Food firms rank in top 100 companies for gender equality

A new report commissioned by Women in Work (WiW) analysed 400 of the largest UK companies across 24 sectors to compare progress and create future-proofed workplaces that maintain high standards of gender equity over the long term.

Food and drink manufacturers took 11 of the top 100 spots in the list having met all three measures set by the WiW GEM 2024: meaningful representation of women on boards (above 33%); closing gender pay gap (mean or median hourly pay gap under 15%); and transparent and public parental leave policies.

The top 11 food and drink manufacturers that made this year’s list can be found in the box below.

Commenting on the report, WiW Summit co-founder Mariella Frostrup said: “My ideal is that in a decade's time, there won't be any need for talk of gender inequality, because we'll have finally achieved the golden goal of an equitable and supportive workplace for all.​

“At Women in Work our goal is not to call out companies who are underperforming, but to call in those who are doing it well. The WiW100 proves that it is possible to have a workplace that works for all. It is not only morally vital, but central to business success.”​

All 100 companies featured in the WiW100 have more than 33% female representation on the board, the lowest mean or median hourly gender pay gap of under 15% and publicly published parental leave policy.

Britvic, C&C Group, Diageo and Tate & Lyle were the gold standard in this year’s list, having achieved a gender pay gap of less than 1%, more than 50% women on their boards and transparent and public parental leave policies.

Edwina Dunn OBE, founder of dunnhumby and The Female Lead, added: “We welcome this initiative. It signals the beginning of original thinking. A chance for women's voices and choices to be noted and valued. Because understanding women is not a nice to have, it's a business imperative,”​

The report also observed a significant narrowing of the pay gap, with 231 of the 400 businesses achieving a mean or median hourly pay gap of less than 15%. Of these, almost half (182) had achieved a mean or median hourly pay gap of under 10%.

More than three quarters (315) had a board made up of more than 33% women. Meanwhile, almost half (202) had achieved more than 40% women on the board, while 74 companies had more than 50% women on the board.

“We know the business case – companies with inclusive cultures are 63% more likely to boost profitability and those with more women on their boards are 25% more likely to outperform financially,”​ Frostrup added.