OREANDA-NEWS. February 19, 2016. Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management and automation, alongside nine other world leading companies participated in 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 and presented by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, alongside Emma Watson, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, and Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman & CEO of Schneider Electric.

Last year at the 2015 UN Women session at Davos, UN Women unveiled the HeForShe IMPACT 10X10X10 initiative to galvanise 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, Ko? 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. Four figures were selected as a standard baseline across all 10 companies, providing both a holistic workforce view as well as a detailed examination of key roles. This analysis includes three figures that explore the current representation of women, and one leading indicator, which indicates the direction of the company going forward. Each company shared information from their completed 2014 reporting cycle. This date provides a common starting point for all companies and shows the gender composition at the outset of IMPACT 10x10x10. Corporate IMPACT Champions are reporting gender representation in:

As a member of the HeForShe IMPACT 10x10x10, Schneider Electric has also made specific commitments by the end of 2017:

  • Overall company
  • Senior leadership
  • Board
  • New hires

Increase the representation of women across the pipeline — 40% at entry of new managers and technicians (vs. 29% currently), and a 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.