Amazon considers the fair representation of women in the workplace and publicly discloses the gender composition across various levels of leadership at least annually. With a workforce that is 43% female, the company currently maintains gender balance – 40-60% women – among its board members (50%). However, women are underrepresented among senior executives (17%) and managers (28%). The company offers professional development programmes with specific support for women through initiatives such as leaders’ workshops focused on gender diversity at its AmazeCon conference. Its AmazeWIT conference in India also brings together women working in technology. No information was found regarding the gender balance of the company’s workforce across occupational function or the gender breakdown of employee turnover or absenteeism rates.
In the supply chain, Amazon requires its suppliers to have a non-discrimination policy that explicitly protects pregnant and married women workers, and it asserts that suppliers must not issue their workers mandatory pregnancy tests or any other medical tests that could be used in a discriminatory manner. Amazon does not indicate whether it procures from women-owned businesses, though the company has taken specific actions to increase support for women entrepreneurs. For example, in India, Amazon Saheli sources from and offers a wide selection of products, including clothing and accessories, made by women entrepreneurs. The company has also partnered with Nest, a non-profit focused on improving the well-being of women artisans.
While no details were available regarding recognition agreements with local trade unions or collective bargaining agreements currently in place, suppliers are expected to respect the rights of workers to establish and join organisations free from harassment or intimidation.