How Businesses Can Invest in Women and Realize Returns

The SDGs recognize the centrality of gender equality and the health and rights of girls and women as key drivers of development, prosperity, and every other SDG. The private sector is uniquely positioned to reach millions of women with the health and empowerment information and services they need to improve their lives. Companies with supply chains that employ disproportionate numbers of women, such as apparel, agriculture, home goods, and electronics, are particularly well-suited to invest in women's health and empowerment. An estimated 60 to 75 million people, three quarters of whom are women, are employed in the textile, clothing, and footwear sectors alone. Communications companies are also leveraging their expertise and networks to reach women with health and empowerment information. Investments in women's health and empowerment have been shown to reap significant business benefits, including increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, and improved worker satisfaction. A study by Business for Social Responsibility found that investments in workplace women's health programs result in a 4:1 return on investment to companies. Similarly, a USAID-supported study of the effects of workplace health service delivery in garment factories in Bangladesh found that provision of on-site health services resulted in an 18 percent decline in absenteeism and a 43 percent decrease in staff turnover, indicating an overall return on investment of 3:1. The HERhealth program, a workplace health and well-being program led by ANN INC., a specialty retailer, has shown significant improvements in worker health and empowerment. The program has resulted in a 41 percent increase in knowledge of maternal and child health care, a 32 percent expansion in the adoption of voluntary family planning, and a 26 percent increase in improved diet. Similarly, a workplace health program led by Marks & Spencer, a clothing company, has resulted in a 60 percent reduction in anemia, a 40 percent increase in workers accessing the factory clinic, and a 15 percent increase in referrals by factory clinic to external clinics. The private sector is increasingly recognizing the benefits of investing in women's health and empowerment. Over 1,400 CEOs have signed a statement of support for the Women's Empowerment Principles, a set of seven principles developed by the UN and the UN Global Compact, to guide businesses as they promote gender equality and women's empowerment. Dozens of companies are partnering with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), governments, and others to create and implement health and empowerment programs designed to improve women's health while also improving business outcomes. The business case for private sector investment in women's health and empowerment is clear. With an estimated 1 billion women entering the global workforce over the next two decades, companies have a unique opportunity to invest in women's health and empowerment and reap significant business benefits. By investing in women's health and empowerment, companies can improve worker health and well-being, increase productivity, reduce absenteeism, and improve worker satisfaction, ultimately leading to improved business outcomes and a more sustainable and equitable future.