Unilever Achieves Gender Balance in Management Globally

Unilever announced that it has achieved 50-50 gender balance in its management team globally one year ahead of its target date. Unilever Turkey has taken the goal one step further, raising the proportion of female managers to 52%. Unilever was recognized with the 2020 Catalyst Award for initiatives it has implemented to accelerate the progress of women in the business world. Unilever has achieved gender balance in management globally one year ahead of its target date. Unilever increased the proportion of women in its management team from 38% in 2010 to 50%, reaching the highest representation rate of female managers. Unilever Turkey has taken the goal one step further, successfully raising the proportion of female managers to 52%. Unilever made progress particularly in business units where women have been underrepresented so far. Globally at management level, the proportion of women working in finance rose to 50%, while in Corporate Affairs and Technology Solutions this figure reached 47%. Supply Chain achieved the largest jump, reaching 40% female representation. Unilever was recognized with Catalyst, the world's most prestigious award (Workplaces That Work For Women), for these initiatives accelerating progress for women in the workplace across the globe.

Mustafa Seçkin: "Empowering women is a strategic priority for us..."

Unilever Turkey and Central Asia Board Chair Mustafa Seçkin, stating that empowering women is one of Unilever's strategic priorities: "As a company, creating a work environment and culture that embraces diversity and is inclusive is one of our most important priorities. For this reason, I am proud that the proportion of women at manager level in Unilever Turkey has risen to 52%. Another major step we have taken as Unilever Turkey to create a gender-balanced organization was increasing female representation on our Board of Directors to 40%. Our Board of Directors today consists of 6 female and 7 male members. In addition, we have recorded significant progress, especially in our departments with low female representation; the proportion of female managers in our customer development and sales department increased from 25% to 29%, while in the supply chain this figure reached 40% from 39%. This increase in the number of our female managers has made a significant contribution to our organization in talent development, culture, innovation, leadership and performance. As a company, we have continued to support our employees through flexible working, job sharing, three-week paternity leave, health and wellness programs and initiatives such as Parent School, and by creating a psychologically safe work environment. On the other hand, as Unilever Turkey, we are aware that we have a large area of impact thanks to the numerous local companies in our ecosystem; we have implemented a structure that will start from our own supply chain and be a driving force for women's empowerment in the business world. Drawing on experience from international initiatives such as the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs), the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Global Compact, we established the "Together We Are Stronger" platform. Since 2017, Together We Are Stronger has continued its activities and through its work has provided positive impact to 33,000 employees directly employed by 31 member companies and 100,000 people reached indirectly. Various companies in our value chain with different experiences, work areas, constraints and opportunities continue on their path with new stories by learning from each other." he said.

Unilever combating stereotypes in advertising

Noting that Unilever is one of Turkey's largest advertisers, Seçkin said: "Through advertising, an area where our impact is quite strong, in pursuit of gender equality; we have taken major steps to improve both our own brand advertising and have been pioneers in bringing sector-wide initiatives to Turkey. In this context, through cooperation with UNWomen, the Association of Advertisers and the Association of Advertising Professionals, 14 companies and 12 supporters came together under one roof and Unstereotype Alliance Turkey was established. We are proud that Turkey is the 2nd national network established worldwide." he said.

Proportion of Women at Management Level in Unilever by Year

Bloomberg Gender Equality Index:

Unilever was selected for the 2019 Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, which lists companies committed to transparency in reporting and ensuring women's equality in the workplace. Companies included in this index report how they promote gender equality in their products and services, supporting company policies and interactions with the community. The index covers 230 companies from 10 sectors across 36 countries. These companies have a combined market value of 9 trillion dollars and employ more than 15 million people, of which 7 million are women.

Catalyst 2020 Award Goes to Unilever

Unilever was recognized with Catalyst, the world's most prestigious award, for its initiatives accelerating progress for women in the workplace. Unilever's initiative "Changing the Rules of the Game. Opening the Door to the Future" aims to deliver a gender-balanced workforce and an inclusive culture that breaks stereotypes.