The FINANCIAL — In recognition of its commitment to gender inclusion in the workplace, the supply chain and the communities in which it operates, Dow (NYSE:DOW) has been included in the 2021 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI). This is the first year Dow has been included in the GEI.
According to Dow, expanded this year to represent 44 countries and regions, the unranked index comprises 380 companies across 11 sectors. Dow’s cumulative GEI score significantly outperformed the materials sector and the broader GEI average.
“Dow is committed to ensuring that the talents and unique perspectives of women are invited and included at every level of our company,” said Howard Ungerleider, president and chief financial officer of Dow and executive sponsor of the Company’s Women’s Inclusion Network (WIN) employee resource group. “Achieving a spot in the GEI demonstrates the effectiveness of our intentional actions to support women’s advancement through deliberate policy and building a culture of inclusion.”
The GEI brings transparency to gender-related practices and policies at publicly listed companies, increasing the breadth of environmental, social, governance (ESG) data available to investors. The comprehensive, transparent GEI scoring methodology allows investors to assess company performance and compare across industry peer groups.
The reference index measures gender equality across five pillars: female leadership and talent pipeline, equal pay and gender pay parity, inclusive culture, sexual harassment policies, and pro-women brand.
Dow was included in this year’s index for scoring at or above a global threshold established by Bloomberg to reflect a high level of disclosure and overall performance across the framework’s five pillars.
“The companies included in the 2021 GEI are expanding the ESG data universe to include gender-related data that investors are demanding today,” said Peter T. Grauer, chairman of Bloomberg. “Their commitment to disclosure is making the business case for inclusion and driving transparency in the markets.”
Through disclosure of gender-related metrics using the GEI framework, the firms included in the 2021 GEI have committed to providing a comprehensive look at their investment in workplace gender equality and the communities in which they operate, raising the bar of what should be expected from other companies within the same industry.
The GEI and its framework are voluntary and have no associated costs. The GEI is a reference index and is not intended for use as a financial benchmark. The index is not ranked. While all public companies are encouraged to disclose supplemental gender data for their company’s investment profile on the Bloomberg Terminal, those that have a market capitalization of USD1 billion are eligible for inclusion in the index.
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