There is limited information available to indicate that Adidas considers the fair representation of women in the workplace. With a workforce that is 52% female, women are underrepresented on the company’s board of directors (31%) as well as among senior executives (17%) and senior management (29%). No information was found regarding the gender balance of the company’s middle management, its workforce across occupational function or the gender breakdown of employee turnover or absenteeism rates.
Adidas promotes gender equality in leadership by offering its women employees professional development opportunities through initiatives such as Going for Gold, a management development programme that provides aspiring women leaders with workshops, personal coaching and facilitated support. It also runs the DIVE IN ambassadors’ initiative, which provides management mentoring sessions for women, the #BCONFIDENT female leadership initiative and the Women’s Networking Group. The company has further instituted the Global High Potential Group (GHIPO) and Local High Potential Group (LHIPO) leadership groups to ensure balanced representation in senior positions.
In the supply chain, Adidas has commissioned empowerment projects to support its suppliers in hiring women workers and building their skills through training initiatives, for example via its involvement with the HERproject run by BSR (Business for Social Responsibility) and the Women in Factories programme in China. As part of the company’s wider efforts to empower female workers in our supply chain, they have initiated a Women’s Empowerment Program in Pakistan to train women on how to secure better career opportunities in the workplace. The programme has helped redundant women to obtain new jobs as well as supported women on the job to secure promotions by improving their professional performance.
The company also addresses the systemic discrimination that women face by requiring its suppliers to have a non-discrimination policy that explicitly protects pregnant and married women workers. Further, the company provides extensive guidance to prevent discrimination against pregnant women, including stating that they should be provided with all legal protections and benefits. However, it does not disclose information on whether it requires suppliers to provide training to hiring managers to prevent discrimination.