We want to achieve equality with actions and not just good intentions
At IKEA, we are conscious of the important role that companies play in the question of equality. That is why we have been working for years to bring about change. And we are succeeding.
We are celebrating International Women’s Day within IKEA Spain and the IKEA Group with a single clear objective: to be a driving force for change in society, always looking ahead to the future. We are conscious of the important role that companies play in the question of equality. At IKEA, we are leading by example (one of our values), and we are obtaining results that give us reason to be proud.
The best way we can commemorate this day is by sharing the stories of people who work at IKEA, and who are an example of shared responsibility. These men and women are part of the change, and they demonstrate that by their own experience. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to the entire IKEA team for their generosity and involvement in this cause.
Many studies, such as Women in the Workplace 2018 by McKinsey, confirm that in the majority of companies, women continue to be under-represented at all levels. At IKEA, we believe in talent, without any bias, and that is why we want to do things differently and change this insane trend. We are the first company in the sector to have signed our Second Equality Plan.
This Plan contains over 127 measures that aim to drive forward progress in equal opportunities, in our company in particular and in society in general. These include an extension of paternity leave to 7 weeks, the introduction of anonymous CVs in our selection processes in order to combat stereotyping, and training on inclusive language throughout the entire IKEA team. The simple fact that we have a department responsible for Equality and Diversity, led by Elena López de Andrés, demonstrates our involvement in this cause and our commitment to it.
Our challenge at IKEA - to go on and on improving!
We believe in the power of women, and we invest in female talent. It's not only the stories of IKEA workers that attest to this fact but also the figures, which demonstrate a clear positive trend. That's the reason we are implementing concrete measures that are helping to change things for the better. We want to achieve a direct and positive impact on the development of women’s talent by, for example, promoting shared responsibility in the home, and both within and beyond our stores and offices.
Today we can proudly confirm that what we are doing at IKEA is proving effective. Over half of the section leaders in Spain are women and the same is true of executive positions. We lead by example, and the results we have achieved are a source of immense joy to us. What better reason can there be to carry on this work and to celebrate International Women’s Day not just today, but every day?
We will continue working towards our aim of achieving true equality at all levels, both in IKEA in Spain and at a global level, because it is part of our culture and our values.
We are conscious that there remains much room for improvement at IKEA. However, today we want to celebrate and enjoy what it means to work with equality, or to put it another way, to work in a company that strongly believes the advantage of equality at all levels, and that it improves us. All of us, both men and women.
Happy International Women’s Day!
Equality works better.
