and work and are committed to addressing systemic discrimination and inequities in our society.

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DOW COMMITS TO RACIAL EQUITY ASSESSMENT 

In 2022, Dow announced the commissioning of a racial equity assessment (REA) that is being conducted by Covington & Burling LLP, a law firm with experience working with other leading companies on civil rights and equity assessments. The REA, which is in collaboration with Investor Advocates for Social Justice, will assess how Dow’s U.S. operations, policies and services support racial equity and the company’s ID&E strategy. The REA is underway and is expected to be completed by year-end. Results will be published upon completion.

DOW ACTS BRAZIL 

In Brazil, we leveraged the Dow ACTs framework to advance our racial inclusion plans. In 2022, we made important advances:

  • 90% of local leadership completed the “Inclusion Has All Colors” workshop, which addresses perspectives of slavery in Brazil and systemic racism
  • Launched Seek to the Future to build skill development for manufacturing employees; 44% of participants were promoted in the program’s first cohort
  • Built the capabilities of potential future leaders of color through our coaching program, Afro Journey
  • Issued Dow Promise grants to nonprofits Alvorecer Bahia and Santos Dumont, which promote economic growth and sustainable social development among youth and women

IMPROVING REPRESENTATION AND CLOSING THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY GAP 

Dow continued its partnership with OneTen, a coalition of businesses committed to upskill, hire and advance 1 million Black individuals in America into family-sustaining jobs with opportunities for advancement. Together, we aim to remove systemic barriers while shifting the focus toward developing skills to improve job quality and economic mobility for Black talent and ultimately, all talent. Through our partnership, by year-end 2022, Dow hired 250 people and promoted 60 individuals into OneTen-qualifying jobs. We also collaborated across the OneTen ecosystem to leverage best practices and open new pathways to recruit, promote and retain diverse talent.

SOAR: Accelerating ID&E Through an Immersive Inclusion and Leadership Experience

Dow hosted the third annual SOAR Inclusion Summit – an immersive inclusive leadership event – at the Ladies Professional Golf Association’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational in Midland, Michigan. SOAR brings together Dow leaders, customers, suppliers, community members and guests to develop concrete actions to advance ID&E in their own organizations and communities.

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