by Suman Gupta
Third-party assessment confirms L’Oréal India’s continued advancement on gender equality
Mumbai, June , 2017: L’Oréal India receives the worldwide Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE) certification in recognition for its commitment to achieving and sustaining gender equality in the workplace. L’Oréal India was awarded the prestigious EDGE certificate for the first time in 2015, making it the only company in India to be accredited with the EDGE MOVE Level second time in a row. EDGE MOVE is the second level certification awarded to the company that has already implemented a framework for change, achieved significant milestones and further commits to sharpen its action plan on gender equality policies and practices.
“For L’Oréal, gender diversity at the workplace is a business imperative and we are incredibly proud to be certified for the second time by EDGE.” said Roshni Wadhwa, Human Resource Director, L’Oréal India “Achieving workforce gender equality is not just a cultural benefit but also gives us a competitive edge in driving innovation and attracting talent. We are honored to receive this recognition and strive to be the role model in building a culture of equal leadership.”
Key to supporting L’Oréal India’s certification was recognition of its explicit diversity and inclusion strategy sustained by initiatives to drive equal opportunities in the workplace. The leadership’s commitment to progress on gender balance in recruitment and career opportunities were also recognised. L’Oréal India is above the relevant market benchmark in the overall representation of women in the total workforce as well as in the top management positions. At the corporate office, the company has already achieved 50% of women in total workforce and has a strong commitment to build a balanced leadership by the end of 2020, which is currently at 33%.
Launched at the World Economic Forum in January 2011, EDGE is the only recognised business certification for gender equality with an assessment methodology distinguished by its rigor and business impact. EDGE is working with more than 170 organizations in over 40 countries and 22 industries across the globe. The methodology and standard enables a company to accurately assess how it performs both at a country and a global level. L’Oréal India was conferred the certification after a rigorous and comprehensive review on gender equality practices in the areas of equal pay for equivalent work, company culture, leadership development and mentoring, and recruitment.
About L’Oréal India : L’Oréal India has been present in the country as a wholly owned subsidiary of L’Oréal S.A. since 1994. Today L’Oréal India is present in all distribution channels with 16 brands, available in mass market channels (L’Oréal Paris, Garnier, Maybelline New-York, NYX); in hair and beauty salons (L’Oréal Professionnel, Matrix, Kérastase, Cheryl’s Cosmeceuticals, Decleor); in selective distribution (The Body Shop, Kiehl’s, Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Diesel).
L’Oréal India employs over 1,600 people across four regional offices, including at its two manufacturing facilities in Chakan (Pune) and in Baddi (Himachal Pradesh), its Research and Innovation facilities, and at the headquarters in Mumbai. www.loreal.co.in
About EDGE Certification : EDGE is the leading global assessment methodology and business certification standard for gender equality. The EDGE assessment methodology was developed by the EDGE Certified Foundation and launched at the World Economic Forum in 2011. EDGE Certification has been designed to help companies not only create an optimal workplace for women and men, but also benefit from it. EDGE stands for Economic Dividends for Gender Equality and is distinguished by its rigor and focus on business impact. The methodology uses a business, rather than theoretical approach that incorporates benchmarking, metrics and accountability into the process. It assesses policies, practices and numbers across five different areas of analysis: equal pay for equivalent work, recruitment and promotion, leadership development training and mentoring, flexible working and company culture. EDGE Certification has received the endorsement of business, government and academic leaders from around the world.
For more information, visit http://www.edge-cert.org/ or follow us on Twitter @EDGE_CERT
