SAN FRANCISCO – April 12, 2016 – In recognition of Equal Pay Day on April 12, Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) today launched a new, interactive digital experience designed to raise awareness about the impact of the gender pay gap. The campaign features thought-provoking portraits of Gap Inc. employees styled in outfits missing 21 percent, such as a rolled up sleeve, to represent the fact that women in the U.S. are shortchanged by an average of 21 percent; women in the U.S. on average earn 79 cents to every dollar earned by their male counterparts.
Designed to raise awareness on the issue of equal pay for equal work, the digital experience features a number of resources, including a pay equality calculator to help women determine – and share on social media – how much money they stand to lose during their lifetime of work because of the pay gap, as well as educational resources. It also invites site visitors to join the conversation by rolling up their sleeve to depict 21 percent of an outfit, taking a picture, and sharing on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #CloseThePayGap.
In 2014, Gap Inc. was the first Fortune 500 company to announce equal pay for equal work, with its methodology and data validated by the leading gender and diversity firm Exponential Talent. Gap Inc. has since completed internal pay equality reviews annually using this approved methodology; today, the company reaffirmed equal pay for equal work for the third consecutive year.
Partnering to Help Raise Awareness about the Gender Pay Gap:
During the week of April 11, Gap Inc. executives will join together with other leaders in the public and private sector to help raise awareness about the importance of closing the gender pay gap.
- April 12: On Equal Pay Day, Gap Inc. will be featured at a White House event on Diversity and Inclusion hosted by Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, and will be presenting to other business and government leaders on its pay equality policies. For more information, please visit: www.whitehouse.gov
- April 12: On Equal Pay Day, Gap Inc. will participate in a forum on the gender pay gap hosted by Glassdoor that will be livestreamed. The event in New York City will feature former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Megan Rapinoe of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, and other pay equality advocates. The event is non-partisan and non-campaign. To watch the live stream, please visit: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/equal-pay-roundtable/index.htm
The company also announced that it will initiate a new research project to develop insights on the key drivers of pay equality at Gap Inc., which will be shared publicly. The project will be spearheaded by Dr. Kellie McElhaney, Adjunct Professor of the Institute for Business and Social Impact and Founder of the Center for Responsible Business at the Haas School of Business, University of California Berkeley.
Catalyst Award Recognition
In March, Gap Inc. was recognized by the nonprofit Catalyst for its commitment to advance women with the prestigious Catalyst Award. Today, women make up more than 70 percent of Gap Inc.’s worldwide employee base, including a similar percent of its store managers and the CEO’s senior leadership team. Additionally, women currently lead four out of five Gap Inc. brands. The annual award from Catalyst recognizes organizations whose innovative approaches result in proven, measurable results that advance the recruitment, development, and advancement of women in the workplace. For the first time since the inception of the Catalyst award, Gap Inc. became the sole company to be honored by the organization in a given year and the first company from the fashion industry to be recognized by Catalyst.
ABOUT GAP INC.
Gap Inc. is a leading global retailer offering clothing, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, and children under the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Athleta, and Intermix brands. Fiscal year 2015 net sales were $15.8 billion. Gap Inc. products are available for purchase in more than 90 countries worldwide through about 3,300 company-operated stores, over 400 franchise stores, and e- commerce sites. For more information, please visit www.gapinc.com.
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