Diageo is one of the 380 companies included in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI), which highlights companies committed to advance their efforts to support gender equality through policy development, representation and transparency.
Year after year, the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI) continues to grow as companies recognise the business case for fostering an inclusive environment. The GEI increases visibility into a previously opaque area of ESG reporting from public companies.
“The companies included in the 2021 GEI are expanding the ESG data universe to include gender-related data that investors are demanding today. Their commitment to disclosure is making the business case for inclusion and driving transparency in the markets," says Peter T. Grauer, Chairman of Bloomberg.
Bringing transparency to gender-related practices
The GEI brings transparency to gender-related practices and policies at publicly listed companies increasing the breadth of environmental, social, governance (ESG) data available to investors.
Diageo's score has increased year on year, demonstrating its continued commitment to strong performance on representation of women within its business, its policies to promote gender equality among our employees as well as its wider initiatives to ensure women are empowered throughout its supply chain and communities in which we operate.
“We are pleased to be included in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index and for our progress over the last year to be recognised. In our Society 2030 action plan, we have set new goals to ensure 50% of all leadership roles are held by women, as well as increasing representation of leaders from ethnically diverse backgrounds to 45% by 2030. We are determined to remove barriers, challenge inequality and create a culture that enables every individual to thrive," commented Mairéad Nayager, Chief Human Resources Officer at Diageo.
High performance across Bloomberg's five pillars
Diageo was included in this year’s index for scoring at or above a global threshold established by Bloomberg to reflect a high level of disclosure and overall performance across the framework’s five pillars.
This year’s improved index score highlights Diageo's high level of disclosure and overall performance across the framework’s five pillars. Diageo also gained particular recognition in female representation across senior leadership, leading parental leave policy, and commitment to increasing females in under-represented areas.
Female representation across senior leadership
Diageo continues to be recognised as a leading FTSE 100 business for females at Board and Executive level. Today, 60% of Diageo’s Board and 38% of Diageo’s Executive Committee are women.
As part of its recently announced Society 2030 Targets its ambitions include stretching goals across a number of areas of inclusion and diversity. Diageo’s commitment to gender equality is championed by Ivan Menezes, CEO and Mairéad Nayager [pictured above], Chief Human Resources Officer who were both recently recognised in the Yahoo Finance and HERoes Women Role Model Lists.
Leading parental leave policy
Following the launch of Diageo's global maternity and paternity leave policy in which female employees in all markets receive a minimum of 26 weeks of fully paid maternity leave coupled with a global minimum standard of four weeks paternity leave on full rate of pay in all markets, with a significant number of Diageo’s businesses moving to 26 weeks fully paid paternity leave, we received the maximum score within this area.
Since Diageo launched its Family Leave policy, its employees' use of parental leave has increased significantly. From July 2019 to June 2020, its people took over 163,000 days of parental leave – with the average number of days taken by men increasing from 23 to 105.
Commitment to increasing females in under-represented areas
Diageo is working to increase the number of women in STEM roles both at Diageo and in the broader industry through apprenticeships and scholarships.
The company has recently introduced the Diageo Craftswomen Programme and today, 50% of Johnnie Walker blenders are female.
The GEI also recognised Diageo's commitment to promoting women returning to work following career breaks through its partnership with Creative Equals as well as its commitment and progress made through its Supplier Diversity Programme in North America in which Diageo has tripled the amount it spends with woman-owned suppliers in the first five years.
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Disclosure: Where Women Work researches and publishes insightful evidence about how its paid member organizations support women's equality.