Progressive organizations forging gender equality

International Women's Day (IWD) provides an important opportunity to shine a light on progressive organizations that champion gender equality. When women's contributions and participation are valued and supported, workplace culture and productivity excel, communities are strengthened, and greater progress and opportunities prevail.

Worldwide, many organizations forge women's advancement in the workplace and beyond, due to impactful policies, processes, campaigns, initiatives, and activities.

How does your organization support gender equality?

Submit an IWD Statement about how your organization supports gender equality.

Like all content on the IWD website, IWD Statements are published free of charge.

Progressive organizations advancing gender equality

Read IWD Statements from progressive organizations championing gender equality.

Submit your organization's IWD Executive Statement.

Yutaka Sasaki

Representative Director, President & CEO

NTT DATA Group Corporation

Noboru Saito

President & CEO

TDK Corporation

Diane Lazzaris

Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary & Executive Sponsor of WIN

Wesco International

Akira Shimada

President & Chief Executive Officer, Representative Member of the Board

NTT, Inc.

Koji Shibata, President & Chief Executive Officer

Mayumi Ejima, Executive Vice President

ANA HOLDINGS INC.

Tariq Bakeer

Regional Managing Director, Middle East & Corporate Sales Director AU, ZA, ME

Endress+Hauser, Middle East

Ashley Roman

Vice President of Tax

Rexel USA

Dr. Alan Manuel

Group Chief Executive Officer

Currie & Brown

M.K. Padma Kumar

Chief Operating Officer

IPE Global Limited

Preethi Santhanam

Chief People Officer

Landrum & Brown

Steve Malony

Chief Executive Officer

Belkin

Emma Macan Roberts

Vice President

Lean In

John Paul Ssemyalo

Chief Executive Officer

Pebuu Africa

Ichinkhorloo Jargalsaikhan

Chief Human Resources Officer

APU JSC

Rachel Nicholls

Principal & Chief Executive Officer

Inspire Education Group

Anjuna Kalsi

Chief Human Resources Officer

Theramex

Selveena Parmanum

Head ABE Ambassador for Mauritius

Association of Business Executives, UK

Juliet Turpin

President

Lean In Network Canada

These examples reinforce that when organizations prioritize women’s empowerment and equity in the workplace and beyond, they help create lasting, positive change in society.

How does your organization champion gender equality?

Examples of gender equality initiatives over the years

While many organizations are committed to gender equality, below are some public examples of organizations making a positive difference through their initiatives.

• Nike’s commitment to women athletes has seen the company increase sponsorships and media visibility for women athletes, promoting gender equity in sports.
• Goldman Sachs, through its "10,000 Women" initiative, provides women entrepreneurs with access to business education, capital, and mentorship to grow their businesses.
• Netflix has invested heavily in women-led content and ensures representation in leadership roles. It promotes gender equity in casting and crew hiring for its productions.
• Microsoft supports women in STEM through initiatives like "DigiGirlz" which provides workshops, mentorship, and resources to inspire young women to pursue careers in technology.
• Google offers programs like "Women Techmakers" providing visibility, resources, and community for women in tech. The company also conducts annual pay equity audits to close the gender wage gap.
• Procter & Gamble (P&G) runs campaigns such as #WeSeeEqual, promoting gender equality through its brands, workplace initiatives, partners and communities.
• Salesforce conducted an internal pay audit to identify and close the gender pay gap, committing millions of dollars to ensure pay equity for its employees.
• The Johnson & Johnson (J&J) "WiSTEM2D" initiative (Women in STEM, Manufacturing & Design) supports women in these fields through partnerships, scholarships, and mentoring.
• Deloitte runs the "Women@Deloitte" program, focusing on mentorship, leadership development, and advancing women to senior roles within the company.
• PepsiCo supports women through the "Million Women Mentors" initiative that leverages mentorship between STEM career professionals and women who aspire to STEM careers.
• Mastercard launched "Girls4Tech" which is a program, aimed at inspiring girls to pursue STEM careers, and developed financial tools to empower women entrepreneurs globally.
• Lean In encourages women to achieve their career goals through mentorship, leadership circles, and resources to address workplace bias.
• Women’s Sports Foundation, founded by Billie Jean King, advocates for gender equity in sports and provides funding and support for girls and women athletes.
• Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine media company produces content that highlights female voices and stories, creating opportunities for women in the entertainment industry.
• The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media works to increase the representation of women and reduce gender bias in media and entertainment.
• Unilever achieved gender balance across its management roles globally, reaching 50% women at management level globally in 2020 through robust recruitment, mentorship, and leadership programs.

These examples reinforce that when organizations prioritize women’s empowerment and equity in the workplace and beyond, they help create lasting, positive change in society.

How does your organization help accelerate gender equality?

Revisit IWD 2025 Statements here.