Finland's Kesko has committed to issuing yearly reports on the implementation of gender equality measures across its operations, including the promotion of women to leadership positions.
The move follows Kesko's involvement in Plan International’s 'Girls Takeover' event in October, which sought to promote female empowerment in the workplace.
“As an employer, we want to offer meaningful and versatile work and growth opportunities to all our employees," commented Matti Mettälä, EVP with responsibility for human resources and responsibility in K Group.
"The proportion of women in Kesko’s top management, for example, has grown in recent years. I believe this trend will continue, but we must absolutely also work systematically towards promoting opportunities for women everywhere we operate."
Supply Chain
Kesko has also made commitments to ensuring its supply chain also acknowledges the importance of gender equality, as well as offering fair compensation to workers and safe working conditions.
“Supporting women and girls has proven to be an effective way to promote sustainability and welfare," commented says Matti Kalervo, K Group’s vice president of corporate responsibility.
"Our purchasing chains provide employment for many women in developing countries. We also engage in activities that support women connected to our purchasing chains, and their daughters. These include building learning centres for children in Thailand, supporting Fairtrade in local communities, and committing to improvements in workplace safety in Bangladesh in industries that employ mostly women."
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
