Gap is exclusive winner of inclusion award
Gap Inc. CEO Art Peck was in New York on March 16 to receive the 2016 Catalyst Award from an organization focused on accelerating progress for women through workplace inclusion.
Peck attended the 2016 Catalyst Awards event at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City to accept the award which the nonprofit organization said recognizes Gap Inc.’s culture of equality and dedicated efforts related to the advancement of women, including employees, customers, and within the broader community. The recognition is a big deal because for the first time since the inception of the Catalyst award, Gap is the sole company to be honored by the organization and it becomes the first company from the fashion industry to be recognized by Catalyst.
Women make up more than 70% of Gap’s worldwide employee base, including a similar percent of its store managers and the CEO’s senior leadership team, according to the company. Additionally, women currently lead four out of five Gap’s brands and in 2014 the company became the first Fortune 500 company to announce that it pays female and male employees equally for equal work around the world. The Catalyst Award also recognizes the $15.8 billion retailer’s signature education and life skills program for women, called P.A.C.E., which stands for Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement. P.A.C.E. is currently active in 12 countries and more than 35,000 women have participated in the program since 2007. The company’s goal is to expand the program to reach one million women by the end of 2020.
“Gap Inc. is committed to a culture of equality, where everyone has the opportunity to stand as equals and thrive,” Peck said. “This tradition was established by our co-founders Doris and Don Fisher, who opened the first Gap store in 1969 as equal partners. We are honored and grateful to receive the 2016 Catalyst Award, and we remain committed to the values of equality and inclusion, which unlock new possibilities for our company and the people touched by our business around the world.”
The annual award from Catalyst is the culmination of a year-long process designed to recognize organizations whose innovative approaches result in proven, measurable results that advance the recruitment, development, and advancement of women in the workplace. The organization was founded in 1962 and since the awards program began in 1987 Catalyst has recognized 85 initiatives at 79 organizations from around the world.