We've partnered with the International Center for Research on Women to develop a resource hub to measure gender equity in the footwear, apparel and textile manufacturing sector. It allows factories that are interested in advancing gender-equitable policies to identify strengths and areas of improvement, and then provides examples of best practices to help them reach their goals.
How it works: Each year, our suppliers will use a self-diagnostic tool to assess various aspects of gender equity—such as factories' policies and processes, support for working parents, and recruitment and hiring practices—and gain a comprehensive understanding of their strengths and areas of opportunity for enhancing gender equity. We will then provide support to help them address low-scoring areas and develop a long-term action plan to advance gender equity within their organisation. We encourage our factories to first focus on developing sustainable gender-equitable practices and policies. We also look to support factories in improving the lines of communication between workers and management (by aligning with our engagement and well-being work and encourage them to adopt new communication technologies and platforms) so they can get a more accurate view of how effective the implementation of these practices and policies actually is.