Women

Equal pay, equal rights and equal treatment are the keys to a future free from poverty for millions of women. So the Behind the Brands Scorecard looks at what the Big Ten companies say they are doing to fight discrimination and to make sure women get a fair deal now and in the future.

How are the scores formed?

We assessed publicly available information on the policies and commitments of the 'Big 10' food companies towards the sourcing of agricultural commodities from developing countries. The Scorecard looks at seven themes, weighing each theme equally. The index tackles some cutting edge issues that will require rigorous debate and dialogue between companies, civil society and industry experts. Find out more...

What do the scores mean?

  1. 8 - 10Good
  2. 6 - 7Fair
  3. 4 - 5Some progress
  4. 2 - 3Poor
  5. 0 - 1Very poor

  1. Coca Cola

    Score
    5

    The best of a bad bunch, but Coke scores well for running high-profile projects with females in rural areas and for officially pledging to support female farmers.

    See how Coca Cola score on other issues

  2. Nestle

    Score
    4

    Good on the theory, poor on the follow through. Nestle understands the issues faced by women but has done little to ensure women in its supply chains receive genuine support.

    See how Nestle score on other issues

  3. General Mills

    Score
    2

    General Mills does run projects to support rural women and girls – but fails to recognize specific issues faced by female workers.

    See how General Mills score on other issues

  4. Kelloggs

    Score
    2

    The support offered to women by Kellogg is lopsided – it runs projects to empower rural women but seems to have very little awareness of the actual issues women face.

    See how Kelloggs score on other issues

  5. Mondelez

    Score
    2

    Mondelez shows little awareness of issues faced by women producers and little appetite for tackling them. On the brighter side – it does run projects to support rural female workers.

    See how Mondelez score on other issues

  6. PepsiCo

    Score
    2

    PepsiCo is notable but still lacks a lot of basic knowledge about its female workforce. It has pledged to offer female workers more support, which is a step in the right direction.

    See how PepsiCo score on other issues

  7. Unilever

    Score
    2

    Unilever’s weakest area. It has a general understanding of the vital role women play in its supply chain, but needs to do more to ensure equal treatment, rights and pay.

    See how Unilever score on other issues

  8. Associated British Foods

    Score
    1

    ABF does run projects to support rural women, but has little data about its female smallholders and no policies in place to support them. Plenty still to do.

    See how Associated British Foods score on other issues

  9. Danone

    Score
    1

    Very disappointing. Danone runs projects focused on female farmers, but shows no awareness of issues faced by women – and no commitment to supporting change for women.

    See how Danone score on other issues

  10. Mars

    Score
    1

    Mars might be a giant company, but its ambitions for supporting women in its supply chain are very small indeed. One of the worst of the Big Ten on this issue.

    See how Mars score on other issues