TORONTO; Apr. 28, 2021 – For the second year in a row, Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has received Platinum Parity Certification—the highest level possible—from Women in Governance, a not-for-profit organization in Canada dedicated to empowering women through their career advancement.
This Certification recognizes Accenture’s achievements in Canada in developing programs and policies to support women’s professional development and its goal to reach gender parity in the workplace across Canada.
"At Accenture, we have an unwavering commitment to a culture of equality and have set bold goals to accelerate gender equality," said Jeffrey Russell, president of Accenture in Canada. "We are honoured to be recognized with a Platinum Parity Certification by Women in Governance and we will continue our focus on gender equality by investing in targeted support, flexible work arrangements and comprehensive training programs to ensure that women thrive at Accenture."
Some recent initiatives that contribute to Accenture’s newest Parity Certification include:
- Setting new workforce representation goals: Accenture set ambitious 2025 internal workforce representation goals in Canada across nine diversity dimensions on its path to achieving its long-term goal of full workforce and leadership representation.
- Supporting gender equality research: In 2021, Accenture developed a new report with W20, a part of G20, If Not Now, When? A roadmap towards a more gender-equitable economic recovery. The research found that women remain underrepresented in formal employment – particularly at more senior levels and in sectors such as technology – and the pandemic has exacerbated these inequalities.
- Focusing on women’s leadership development: Accenture is building on the inclusion and diversity momentum in Canada by focusing on a highly targeted set of priority areas, including growing the next generation of female and diverse leaders within the company.
- Using data to lead the way: Accenture continues to implement innovative, leading-edge interventions, such as an advanced inclusion and diversity analytics project, that drive the advancement of women with the intent of helping the company achieve a gender-balanced workforce by 2025.
"By conducting gender equality research, raising awareness, setting goals and taking action, we support women through every stage of their career so they can reach their full potential. Receiving the Platinum Parity Certification by Women in Governance for a second year shows our unwavering commitment to gender equality in our workplace and our communities," said Zahra Jadavji, Managing Director, Inclusion and Diversity – Canada, Accenture.
Platinum Certification was awarded following a thorough evaluation of Accenture’s initiatives across three areas – strategy, actions and results – performed by Women in Governance and supported by an external committee.
More about Women in Governance’s Parity Certification can be found on the organization's
website.