Walmart empowers women with digital initiative
Walmart is taking an innovative approach to empowering women with the unveiling of a new a new digital initiative designed tosupport the advancement of women leaders at Walmart and women worldwide.
The digital library of content contains footage from theWalmart President’s Global Council of Women Leaders’ Global Women’s Development Series held on April 21. The event was broadcast in 10 countries, while an additional eight countries held their own event that focused on educating Walmart associates about important issues affecting women in the workplace. Forum speakers included Academy Award winning actor Geena Davis, Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi, and BBC World News anchor and author, Katty Kay.
“I could not be more thrilled to be a part of Walmart’s Global Women’s forum and to see a company like Walmart working to provide opportunities for its associates to thrive and share those opportunities globally”
The library will feature content from the form, including keynote speeches and panel discussions on three development topics: confidence, mentoring and work/life integration. The library provides rich content that may be shared and used by professionals all over the world for professional development and discussion.
“Over half of our associates are women, and as the world’s largest retailer, we know that providing development opportunities for our female associates and making this information available to women around the world can have a ripple effect on the global workforce,” said Michelle Gloeckler, executive vice president of Consumables and Health and Wellness, U.S. Manufacturing lead and chair of the President’s Global Council of Women Leaders. “It is our hope that this inaugural Global Women’s Forum will serve as a catalyst in our work to develop the future female leaders of Walmart.”
The Global Women’s Forum and the library of content are part of a larger Global Women’s Development Series which seeks to champion opportunities for women to grow and thrive across the globe, provide accessibility and a platform to support women and showcase female talent across Walmart. In March, the Global Women’s Development Series hosted an International Women’s Day celebration at the Walmart home office.
“I could not be more thrilled to be a part of Walmart’s Global Women’s forum and to see a company like Walmart working to provide opportunities for its associates to thrive and share those opportunities globally,” said Geena Davis. “By working together across multiple industries, we can empower women worldwide with the resources and mentorship they need to build meaningful careers.”
Walmart is also working in other ways to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace, advocate for workforce opportunities within the entire retail sector and champion women through its Women’s Economic Empowerment initiative. A critical part of this work is supporting the advancement of women at Walmart, particularly as women make up more than half (57%) of Walmart associates and Walmart has twice the rate of female corporate officers (32%) as the Fortune 500.
Through its Women Economic Empowerment Program, Walmart has made a commitment to source $20 billion from women owned businesses in the U.S, and double its sourcing from women owned businesses internationally. Additionally, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have committed to train 1 million women all over the world in retail, factories and farming.