Last updated on September 13th, 2022
Retail industry trade association Global Market Development Center (GMDC)|Retail Tomorrow has partnered with Gender Fair, the first and only market-based solution for achieving equality. The partnership represents an opportunity for GMDC|Retail Tomorrow to embrace and foster Gender Fair’s insights and expertise to advance gender equality across retail and CPG industries.
GMDC|Retail Tomorrow will officially introduce the partnership during an infocast with Gender Fair via the GMDC*Connect platform at 1 p.m. EDT on Aug. 20. The virtual learning session, introduced by Gender Fair CEO Johanna Zeilstra, will highlight the importance of promoting diversity and inclusion in retail as well as the ways GMDC|Retail Tomorrow members can benefit from the Gender Fair partnership.
The infocast, “Survive and thrive: CVS Health shows diversity drives resilience and innovation,” will feature Tom Ashworth, senior manager of strategic diversity management for CVS Health, and Keith Eakins, senior manager of supplier diversity for CVS Health, who will share perspectives on leadership, diversity and inclusion as a strategic initiative within their organization.
“Gender Fair is the gold standard when working to achieve gender equality in the workplace, and its methodology is used across many world-class organizations to effectively measure fairness and sustainability,” said Patrick Spear, president and CEO of GMDC|Retail Tomorrow. “As a forward-looking organization, GMDC|Retail Tomorrow recognizes the need for change, and we’ve embraced this need and the value it will provide our growing community for years to come. This relationship offers an important step as part of the industry’s future. We anticipate the new programs will provide our members with a better understanding of how to execute a practical plan and give clearer visibility into the future needs for a successful business.”
GMDC|Retail Tomorrow is teaming up with Gender Fair to support its efforts to help companies and business leaders identify areas where their organization can advance gender equality through the Gender Fair Assessment and Roadmap. Through this partnership, GMDC|Retail Tomorrow and Gender Fair will help organizations demonstrate their use of the gender equality rating platform, using product packaging and innovation to highlight their social advocacy.
“With fewer than 20 percent of companies being considered ‘gender fair,’ we seek partnerships with organizations that are committed to raising this percentage, differentiating themselves as drivers of equality and promoting brands that meet the Gender Fair standards,” said Zeilstra. “Gender Fair is proud to be a GMDC|Retail Tomorrow strategic partner, and we look forward to offering our consumer rating platform for gender equality to all its members. Not only will our technology help scale equality and enable corporate gender data to reach GMDC|Retail Tomorrow’s consumer markets, but it will empower members to accelerate fairness through purchasing and business decisions.”
Gender Fair independently collects and rigorously analyzes data to measure company fairness and diversity policies against best-in-class benchmarks. Its Acceleration Practice provides an action plan to close the gap – with expertise in change management, leadership development, corporate communications and cultural evolution. Gender Fair certification assures employees, investors and consumers that their company is truly committed to diversity, fairness and gender equality.
To learn more about GMDC|Retail Tomorrow and its partnership with Gender Fair, and to register for the upcoming infocast, visit gmdc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EaUFcKg7SnaesQHJmGO4Pg.
Colorado Springs, Colorado-based GMDC|Retail Tomorrow connects people and companies to opportunities for growth through events, networking and insights that inspire innovation. GMDC|Retail Tomorrow is the leading nonprofit trade association fostering discovery, continuous learning and uncommon partnerships focused on enhancing the shopper experience. Today it represents more than 125,000 retail outlets.
