Explore the key findings of the 2023 gender benchmark

To mark International Women’s Day, together with the World Benchmark Alliance (WBA), amfori organised a joint webinar focusing on the key findings of the latest Gender Benchmark Report. In this report, the WBA has ranked 112 of the world’s largest apparel, food and agriculture companies according to their responsibility to drive and promote gender equality in their entire value chain. In addition to the benchmark, 1006 companies from 10 sectors across more than 80 countries were assessed on the first steps that companies should take to address gender inequality.  

While global supply chains have facilitated the entry of more than 190 million women into the formal labour market, lifting them and their families out of poverty, the remaining challenges are multifaceted, and require a proactive, collaborative approach to drive sustainable change.  

Women still underrepresented and their concerns unheard

Women continue to face underrepresentation in leadership, even if this topic has received a lot of attention over the recent years. For the 747 companies that disclose this data, women are underrepresented in at least one level of leadership across 83% of companies and are underrepresented across all four levels of leadership for 44% of companies. 

Without greater visibility of data that influences career progression (participation in career development programmes, promotion rates and absenteeism rates etc.) companies will continue to struggle to address gender inequality in their pipeline. Without these key metrics, companies have limited insights into why women are not advancing and, therefore, will have more trouble to create equal opportunities. 

Top 100 companies outperform in public commitment and family support programmes

Although this is only the first step in setting the tone, almost three-quarters of the top 100 companies have made a public commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment. Of these three-quarters, 86% make a commitment by signing the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). In comparison, only 20% of the bottom 906 companies have made such a commitment.  

Another key area where the top 100 companies outperform is providing childcare and family support. More than half (59%) of the top-performing companies provide childcare and family support, while only 20% of the poorer performing companies do so. For instance, three-fourths (75%) of the top-performing companies provide flexible working arrangements for their employees, while only 33% of the remaining companies do so.  

Companies from every corner of the world are represented among the top 100 performers. This demonstrates the opportunity to strive towards gender equality worldwide.  

Parental leave as benefits offered to some employees, not a right for all

Although both the United Nations and the International Labour Organization (ILO) recognise maternity leave as a fundamental labour right, only 36% of the 1,006 companies surveyed disclose a maternity leave policy, and the majority of these policies do not apply globally (only 9% disclose that this policy pertains to all employees). More concerning is that a mere 7% of these companies meet the standard recommended by the ILO, which advises a minimum of 14 weeks of maternity leave. Only one in three fathers reside in countries that offer paternity leave. While 31% of companies offer some form of paternity leave, only 8% provide at least two weeks as recommended by the ILO and 8% specify that this benefit is provided to all. Even fewer companies offer non-biological caregivers these benefits. 

Lack of prevention and remediation processes for violence and harassment

Violence and harassment abuses are prevalent in society, especially against more exposed groups such as women, migrants and young workers. More than one in five people in employment globally have experienced violence and harassment at work, according to recent ILO research. However, while two-third of the 1,006 companies have publicly available policies against workplace violence and harassment, only 4% of them disclose specific details about their prevention and remediation processes. 

Effective systems to tackle gender-based violence and harassment at work include a comprehensive approach: prevention through policies and actions, safe reporting channels, clear grievance resolution mechanisms with support for whistleblowers, and monitoring of the remediation outcomes. 

Lack of practical solutions to meet expectations

In the apparel sector, 85% of take suppliers’ human rights performance into account in their contracts, and 87% include at least one gender equality requirement in their contractual agreements with suppliers. However, only 27% of apparel companies disclose evidence that they enable their suppliers to meet their human rights and gender equality expectations through responsible purchasing. The disparity between high expectations and the lack of a conducive environment to meet them creates a scenario where suppliers struggle to meet both human rights and gender equality standards and commercial demands. 

What’s next for 2024? 

The private sector has a key role to play in accelerating progress. Gender is a parameter that cannot be ignored by companies in 2024. The journey ahead is still long, requiring both time and efforts. Nevertheless, we need to address this issue and fight against discrimination. 

At amfori, we strive to be a part of positive change, helping to contribute to women’s empowerment, and raise awareness about gender equality. Through initiatives like amfori BSCI and amfori Speak for Change, amfori prioritizes gender equality by embedding a gender lens in its principles and providing ways to address grievances. 

In the other hand, amfori actively engages in the B20 discussions on women, diversity and inclusion as well as with stakeholders at various levels of the global supply chains. As part of the amfori membership, this webinar was also the opportunity to announce forthcoming trainings on this topic, available for amfori members in 2024.