(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 }.
WU-G
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.
Contacts
Margaret Fogarty
margaret.fogarty@wu.com
+1 720-551-3393
Veronika Henze
Bloomberg LP
+1-646-324-1596
vhenze@bloomberg.net
Liidia Liuksila
Bloomberg LP
+1 212-617-5424
Lliuksila@bloomberg.net
