About the data
The WBA Gender Benchmark measures and ranks the world's most influential companies on their efforts to advance gender equality and women's empowerment, tracking how companies integrate gender across their governance and strategy, promote fair representation at all levels of leadership, close the gender pay gap, support workers' health and well-being, prevent violence and harassment, and drive gender equality through their supply chains and communities. The 2026 edition assessed 105 companies across two sectors identified as having a particularly significant impact on gender equality: apparel, and food and agriculture. Companies were scored on 91 elements across six measurement areas: governance and strategy, representation, compensation and benefits, health and well-being, violence and harassment, and marketplace and community. The benchmark is designed to incentivise companies to move beyond policy commitments and take concrete, measurable action to respect and promote gender equality throughout their full value chains, keeping women workers' rights and human rights at its core. More information can be found here.
Methodology
A company committed to gender equality acknowledges that women workers in the
supply chain bear the burden of family care, including children and elderly relatives, and requires its
suppliers to provide family-friendly benefits. It recognises that work-life balance can drive positive
impacts for workers (e.g. improved work-life balance), companies (e.g. increased worker retention)
and society as a whole (e.g. greater gender balance of unpaid care burden). Requiring its suppliers to
provide these benefits to their workers further demonstrates a company’s commitment to gender
equality and women’s empowerment.
Research Guidance
1\.Company recognizes the importance of childcare support in its supply chains and expects its suppliers to provide the following or supports its suppliers in providing:
a.On-site childcare facilities (e.g., crèche)
b.Childcare subsidies for off-site care
c.Referrals for off-site childcare facilities
d.Other
Acceptable if support is provided for some suppliers through an initiative
supply chain bear the burden of family care, including children and elderly relatives, and requires its
suppliers to provide family-friendly benefits. It recognises that work-life balance can drive positive
impacts for workers (e.g. improved work-life balance), companies (e.g. increased worker retention)
and society as a whole (e.g. greater gender balance of unpaid care burden). Requiring its suppliers to
provide these benefits to their workers further demonstrates a company’s commitment to gender
equality and women’s empowerment.
Research Guidance
1\.Company recognizes the importance of childcare support in its supply chains and expects its suppliers to provide the following or supports its suppliers in providing:
a.On-site childcare facilities (e.g., crèche)
b.Childcare subsidies for off-site care
c.Referrals for off-site childcare facilities
d.Other
Acceptable if support is provided for some suppliers through an initiative
License
Topics
Framework Mappings
Value Type
Category
Options
Yes
No
Assessment
Steward Assessed
Report Type
Aggregate Data Report
