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Ralph Lauren's Roadmap, Unlocking Gender Equality in Fashion, provides step-by-step methods for industry peers to achieve gender equality and pay equality at all levels of their organizations

Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products, and Parity.org, a non-profit organization focused on bringing gender equality to the highest levels of the company PVH Corp., Lacoste, Tiffany & Co. and Movado Group Inc.unveiled a new roadmap for the fashion industry to make measurable progress towards achieving gender equality.

The roadmap is outlined in an article entitled Unlocking Gender Equality in Fashion, which provides step-by-step methods for industry peers to achieve gender equality and pay equality at all levels of their organizations.

“Across the industry, we recognize that we need to make discernible advances in diversity, equality and inclusion. By coming together to develop a unified method and approach to achieving gender equality and greater diversity, we can move faster and further, ”said Roseann Lynch, Ralph Lauren's chief people officer.

"This roadmap represents an important milestone for our industry and we look forward to continuing to have a meaningful dialogue with our colleagues as it is accepted and implemented company-wide."

In 2019, Ralph Lauren and Parity.org brought together leading fashion houses and retail organizations for an open discussion on barriers to gender equality, the industry's approach to change, and the steps needed to work together to close the gender gap.

The roadmap, which adapted the parity model developed by Parity.org, is the result of these considerations and round table dialogues. It is divided into five areas and is designed to help companies of all sizes, regardless of budget or resources, align themselves with a unified approach to representation, equality and inclusion:

Making a visible commitment as a first step to closing and keeping the gender gap closed
Recruiting strategy for managers as the key to hiring qualified and diverse women at the same level, in the same position and with the same pay. Willingness of leaders to help companies ensure women of high potential are ready for leadership, as well as benefits and guidelines to improve work-life balance and enable women to do their best job and pay equal essential part of achieving and maintaining gender equality.

"We are delighted to be partnering with the fashion industry, which in total inspires and engages so many women, but has no meaningful representation at the top," said Cathrin Stickney, Founder and CEO of Parity.org. "The companies that have joined us are leading the way in recognizing the need to proactively address this as an industry, and I know that along with this roadmap, they will bring the kind of progress their people need and increasingly consumers will expect."

The fashion industry has to travel some distances to achieve gender equality. The roadmap offers practical solutions to accelerate progress towards this goal. By focusing on best practices related to recruiting, leadership readiness, benefits and policies, and equal pay, organizations can achieve equality and deliver the diversity that has been proven to contribute to business success.