DENVER-Wednesday 22 January 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]
(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Western Union (NYSE: WU) today announced that it is one of 325 companies across 50 industries included in the 2020 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI). The GEI expanded in 2020 to represent 42 countries and regions, including firms headquartered in the Czech Republic, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland and Russia for the first time. Companies range from a variety of industries, including automotive, banking, consumer services, engineering and construction and retail.
“This recognition is a significant step toward demonstrating Western Union’s commitment to diversity and inclusion,” said Caroline Tsai, Western Union’s Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary. “Equity is an important focus for our business given the diversity of our employees and customers, and Western Union’s inclusion in the Bloomberg GEI serves as an important milestone as we work toward building a culture of inclusive innovation each and every day.”
The GEI tracks the financial performance of public companies committed to supporting gender equality through policy development, representation and transparency. The reference index measures gender equality across five pillars: female leadership and talent pipeline, equal pay and gender pay parity, inclusive culture, sexual harassment policies and pro-women brand. This year, Bloomberg expanded the eligibility for inclusion in the index to nearly 6,000 companies across 84 countries and regions.
“While we are proud that Western Union is included in the Bloomberg GEI, we recognize that our work is never done in pursuit of gender equality,” said Nicole Vogrin, Western Union’s Chief Corporate Affairs and Communications Officer. “Whether it’s our focus on women in leadership, our commitment to the principle of equal pay for equal work, or delivering leadership training about unconscious bias toward working mothers, we acknowledge the progress in our journey toward gender equality, and humbly recognize there is much work yet to do.”
Through disclosure of gender-related metrics using the GEI framework, the firms included in the 2020 GEI have provided a comprehensive look at their investment in workplace gender equality and the communities in which they operate. Western Union was included in this year’s index for scoring at or above a global threshold established by Bloomberg to reflect a high level of disclosure and overall performance across the framework’s five pillars.
"The 325 companies included in the 2020 GEI have shown their commitment to transparency and demonstrated leadership in gender-related data reporting," said Peter T. Grauer, Chairman of Bloomberg. "Disclosure of company statistics and practices is an important first step in supporting gender equality globally."
Both the framework and the GEI are voluntary and have no associated costs. The GEI is a reference index and is not for use as a financial benchmark. The index is not ranked. While all public companies are encouraged to disclose supplemental gender data for their company’s investment profile on the Bloomberg Terminal, those that have a market capitalization of USD $1 billion are eligible for inclusion in the index. To learn more please visit the GEI website. Bloomberg Terminal subscribers can access the GEI at {BGEI }.
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About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments. Our omnichannel platform connects the digital and physical worlds and makes it possible for consumers and businesses to send and receive money and make payments with speed, ease, and reliability. As of September 30, 2019, our network included over 550,000 retail agent locations offering our branded services in more than 200 countries and territories, with the capability to send money to billions of accounts. Additionally, westernunion.com, our fastest growing channel in 2018, is available in 75 countries, plus additional territories, to move money around the world. With our global reach, Western Union moves money for better, connecting family, friends and businesses to enable financial inclusion and support economic growth. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.
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