Schneider Electric participated to the UN Women’s inaugural HeForShe Parity Report. The report, which released new workforce gender diversity figures including details on leadership roles and board membership, was announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 22nd 2016
Last year at the 2015 UN Women session at Davos, UN Women unveiled the HeForShe IMPACT 10X10X10 initiative to galvanize momentum in advancing gender equality. HeForShe IMPACT 10X10X10 engages 10 key decision makers at governments, corporations, and universities around the world to drive change from the top. In June 2015, Schneider Electric joined the HeForShe IMPACT 10x10x10 pilot group. Other companies are: AccorHotels, Barclays, Koç Holding, McKinsey & Company, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Tupperware Brands, Twitter, Unilever and Vodafone.
“This group of companies spans ten industries and almost a million employees around the world. Through their experiences, we can identify and scale solutions to transform sectors, and eventually, achieve an equal world. By shining a light on their own challenges, and bravely sharing their data, they define what leadership looks like on this issue,” said Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, under-secretary- general and executive director of UN Women.
The UN has made this type of partnership a key part of achieving its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which prioritises gender equality as both a standalone goal and as an integral part of other goals. The transparency displayed in the announcement is therefore crucial for measuring progress.
Jean Pascal Tricoire, chairman & CEO, Schneider Electric, said: “Companies have a key role to play as “change agents” to build a world where gender equality is a reality. It is a question of determination. Leading by example and engaging more men in these challenges will be one of my key priorities”.
Recognising both the importance of this topic and the critical need for progress, IMPACT Champions have taken a bold stance on transparency. They have committed to periodically and publically share standard figures on gender representation. Each company shared information from their completed 2014 reporting cycle.
As a member of the HeForShe IMPACT 10x10x10, Schneider Electric also took specific commitments by the end of 2017:
- Increase the representation of women across the pipeline — 40% at entry of new managers and technicians (vs. 29% currently), and 35% increase in representation in key positions;
- Implement a salary equity process worldwide, covering 85% of the Group’s workforce;
- Involve Group leaders worldwide and create a governance body dedicated to this program.
