Dive Brief:
- Ranking companies in the S&P 100 Index for gender equality, Equileap gave General Motors the highest score at 71%, or a B+ on Equileap's scale. Bank of America and Johnson & Johnson followed at 68%, with JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup in fourth and fifth place at 63%.
- The average score for companies on the S&P 100 Index was 45% — a C- grade. A little more than a fifth of companies met the International Labor Organization's standard of giving 14 weeks paid leave to primary care givers. Almost half of companies met Equileap's standard of two weeks paid leave for secondary carers.
- Almost three-quarters of companies have anti-sexual harassment policies, but all companies have an employee protection policy. Two companies examined by Equileap settled at least two lawsuits involving gender discrimination and/or sexual harassment during the past two years.
Dive Insight:
No company analyzed by Equileap scored a perfect 100% according to the Equileap Gender Equality Scorecard, but companies intimidated by high standards can look to the benefits of gender equality initiatives for encouragement to keep pushing. Recent research revealed gender diversity enhances organizations' bottom lines, so long as they operate within a culture that generally encourages women to work and excel. Also, hiring women and other minorities can expand an organization's talent pool.
Other reports have found that the demand for gender equality in the C-suite is on the rise. A 2018 Scout Exchange survey found that the demand for women in executive-level positions has increased — changes that may have been fostered by the #MeToo movement. As another source of motivation for improving gender equality, investor groups are calling for more accountability in gender parity.
