#StateOfWomen was trending yesterday while The United State of Women summit took place in Washington D.C. The day-long event addressed six topics: economic empowerment; health and wellness; educational opportunity; violence against women; entrepreneurship and innovation; and leadership and civic engagement—all issues of importance in the beauty business.
It was as part of this event, put on by The White House Council on Women and Girls, that the President invited businesses to pledge.
In the afternoon, Natalie Merluzzi, writing for The White House blog, posted an item about the 28 companies that have signed the Equal Pay Pledge, L’Oréal USA and Johnson & Johnson among them.
Beauty
In a press release about signing the Equal Pay Pledge, L’Oréal USA notes that the company has long advocated for gender equality and a fair work environment. “L'Oréal USA is a steadfast supporter of gender balance in the workplace and we are proud to stand with other companies, at the United State of Women, who have chosen to make pay equity a priority,” says Frédéric Rozé, CEO of L’Oréal Americas.
“L’Oréal believes that a diversified and fulfilled workforce will only strengthen our creativity, allowing us to understand our consumers better and enable us to develop the most innovative products for them.”
Personal care
Johnson & Johnson shared a long statement for The White House blog post, pointing out that 43% of the company’s management / executive positions are held by women and that women fill 30% of J&J board seats. “Women have always helped shape and lead Johnson & Johnson and will always be at the heart of this great company.”
“Johnson & Johnson has an ongoing commitment to review our policies and actions to ensure that fair decisions are being made. As a company, we strive to bridge the gender gap, and it’s our commitment to continue to evolve and lead the way.”
Equal Pay Pledge
The formal pledge puts the initiative in context, mentioning the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the statistic that on average women working full-time earn only 79% of the wage men earn, and just how slowly progress to close the wage gap has been.
By signing, companies “commit to conducting an annual company-wide gender pay analysis across occupations; reviewing hiring and promotion processes and procedures to reduce unconscious bias and structural barriers; and embedding equal pay efforts into broader enterprise-wide equity initiatives.”
The participants “pledge to take these steps as well as identify and promote other best practices that will close the national wage gap to ensure fundamental fairness for all workers.”
The White House invites other companies and businesses to sign the pledge here.