VF Corp. is now a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and has endorsed the Women’s Empowerment Principles. The UNGC’s ten principles boil down to the upholding of “internationally proclaimed human rights,” freedom of association and collective bargaining for labor, the rejection of forced, compulsory and child labor, non-discrimination, environmental vigilance and the elimination of corruption – and elicits corresponding pledges from CEOs. There are seven Women’s Empowerment Principles, seeking among other things to “establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality” and “measure and publicly report on progress.” They have been put forth by the UN’s Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). VF must now submit annual “Communications on Progress.”
Four years ago VF joined the Paradigm for Parity coalition, pledging to achieve “organizational gender parity” at and above the director level by 2030. This month, Working Mother Media (WMM) named VF one of the “2020+ Top Companies for Executive Women.”
