The gender gap in organizations has narrowed over the past three decades, giving more effortless labor mobility worldwide. There has also been increasing global awareness regarding the right to a dignified and respectful workplace irrespective of the sexual orientation and ethnicity of the employees, which promotes an open and inclusive workplace. However, labor market disruption due to the COVID-19 has had devastating consequences globally. According to International Labour Organization (ILO), women’s employment declined by 5% globally in 2020 compared with around 4% for men.
Diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI) are critical to the business performance of the consumer sector, which encompasses retailers and consumer-packaged goods manufacturers, since consumers want to buy goods that reflect their values, wants, and needs. Consumers expect more from brands than ever, and retailers must honor DEI. Understanding the brand, setting DEI commitments from the top, delivering on the pledges, recruiting from diverse pools, and creating a supportive environment can all contribute to DEI.
Mondelez, General Mills, Hershey, Kraft Heinz, and Danone were major food companies with significant women representation in their workforce in 2021.
Mondelez International Inc (Mondelez) manufactures and markets food products and beverages with a market capitalization of $75,148 million as of September 2022. In 2021, the company reported 35.2% women participation in the workforce, an increase of 0.3 percentage points over 2020. At the senior-level representation of women decreased to 28.6% by 1.9 percentage points over the previous year.
General Mills Inc (General Mills) manufactures and markets consumer-based food products and has a market capitalization of $45,471 million as of September 2022. In 2021, the company reported 50% women participation in the workforce, an increase of 0.5 percentage points over 2020.
The Hershey Co (Hershey) manufactures and distributes chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery and has a market capitalization of $45,193 million as of September 2022. The company reported 47.7% of women representation in its workforce in 2021. The company aims to achieve 47–50% women representation across all employees globally by 2025.
Kraft Heinz is a manufacturer and marketer of food and beverage products. The company has a market capitalization of $40,868 million as of September 2022 and 37% of its global employees were represented by women which is an increase of 1 percentage point over the previous year.
Danone SA (Danone) is a manufacturer and producer of dairy and nutritional products with a market capitalization of $32,166 million as of September 2022. In 2021, women represented 32% of Danone’s total workforce, a decrease of 1 percentage point over 2020. In the same year, Danone had 45% women representation on the Board of Directors, 29% women at executive levels, and 41% women in senior manager roles.
The list of top companies is based on market capitalization and the availability of diversity reports.
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