Empowering women

Gender balance is a key part of our approach.

Our goal is to ensure everyone feels supported, valued and respected. We have been working to balance the gender makeup of our workforce and leadership. As a result, the proportion of women in managerial positions is increasing, including in our most senior executive posts, helping us achieve better gender balance.

We also look to the next generation by partnering with nonprofits, funding scholarships designed to harness business skills, hosting competitions and offering mentorships for young female entrepreneurs. For example, in our income accelerator program, women have been empowered and more involved in decision-making, which has improved the allocation of family resources.

Gender balance in our business and value chain

We are proud of the progress we have made to achieve gender balance, particularly within our own workforce. We carefully monitor our succession planning to maintain the right pipeline for our most critical business roles. We also provide career support and guidance through our Senior Leader Development Roadmap (Corporate Mentoring Program, Senior Leaders Development Assessment Center and Senior Executive Program). We are determined to maintain the pace of change. To help achieve this goal, we also look to other companies, working in partnership to hold up a mirror to ourselves and ensuring that we can collectively progress.

We continue to empower smallholder farmers, in particular women, in Central and West Africa by providing them with farming support, agricultural training and technical expertise. We recognise the critical role they play in diversifying incomes and strengthening community ties, providing support and education via Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and Gender Action Learning System (GALS) training.

Our Salient Issue Action Plan for Gender Equity, Non-Discrimination and Non-Harassment seeks to build understanding of gender topics and needs, with clear steps for addressing them.  The action plan contributes to the Nestlé Human Rights Framework and Roadmap which supports a just transition toward regenerative food systems.

Addressing discrimination, violence and harassment

In line with the United Nations Global Compact’s (UNGC) guiding principles on human rights and labor, we aim at respecting personal dignity, privacy and personal rights of every employee. Our workplace has zero tolerance for incidents of discrimination, violence and/or harassment as these are incompatible with our purpose and values and our Corporate Business Principles. We are also proactively training all employees on unconscious bias and sexual harassment prevention and our Policy Against Discrimination, Violence and Harassment (pdf, 3Mb) at work has now been implemented across all markets. We have also put in place global guidance for providing support to employee victims of domestic violence or abuse.

Creating an inclusive culture for new parents

We support new parents and have rolled out our Global Parental Support Policy (pdf, 3Mb) in 100% of our markets. The gender-neutral policy gives primary caregivers in the company the right to a minimum of 18 weeks of paid leave to care for new children, including adoption. Secondary caregivers are granted four weeks’ minimum of paid leave.

Our Global Parental Support Policy aims at putting the right conditions for a strong start in the life of their children. It also reinforces employment protection, non-discrimination, health protection, breastfeeding support, and flexible working options.

Being transparent in advancing gender-based issues

Building on our pledge to accelerate the pace toward equal pay for equal work between men and women, we undertake a Global Equal Pay review to champion equal pay for equal work, in which we identify any potential systemic gender pay gaps. In 2025, our Global Equal Pay review indicated no countrywide equal pay gap in the 84 countries covered.

We are delighted to feature in Forbes’ European Diversity Leaders list and the European Round Table for Industry’s Diversity & Inclusion Toolkit of best practices.

Building on Nespresso’s gender equality initiatives

As a signatory to the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), Nestlé has extended its commitment to promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and community.