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Nielsen Included in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for Third Consecutive Year

2 minute read | February 2021
Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index 2021

We’re proud to be included in the 2021 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI), which tracks the financial performance of public companies committed to supporting gender equality through policy development, representation and transparency, for the third consecutive year.

The 2021 Index includes 380 global companies spanning 11 sectors from industries such as market research, banking, consumer services, engineering and retail, headquartered across 44 countries and regions.

The GEI increases visibility into a previously opaque area of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting from public companies. To be included, 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 a pro-women brand. 

“Nielsen is thrilled to be recognized in the 2021 GEI for our commitment and progress in fostering gender equality through policy development, representation, transparency and leadership,” said Sandra Sims-Williams, Nielsen’s Senior Vice President, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “Indeed, diversity, equity and inclusion are the very heart and soul of Nielsen. Being on this index tells us that we are on the right track and that we need to continue to foster an equitable, inclusive work culture.”

Nielsen’s commitment to gender equality starts at the top—our diverse Executive Committee includes four female members (out of nine members). Three of our organizational leaders are ethnically diverse. In the U.S., we offer 12 weeks of parental leave (also for adoptive parents) and an additional eight weeks for birth mothers. We have a global non-discrimination policy that ensures equal opportunity for LGBTQ+ associates in all Nielsen markets. 

As part of the media industry, Nielsen believes that we have an imperative to educate and empower women by ensuring that their stories are being told—whether in news stories, fictional dramas or documentaries. That’s why we launched Inclusion Analytics, a tool that will specifically measure diversity of people in front of and behind the camera. Nielsen’s most recent report uncovered that women 50+ years old aren’t well represented. They are 60% less likely to see themselves in programming than in the general population. In the U.S, women make up 20% of the population and 20% of all TV viewers, but have less than 8% share of screen. We hope that this will show studios, networks and content creators that there is an opportunity to better engage this audience.

For more information on Nielsen’s ESG policies and practices, please visit our Nielsen Global Responsibility Report.