Ascena Retail Group

Ascena displays a commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment. In addition to being a signatory to the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), the company has established a gender strategy that goes beyond general support for diversity and inclusion to include an organisation-wide commitment to ensure gender representation and initiatives aimed at empowering employees as well as women and girls in the community. It has also established specific targets related to gender, such as helping 100% of its suppliers to provide work environments that support women workers through its Sourcing for Equal Workplaces (SEW) initiative. However, the company has not stated which individuals internally are responsible for its gender efforts.

While no information was found on whether Ascena engages its own employees on gender issues, for example by conducting surveys, it engages with external stakeholders such as BSR (Business for Social Responsibility) to provide training and mentorship programmes for women employees through the HERlead Fellowship.

The company has a gender-responsive grievance mechanism that reflects an understanding of gender roles and the inequalities women face in the workplace, for instance guaranteeing confidentiality, allowing concerns to be anonymously reported to someone other than the direct supervisor via a telephone line, and ensuring non-retaliation and protection of the aggrieved party. However, there were no details to indicate that supply chain workers have access to this grievance mechanism or that suppliers are required to establish their own grievance mechanisms for workers to report concerns.

Ascena does not disclose information to indicate that it screens for gender-related issues among its suppliers as part of its audit processes, such as sexual harassment or discrimination against women based on their pregnancy and marital status. Furthermore, no information was found regarding whether the company requires its suppliers to take corrective action if these issues are identified.

Ascena considers the fair representation of women in the workplace and publicly discloses the gender composition across various levels of leadership at least annually. The company maintains gender balance – 40-60% women – on its board of directors (50%) and has a woman chairperson. However, with a workforce that is 95% female, there is a gender imbalance elsewhere in the company, with women occupying a large majority of positions among its senior executives (61%), senior managers (75%) and middle managers (97%) and overall workforce (95%). The company offers professional development programmes with specific support for women through education and training as well as mentorship programmes. For instance, it has established the Women@ascena Leadership Initiative and a Working Parents resource group to enhance professional development. No information was found regarding the gender composition of the company’s workforce across occupational function or the gender breakdown of employee turnover or absenteeism rates.

In the supply chain, the company addresses the systemic discrimination that women face by requiring suppliers to have a non-discrimination policy that explicitly protects pregnant and married women workers. Furthermore, as part of the SEW initiative, it requires suppliers to collect gender data for their entire workforce in areas such as employee recruitment, reasons for turnover and absenteeism, incidents of discrimination related to gender and corrective actions taken. However, there is no information regarding how Ascena supports its suppliers in offering professional development opportunities to their women workers. Neither were there details about whether the company actively procures from women-owned businesses or takes specific actions to increase the procurement spend directed to these businesses.

While Ascena does not require its suppliers to have recognition agreements with local trade unions, it expects suppliers to respect the rights of workers to establish and join organisations and allow meetings to be organised in such a way that encourages women workers’ participation. It also requires suppliers to prohibit discrimination, intimidation, harassment, retaliation and violence against trade union representatives.

No publicly available information was found regarding how Ascena considers the fair compensation of women in its workplace or specifically addresses the gender pay gap. In terms of family-friendly benefits, the company states that it offers parental leave to its employees. However, it does not disclose a global policy of providing at least 14 weeks of paid primary carer leave and two weeks of paid secondary carer leave, as recommended by the International Labour Organization. Neither were details available about whether it promotes employees’ return to work after leave, offers flexible working options or provides childcare support.

In the supply chain, Ascena does not require suppliers to extend workers formal contracts or a living wage. While suppliers must meet the local legal requirements for parental and childcare benefits, the company does not require them to provide workers with carer leave or other family-friendly support. However, it does require suppliers to provide flexible working arrangements to women who are pregnant or nursing.

No information was found to suggest that Ascena covers any additional costs surrounding the maternal, mental or sexual and reproductive health needs specific to its women employees.

In the supply chain, the company has made a public commitment to provide gender-responsive health information and services. It participates in the BSR-run HERproject, which covers issues specifically related to women’s health and provides trainings to women workers that address breast cancer, HIV awareness, menstrual hygiene and nutrition. The company also requires suppliers to comply with national laws regarding nursing rooms, on-site clinics, healthcare professionals and external health providers.

However, beyond access to drinking water, there were no details about whether Ascena requires suppliers to consider the specific health, safety and hygiene needs of their women workers, for example by providing adequately lit factory facilities and toilets separated by gender. Neither was there information to indicate the company monitors the gender breakdown of workers’ injuries, fatalities, turnover or absenteeism rates.

Ascena seeks to prevent violence and harassment by prohibiting all forms of discrimination, harassment and retaliation among employees, vendors and third parties. Furthermore, the company requires its suppliers to treat all workers with respect and dignity and protect workers from retaliation for reporting harassment. Suppliers are also required to implement, monitor and communicate this policy to their workers in local languages.

However, no details were found regarding the company’s effective remedy for violence and harassment grievances reported by its employees or supply chain workers, such as not requiring private arbitration or silencing agreements.

No information was found regarding how Ascena addresses non-discriminatory practices in marketing and advertising, for example by committing to avoid harmful gender stereotypes or ensuring gender-responsive communications and engagement with its customers to support gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Ascena drives support for gender equality and women’s empowerment in the communities where it operates through sponsorship of programmes that provide leadership development, training and mentoring along with monetary grants awarded to women social entrepreneurs. It also partners with BSR’s HERlead Fellowship, which invests in women leaders, and Girls on the Run, a non-profit empowerment programme that inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident.

Ascena has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by temporarily closing stores and updating its shipping and return policies, such as offering contactless roadside pick-up at select stores and keeping returned clothing off the shop floor for a safe period of time. The company also provides face masks and gloves to employees and promotes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommended guidance on precautionary behaviours such as washing hands, social distancing and cleaning surfaces as well as staying home and seeking medical attention if employees exhibit symptoms of the virus. The company is working with its suppliers to produce personal protective equipment and donate over 50,000 face masks to the New York Governor’s office, New York City hospitals and the American Red Cross.

Is the company included in the following gender frameworks?