Nestlé Efforts to Advance Gender Equality

With its efforts to promote gender equality in the workplace and its value chain, Nestlé has been recognized in the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI) for the fifth consecutive year.

Participants of "Nestlé accompanies women" program are taught how to use digital applications

The GEI measures gender equality in over 70 metrics across five pillars - leadership and talent pipeline, equal pay and gender pay parity, inclusive culture, anti-sexual harassment policies, and gender equality in the community. The GEI helps measure the performance of listed companies committed to transparency in reporting on gender equality. The company scored 78.5%, above the average index score of 73%.

Ms. Béatrice Guillaume-Grabisch, Head of Group Human Resources and Global Business Services, said, "We are pleased that our efforts to advance gender balance in our workforce and empower women across our value chain have been recognized once again. We strongly believe that ensuring women's equal participation in society is not only the right thing to do, it also supports better decision-making, founded on a more inclusive culture that enhances innovation and increases employees’ job satisfaction. Gender equity is an ongoing journey. We will continue to prioritize it across our business.”

Nestlé is accelerating its efforts to advance the gender balance within the company and continues to put policies, initiatives, and projects in place to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce and culture. Currently, 45% of its managerial positions are held by women and the company continues to work toward equality within its supply chain, particularly in the agricultural communities it sources from.

Since 2013, Nestlé has been committed to implementing the Women's Empowerment Principles with the United Nations Women's Agency (UN Women). This is a seven-step business plan to strengthen gender equality and empower women to fully participate in all economic activities within their workplaces, the markets, and their communities, thereby contributing to building a stronger economy, improving their lives and those of their families and society.

In Vietnam, Nestlé has implemented women's empowerment activities in their workplaces and within the value chain, such as the Nestlé Accompanies Women Program and the NESCAFÉ Plan.

In the workplace, Nestlé Vietnam maintains a similar and at times higher percentage of women on the leadership team than men. With nearly 3,000 employees, about 50% of Nestlé Vietnam's management staff are female. The average income of female employees is equal to that of their male colleagues in the same position.

Through the Nestlé Accompanies Women Program, Nestlé Vietnam has cooperated with the Vietnam Women’s Union to promote gender equality and empower women, especially rural women in Vietnam, to equip knowledge and skills and create sustainable livelihoods. As of October 2022, as many as 8,000 female members across 20 cities and provinces nationwide gained an education on nutrition and healthy lifestyle building; 1.2 million families had access to nutritional and product knowledge; and 3,000 members created and maintained the "Safety - Happy - Convenience" Store.

Since 2011, Nestlé Vietnam has implemented the NESCAFÉ Plan in four provinces in the Central Highlands. Besides creating a positive impact on the sustainable development of Vietnam's coffee industry, the program has increased farmers’ incomes and enhanced the role and status of women by training female team leaders. Up to now, 274 farmer groups have been established, with women accounting for more than 30%.

In 2022, Nestlé Vietnam continued to rank in the Top 3 Best Places to Work in Vietnam for the fifth consecutive year, according to the results of a survey conducted by Anphabe that was based on the opinions of more than 57,000 employees nationwide. Nestlé Vietnam also won the Vietnam HR Awards 2022 in two important categories: Excellence in Employee Wellness and Best Talent Management Strategy.

In addition, the company is also honored to be the only foreign-invested enterprise to receive a certificate of merit from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, with the title of Typical Enterprise for Employees in 2022.

By Giang Tu, Vietnam Business Forum