L’Oréal Philippines is the First Company in the Philippines to Receive EDGE Gender Equality Certification As the global business certification standard for gender equality, EDGE certifies equal opportunities for both genders within the L’Oréal Philippines workplace
Geneva, Switzerland/Manila, the Philippines–September 10, 2015 – As a company that values equality and open-mindedness in the workplace, L’Oréal Philippines takes pride as the first company in the Philippines to receive EDGE (Economic Dividends for Gender Equality) Certification for gender equality. Following its launch at the World Economic Forum in 2011, EDGE’s mission has been to engage companies across the world in fostering equal opportunities for women and men in the workplace. EDGE Assessment is the leading business certification for gender equality in the workplace that is universally applicable across industries and countries, and is distinguished by its rigor and focus on business impact.
“Diversity has always been one of the key drivers at L’Oréal Philippines, and is integral to the way we work,” shares Anna Coloma-Basilio, HR Manager, and the Chief Diversity Contact of L’Oréal Philippines. “We continue to strive for equal opportunities and an inclusive workplace for all genders because we recognize and value that each individual’s unique perspectives and creativity fuel our ability to grow our business and meet the needs of our consumers.”
The EDGE Certification process involves a comprehensive review on gender practices, including policies and actions related to equal pay for equivalent work, recruitment and promotion, leadership development, training and mentoring, flexible working, and company culture. The certification process began last year, when L’Oréal Philippines embarked on a review on gender-equality practices within the company. Then, employees in L’Oréal Philippines participated in EDGE’s assessment through a company-wide survey, which was followed by a third-party audit.
“The L’Oréal culture has always embraced equality, and it is intrinsic in our company values of open-mindedness and responsibility, and even our ethical principles such as respect and integrity,” shares Tina Ampil, L’Oréal Philippines General Manager for Human Resources. “By offering equal opportunities for learning, development, and growth to everyone, we are ensuring that our current and future leaders are equipped with the right values and skills to carry out our company mission of providing ‘Beauty for All’ sustainably for the future.”
More than 100 companies in 30 countries use the EDGE Assessment methodology and certification process to create an optimal, balanced workplace for men and women. The methodology and standard enables a company to accurately assess how it performs both at a country and a global level.
“EDGE Certification is a robust, tried and tested tool to kick-off and set you on the right path towards gender balance in organisations. It provides clear metrics, identifies gaps and also provides external recognition through the certification of your commitment and progress, wherever companies are in the journey.” says Aniela Unguresan, co-founder of EDGE Certified Foundation. "EDGE Certification is shorthand for – this is a good place to work, a good place to invest, and a company from which to buy products and services if you are interested in gender equality,” says Megan Beyer, member of the Global Advisory Council at EDGE.
After the awarding of the certification, L’Oréal Philippines has taken concrete actions towards continued progress in gender equality, which include planned Diversity Training for all employees, and the concretization on policies that will ensure fairness for both genders in ways of working in all aspects in the company. At the global level, L’Oréal is in the process of certifying operations in several other countries.
About L’Oréal Philippines L'Oréal, the world leader in cosmetics, is synonymous with beauty, innovation, sustainability and scientific excellence in more than 130 countries. As the number one beauty company in the world, we continue to invest in science and research to guarantee innovative, high- value-added products. To date, L’Oréal has catered to all forms of beauty in the world for over 100 years and has built an unrivalled portfolio of over 38 international, diverse and complementary brands.
L’Oréal Philippines has been present in the country as a wholly owned subsidiary of L’Oréal S.A. since 1994. Based on the unique and diverse beauty needs of every Filipino, L’Oreal Philippines manages 14 of the most technologically advanced brands across several beauty categories and present across all beauty channels, including L’Oréal Paris, Maybelline New York, Garnier, Lancôme, Kiehl’s, Shu Uemura, Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, Guy Laroche, L’Oréal Professionnel, Kérastase, Matrix, and Pureology. As one of the big beauty players in the country, L’Oréal Philippines has also made its contributions as a good corporate citizen to the country over its 25 years of presence. It is our priority and commitment to reduce the impact of our activity on the planet and bolster positive socio-economic impact on the lives of people and communities in the Philippines. This has been done through our various philanthropic activities such as “Bigay Daan,” “Citizen Day,” and just recently “Bangon Tugop,” our school rehabilitation program in Tanauan, Leyte. For more information, visit www.loreal.com.ph.
About EDGE Certification EDGE is the leading global assessment methodology and business certification standard for gender equality. The EDGE assessment methodology was developed by the EDGE Certified Foundation and launched at the World Economic Forum in 2011. EDGE Certification has been designed to help companies not only create an optimal workplace for women and men, but also benefit from it. EDGE stands for Economic Dividends for Gender Equality and is distinguished by its rigor and focus on business impact. The methodology uses a business, rather than theoretical approach that incorporates benchmarking, metrics and accountability into the process. It assesses policies, practices and numbers across five different areas of analysis: equal pay for equivalent work, recruitment and promotion, leadership development training and mentoring, flexible working and company culture. EDGE Certification has received the endorsement of business, government and academic leaders from around the world. For more information, visit http://www.edge-cert.org/ or follow us on Twitter @EDGE_CERT
Media Contacts
L’Oréal Philippines Anna Coloma +63 273 2732 [email protected]
EDGE Certification: Joséphine Dunn +44 7855 953 669 [email protected]
Pulse Communications – Ogilvy Public Relations Manila: Hannah Tejuco 0917.8084894 [email protected]