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 screens for gender-related issues (e.g. sexual
harassment, gender-based violence, gender discrimination) among suppliers as part of its supplier
audit process as well as identifies and addresses the ones in need of corrective action with
consequences for adverse actions to discourage adverse gender impacts among its suppliers.
Research Guidance
1\.The company screens for at least three gender-related issues among its suppliers, as part of its audit process.
2\.Example of gender-related issues:
a.Sexual harassment
b.Gender-based violence (other than sexual harassment)
c.Discrimination against pregnant or married women
d.Discrimination against divorced or widowed women
e.Intimidation, harassment, retaliation or violence against trade union members/representatives
f.Informal workers
g.Lack of access to quality health information and services
h.Lack of gender-segregated washrooms and toilet facilities
i.Absence of policy covering gender discrimination
j.Absence of policy on sexual harassment
k.Lack of communication of non-discrimination policy
l.Other (e.g. discrimination based on gender, adequate health and safety provision and procedures for pregnant, postpartum or lactating workers, no mandatory pregnancy or HIV tests, prohibited opposite sex frisking)
3\.The evidence must show that the company is really committing to carrying out audits. Therefore, if the company only discloses that it reserves the right to do so, the disclosure will not be accepted. It must be clear that the company commits to conduct audits on at least three or at least four of the issues listed above.
4\.This information will usually be found in the supplier audit/remediation program/policy. Since few companies publicly disclose which issues are looked at during audits, if the issues are clearly outlined in the supplier code of conduct and the company states that they audit against all code requirements, the evidence can be accepted.
harassment, gender-based violence, gender discrimination) among suppliers as part of its supplier
audit process as well as identifies and addresses the ones in need of corrective action with
consequences for adverse actions to discourage adverse gender impacts among its suppliers.
Research Guidance
1\.The company screens for at least three gender-related issues among its suppliers, as part of its audit process.
2\.Example of gender-related issues:
a.Sexual harassment
b.Gender-based violence (other than sexual harassment)
c.Discrimination against pregnant or married women
d.Discrimination against divorced or widowed women
e.Intimidation, harassment, retaliation or violence against trade union members/representatives
f.Informal workers
g.Lack of access to quality health information and services
h.Lack of gender-segregated washrooms and toilet facilities
i.Absence of policy covering gender discrimination
j.Absence of policy on sexual harassment
k.Lack of communication of non-discrimination policy
l.Other (e.g. discrimination based on gender, adequate health and safety provision and procedures for pregnant, postpartum or lactating workers, no mandatory pregnancy or HIV tests, prohibited opposite sex frisking)
3\.The evidence must show that the company is really committing to carrying out audits. Therefore, if the company only discloses that it reserves the right to do so, the disclosure will not be accepted. It must be clear that the company commits to conduct audits on at least three or at least four of the issues listed above.
4\.This information will usually be found in the supplier audit/remediation program/policy. Since few companies publicly disclose which issues are looked at during audits, if the issues are clearly outlined in the supplier code of conduct and the company states that they audit against all code requirements, the evidence can be accepted.
License
Topics
Framework Mappings
Value Type
Category
Options
Yes
No
Assessment
Steward Assessed
Report Type
Aggregate Data Report