Diageo named as the top company globally for gender equality

Diageo, a leader in beverage alcohol, soon to be headquartered in lower Manhattan, has been ranked as the number one business globally for gender equality in the Equileap 2019 Global Gender Equality Report and Ranking. The Equileap report is an in-depth, cross-sector analysis of gender equality in 3,519 companies in 23 developed economies, representing 98 million employees. Equileap ranks businesses based on 19 gender equality criteria, including gender balance across the workforce, the gender pay gap, paid parental leave and anti-sexual harassment policies. The company announced earlier this year plans to relocate their primary North America office to New York city from Norwalk, Connecticut, a move that will attract 350 new jobs to New York City.

The ranking is evidence of the progress Diageo has made to champion diversity and inclusion both within the business and beyond. Acknowledgements in the report include:

• Currently 44% of Diageo’s Board are women, and the company is working towards a senior leadership team of 40% women by 2025.
• The company’s global parental leave policy which offers female employees in all markets a minimum of 26 weeks of fully paid maternity leave. Diageo has also set 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 including North America, the UK, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Russia, Colombia, Venezuela, and Australia amongst others.
• Diageo is a signatory of the United Nations’ Women’s Empowerment Principles, committing to seven values-led approaches to support women in the workplace, marketplace and community.

The company is also championing gender equality through their brands and advertising, and have rolled out a framework for progressive gender portrayal in advertising to their 1200 marketers and advertising agencies around the world. Diageo is also a member of the United Nations Unstereotype Alliance, and have signed up to Free the Bid to increase the number of female directors on our adverts as well as working with Creative Equals to support women returning to the creative industries after a career break.