Accenture sets goal to achieve gender equality by 2025

Accenture has announced that it aims to achieve gender-balanced workforce by 2025, comprising of 50 percent women and  50 percent men.

“Diversity makes our business stronger and more innovative and, most important, it makes the world a better place,” said Pierre Nanterme, Accenture’s chairman and CEO. “With this new goal, we are sending an important message to our people and our clients confirming our commitment to a gender-balanced workforce.”

Currently, Accenture has 150,000 women, nearly 40 percent of its global workforce. Over the past several years the company has set milestones on the path to gender equality. These include:

• Setting a goal to reach 40 percent women new hires by 2017 – and achieving it a year early
• Promoting its largest percentage of women to the managing director level in 2016 (30percent)
• Growing its percentage of women managing directors to 25 percent globally by 2020

Accenture has also taken a number of steps to attract, retain, advance and sponsor women to achieve a gender-balanced workforce including-

• Sponsoring the company's most senior women to advance in P&L roles.
• Delivering on a commitment to transparency.
• Launching initiatives that provide women with in-demand skills.
• Collaborating across business and government to further gender equality in the workplace.

"We embrace diversity as a source of creativity and competitive advantage.As we work toward '50 by 25' our ultimate goal is to create a truly human environment where people have a real sense of belonging, both professionally and personally" said Ellyn Shook, chief leadership and human resource officer at Accenture.