Diversity Matters: Whirlpool embraces ValoreD’s Manifesto for Women’s Empowerment
Why is gender diversity in the workplace so important? We hear about it a lot in the media, and it’s become a common topic of discussion in offices and the boardroom alike. Simply put: because it’s a resource and a challenge we still need to conquer.
In my time at Whirlpool Corporation, I have learned and appreciated how much gender diversity really matters to this global company. Gender diversity isn’t only about hiring “enough” women to meet targeted quotas. It’s about giving women opportunities to grow and develop and to obtain leadership positions. It’s about giving women their voice within our company. It’s about making our company among the best places to work for women. It’s no wonder, therefore, that a woman as talented and motivated as Esther Berrozpe Galindo is the President of Whirlpool EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa) and that other women, including myself, are in senior leadership positions in our organization.
Diversity and inclusion are enduring values at Whirlpool. Only by valuing diversity of people, thoughts and ideas, is it possible fully to create and leverage value throughout the company and deliver excellent results with integrity. In this spirit, we recently launched the Whirlpool EMEA Women’s Network, a voluntary employee-led group that serves as a resource for colleagues by fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. The Network offers platforms to support women during their careers at Whirlpool, in order to enhance their professional growth and opportunities for advancement by connecting, inspiring and empowering them. Don’t be fooled by the name, the Women’s network is open to all employees, both men and women, so everyone has the opportunity to contribute and make ours a more inclusive and meaningful workplace.
With this perspective, Whirlpool Corporation naturally embraced the Manifesto for Women’s Empowerment promoted by Valore D, the first association of large companies formed in Italy to support women’s leadership in the corporate world. Out of all the important points in the Manifesto, we chose to champion the promotion of women in STEMs (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) which are key to product and process innovation.
Why have we focused on the particular point of engagement in STEMs? Because, as a company empowered by brilliant engineers, Whirlpool fully appreciates the importance of having the best talent in STEM positions and we believe these fields will offer more and more opportunities for women in the future. We are aware, however, that there is still a need to close the gender gap for STEM jobs, that is why fostering youth employment with a focus on STEM is one of the pillars of our EMEA social responsibility strategy.
A recent UNESCO report supports this strategy. According to the report, in higher education, women represent only 35% of all students enrolled in STEM-related fields. Gender differences also persist in later stages of academic careers, with the lowest female enrolment observed in STEM disciplines, such as information, communication and technology (ICT), engineering, manufacturing, natural science, mathematics and statistics. Research further shows that the gender gap in educational achievement in STEM subjects is influenced by experience and can be improved through targeted interventions. These findings highlight the need to pursue a holistic approach to overcoming gender differences in STEM fields including leveraging the full engagement of companies, as well as other institutions and NGOs.
The role of business is crucial to provide inspiring role models and ensure that there are increasing job prospects for women in STEM. Additionally, from a broader economic perspective, investing in the promotion of women and girls in STEM fields can help tackle another significant distortion of the labor market: the overall gender salary gap.
For these and many other reasons, Whirlpool has decided to embrace this point of Valore D’s Manifesto. Women and girls need strong role models to look up to and to follow in their footsteps. As the daughter of an engineer, I grew up striving for the rigor of scientific thinking; as a professional, I am energized by demanding colleagues from STEM and many diverse disciplines. At Whirlpool, together with my senior leadership colleagues, I am proud of our many talented women leaders and role models who help inspire a better, more productive and engaging workplace today, tomorrow and always.
Tanya Jaeger de Foras, Vice President Whirlpool Corporation and Chief Legal Officer Whirlpool EMEA
