Gap Inc.

Gap displays a commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment. In addition to being a signatory to the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), the company has established a gender strategy that goes beyond general support for diversity and inclusion to include an organisation-wide commitment to gender representation and women’s empowerment in the supply chain. It has also committed to achieving several time-bound targets on gender equality and women empowerment and tracks its progress against them. For example, the company aims to reach 1 million women and girls through its Personal Advancement & Career Enhancement (P.A.C.E.) programme by 2022 and to transition all Tier 1 suppliers from a cash-based system to digital payments by 2020, empowering workers by offering more control over and access to their salaries. Moreover, Gap has made the vice president of global sustainability responsible for its sustainability strategy, which contains these gender-specific elements. While no information was found on whether Gap engages employees on gender issues, such as performing employee surveys, it engages with external stakeholders on health and well-being, for example providing access to sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene services for women workers in the supply chain as part of a USAID programme.

The company has a gender-responsive grievance mechanism that reflects an understanding of gender roles and the inequalities women face in the workplace, for instance guaranteeing confidentiality and anonymity, allowing concerns to be reported to someone other than the direct supervisor via a telephone line, and ensuring non-retaliation and protection of the aggrieved party. While supply chain workers do not have access to Gap’s grievance mechanism, the company requires its suppliers to establish their own grievance mechanisms.

Gap screens for gender-related issues among its suppliers as part of its audit processes, including gender-based violence and discrimination against women based on their pregnancy and marital status, and requires corrective action to be taken if these issues are identified. The company screens for verbal and psychological abuse, though sexual harassment is not explicitly mentioned.

Gap considers the fair representation of women across its workforce that is 76% female. Both the company’s chief executive officer and chief financial officer are women. It also publicly discloses the gender composition across various levels of leadership at least annually. The company currently maintains gender balance – 40-60% women – among its board members (50%) and senior managers (59%). However, gender diversity is lacking among senior executives and in middle management, with 70% of these positions being filled by women.

Gap addresses the systemic discrimination that women face and offers professional development programmes with specific support for women through its Equality and Belonging network group GapWIL (Women in Leadership). The company also supports its suppliers in offering professional development opportunities to women workers through its Personal Advancement & Career Enhancement (P.A.C.E.) programme. To further promote gender leadership in the supply chain, Gap requires suppliers to have a non-discrimination policy that explicitly protects pregnant and married women workers.

Though no details were found regarding recognition agreements with local trade unions or collective bargaining agreements currently in place, Gap requires suppliers to prohibit intimidation, harassment, retaliation and violence against trade union members. At a national level, Gap partnered with The Arbitration Council and ILO Better Facilities Cambodia to lead a workshop for Cambodian suppliers and the unions represented in their facilities to improve mutual understanding of freedom of association, workplace cooperation, and dispute-prevention and resolution mechanisms.

While Gap provides limited information on whether it has committed to procuring from women-owned businesses, it is taking steps to increase its diversity of suppliers overall. In line with this, it launched a supplier inclusion programme that provides a framework to increase its work with companies that are owned by or employ minorities, veterans, women, and those who identify as LGBTQ.

While Gap reports on its gender pay gap in the United Kingdom, thereby complying with national regulation, no information was found regarding how the company addresses the global gender pay gap to ensure its women employees around the world receive fair compensation for their work. Moreover, the company does not disclose a global policy of paid primary or secondary carer leave. Neither was information found regarding whether it promotes employees’ return to work after leave. Regarding other family-friendly benefits, Gap offers full-time employees in the United States back-up childcare and priority access to childcare centres as well as flexible working hours.

In the supply chain, there was limited information found on whether Gap requires its suppliers to offer formal contracts. The company encourages its suppliers to pay their workers a living wage but does not require them to do so. Furthermore, there were no details available regarding how Gap considers the unpaid care burden of workers in its supply chain by requiring suppliers to provide paid carer leave, childcare or other family support.

No information was found to suggest that Gap covers additional costs surrounding maternal and mental health services or the sexual and reproductive health needs specific to its women employees. In the supply chain, the company requires suppliers to provide their workers with a safe and healthy work environment, for example by offering access to drinking water and personal protective equipment as well as ensuring adequately lit and secure factories. However, no details were found regarding how the company supports the specific health, safety and hygiene needs of women workers. While suppliers are required to offer toilets separated by gender in their dormitories, there is no evidence to suggest that these facilities are required on the factory premises. Moreover, Gap has not made a public commitment to gender-responsive health information and services in its supply chain regarding maternal, mental, and sexual and reproductive health.

In the workplace, Gap seeks to prohibit violence and harassment through its zero tolerance for discrimination, harassment or retaliation. However, no details were found regarding training employees on violence and harassment. Neither was information found regarding the company’s effective remedy to violence and harassment grievances in the workplace, such as not requiring private arbitration or silencing agreements.

Gap requires all its suppliers to have a policy in place that defines and prohibits all forms of harassment and abuse, which includes a list of penalties for violations. The company also supports its suppliers in preventing violence and harassment incidents. Its Supplier Sustainability team works with suppliers in India – covering over 118,000 workers – to help them clearly define and implement Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) policies and establish an internal complaints committee, both of which are required under Indian law. The company also aims to help its suppliers raise awareness about violence and sexual harassment among both men and women employees as well as inform them of their rights and responsibilities.

Gap does not disclose details regarding how it addresses non-discriminatory practices in marketing and advertising, for example by committing to avoid harmful gender stereotypes or ensuring gender-responsive communications and engagement with its customers to support gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Gap primarily drives support for gender equality and women’s empowerment in the communities where it operates through its Personal Advancement & Career Enhancement (P.A.C.E.) programme, for example by partnering with local organisations to upskill women and girls across Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Tanzania and Turkey. Moreover, Gap employees have participated in investment programmes volunteering their time and money to help disadvantaged women in their communities.

Gap has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by introducing health guards at store checkouts, increasing cleaning and sanitisation efforts, offering physical distancing guidelines and requiring all customers and employees to wear face masks. Employees are further required to complete health checks at the start of each shift. Further, the company established a $1 million COVID response fund to local communities in its headquarter locations and globally via the UN Foundation in support of the World Health Organization and CARE. Gap also made product donations to Good 360 and USA for UNHCR (United Nations High Commission on Refugees).