Gucci receives certification for gender parity

Bureau Veritas has awarded Gucci a certification for gender parity. The Italian label, owned by the French group Kering, published its third ‘Gucci Equilibrium Impact Report’ on Monday July 10, detailing its progress in terms of reducing its environmental footprint and sustainable development, but also in terms of its social progress, inclusivity and gender equality. In a press release, the company announced that it was “the first major luxury house to receive such certification in Italy.”

Bureau Veritas, a recognised independent certification body, assessed Gucci’s progress in the field of gender equality in six areas: culture and strategy, governance, human resources procedures, opportunities for growth and inclusion of women, gender pay equity, support for parenthood and work-life balance. The body saw the brand’s establishment of a Global Equity Board and a Gender Equality Steering Committee as positive initiatives.
 
The company’s policies on parental leave, in particular the fourteen weeks of leave paid at 100% and the introduction of a hybrid working model, were praised by the Bureau Veritas auditors, emphasises the company, which has also launched various initiatives, such as its ‘Chime For Change’ programme, the global awareness-raising campaign launched in 2013 to raise funds to support and defend women from all walks of life.

“This result, achieved ahead of European trends and as the first in Italy’s luxury sector, strongly reaffirms our commitment to a culture that values equality, inclusivity and respect,” comments Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri. “Through concrete actions, such as the use of innovative technologies to eliminate bias in selection processes, the reduction of the pay gap, the improvement of parental leave policies, measures to promote greater female presence in leadership roles, programmes to raise public awareness, we are supporting change and promoting cultural transformation in the fashion and luxury industry worldwide. And we will continue to do so,” he continues.
 
In 2022, women represented 63.1% of Gucci’s workforce and 57% of management positions were held by women. Since 2013, the brand’s ‘Chime For Change’ programme has helped to set up initiatives for 635,000 women and girls around the world, affecting three million family units. In 2022 alone, 3,297 women in twenty countries benefited from this support through 17 NGOs.