Businesses lead pledge to champion women's equality and root out misogyny
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Top employers are the first to join the Minister for Women and
Equalities to support the women's sector and stamp out misogyny.
Major businesses across transport, utilities, software and
financial services commit to working with the government to ensure
safety and opportunity for every woman and girl. Partnership
with the first cohort of businesses is the latest step in a
whole-society approach to tackling misogyny. Major employers have
committed to working...Request free
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Major employers have committed to working with the Minister for Women and Equalities, Bridget Phillipson, to tackle misogyny. Arriva Bus, Centrica, Lime, Salesforce and Zurich are the first to kick off a new partnership with the government to tackle misogyny at every level, supporting initiatives to help women thrive and helping shift attitudes across society. The businesses have also committed to supporting the government's new National Taskforce to Tackle Misogyny, including providing specific expertise where it is relevant from public transport to workplaces. The taskforce will bring together experts from across the country, along with ministers and local leaders, to discuss the lived experiences of women and girls, and ensure government policy is shaped by those most affected by misogyny. It will ask how the government can go further to tackle harmful attitudes wherever they emerge, including online, in workplaces, and in communities, so that women and girls can live their lives without fear of misogyny. Support for the taskforce from major businesses is part of a whole-society approach in ensuring safety and better opportunities for every woman and girl. Real change can only be achieved by bringing together government, businesses and local communities. Speaking at Labour's Women's Conference, Minister for Women and Equalities and Labour Party Chair, Bridget Phillipson MP, said: The Prime Minister has asked me to lead a taskforce tackling misogyny, working across government, bringing different departments and ministers together. Embedding the changes we need, from culture to justice, from policing to social media. But I know too that we can't simply wait for that change. Not in our homes, not online, not in our workplaces. And we cannot deliver change across society from government alone. That is why we are establishing new partnerships with business and civil society, so in every workplace, in every community, in every context, we root out these attitudes and champion women's opportunity. Jonathan Reynolds MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, said: It's fantastic to see British Business stepping up to support women's equality and tackle misogyny. I look forward to working with business to support the work of the taskforce. Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director of Arriva UK Bus, said: We're proud to sign this pledge and support the Government's whole-society approach to tackling misogyny. At Arriva UK Bus, we understand the importance of ensuring women feel safe and supported, and we take a zero-tolerance approach to harassment. Feeling safe has to extend to the journey to work as well, and with millions of women relying on buses every day, public transport operators like us play a critical role in making that happen. We're training our drivers to recognise and respond to harassment, and we sit on industry boards to shape safer travel for women and girls, but we want to go further and work with the Government, the women's sector, and the rest of our industry to tackle misogyny and violence against women and girls. No woman should have to turn down a job or change her plans because she doesn't feel safe getting there, and we're determined to help make sure she never has to. Jill Shedden, Group Chief People Officer for Centrica, said: Every woman should be able to go to work feeling safe, respected and backed to succeed, whether she works in an office, a contact centre or a customer's home. As the largest unionised employer in energy and services, we are committed to building that culture through practical policies and support, from harassment and domestic abuse guidelines to day-one flexible working. We warmly welcome the Government's leadership on this and look forward to sharing what works, learning from others and helping make sure no woman ever has to limit her ambition out of fear. Lime's Deputy Regional Head of Government Relations, Alice Pleasant, said: "Many women still face misogyny as part of everyday life, whether that's in dealing with unwanted comments or having to feel unsafe getting home at night. That shouldn't be normal, and the government can't change it alone. We're proud to stand with the Minister and other businesses to pledge our support to this initiative and help build a country where no woman has to hold back because she feels unsafe." Chief HR and Sustainability Officer at Zurich UK, Steve Collinson, said: Zurich is a proud pioneer of inclusivity and I'm personally committed to ensuring it maintains that record. Inclusivity matters because steps taken by businesses don't stay within their walls but contribute to the spread of better understanding and increased tolerance throughout society. Actions we've taken to better support women include leading the charge on flexible working for over a decade, equalising parental leave and achieving gender equality in our senior management community, while also ensuring we have policies and training in place around issues such as menopause, IVF, miscarriage and domestic abuse. I look forward to sharing our experiences with Government to help support further progress. As society evolves there will always be more to do and we'll keep working on what should come next. Zahra Bahrololoumi, President and CEO of Salesforce UK and Ireland, said:
"Building a safer, more equal society where every woman and girl
can thrive requires bold leadership and collective action. At
Salesforce, Equality is a core value, and we believe business
must be an active, trusted partner to government and civil
society in driving lasting, positive change. The Government has already delivered landmark legislation which ensures women can stay and progress in the workforce. As part of the Employment Rights Act 2025, employers with 250 or more employees are being encouraged to publish the common-sense steps they are taking to reduce thei gender pay gap and support employees through menopause. Action plans are set to become mandatory for large employers by Spring 2027. Additional protections are also being put in place for women at work, including safeguards against sexual harassment in the workplace and enhancing the rights of pregnant workers and women returning from maternity leave. This comes alongside action to build a fairer Britain where women and girls can prosper by tackling the cost of living, which can fall disproportionately on women and families. Ends Notes: The first business partners to throw their weight behind this initiative are: Salesforce, Arriva UK Bus, Lime, Centrica and Zurich UK. The National Taskforce for Tackling Misogyny was announced last week. Working alongside government as standing members of the Taskforce will be:
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