Accor signs the United Nations’ “Women’s Empowerment Principles” (WEPs)
Accor, the world's leading hotel operator and market leader in Europe, today announces that it is a signatory of the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs).
This program, an initiative of UN Women and the United Nations Global Compact, defines seven principles that foster the empowerment of women in the workplace, the marketplace and the community.
- Principle 1: Establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality
- Principle 2: Treat all women and men fairly at work - respect and support human rights and non-discrimination
- Principle 3: Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men workers
- Principle 4: Promote education, training and professional development for women
- Principle 5: Implement enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices that empower women
- Principle 6: Promote equality through community initiatives and advocacy
- Principle 7: Measure and publicly report on progress to achieve gender equality
By adhering to these principles, Accor is asserting its commitment to diversity and gender equality at an international level.
Sébastien Bazin, the Group's Chairman and CEO, declared: "By signing the Women's Empowerment Principles, Accor is reasserting its commitment to fight stereotypes and encourage an increase in the percentage of women in decision-making positions. I am convinced that diversity is an asset that stimulates performance and innovation within our teams. We all stand to benefit! »
The Group recognizes each of its employee's differences and believes individual skills are central to performance. Equality in the workplace and the fight against stereotypes have been a priority for Accor and were officially declared as such in 2011 in its Diversity Charter, which was translated into 15 languages.
This approach also led to the creation two years ago of Women at Accor Generation (WAAG), the international network of women working for the Group, which aims to support the personal and professional development of Accor's women employees in the head offices and the hotels. WAAG, which has 2,500 men and women members worldwide, notably promotes a mentoring program, dialogue with roles models, career progress and the forging of ties with other networks.
Sophie Stabile, Accor's Chief Financial Officer and President of WAAG, added: "as well as the initiatives it has implemented over the last two years, WAAG not only offers our women employees a new forum for expression, but it also reinforces the Group's commitment to a policy of continuous improvement intended to accelerate its cultural and managerial transformation."
On the strength of this signature, in 2015, WAAG intends to maintain its momentum and include more men in its activities while continuing to develop and support local initiatives as well as awareness raising and training programs.
About Accor, a world-leading hospitality group
Accor is a world leading hospitality group consisting of more than 5,300 properties and 10,000 food and beverage venues throughout 110 countries. The group has one of the industry's most diverse and fully-integrated hospitality ecosystems encompassing more than 40 luxury, premium, midscale and economy hotel brands, entertainment and nightlife venues, restaurants and bars, branded private residences, shared accommodation properties, concierge services, co-working spaces and more. Accor's unmatched position in lifestyle hospitality – one of the fastest growing categories in the industry – is led by Ennismore, a joint venture, which Accor holds a majority shareholding. Ennismore is a creative hospitality company with a global collective of entrepreneurial and founder-built brands with purpose at their heart. Accor boasts an unrivalled portfolio of distinctive brands and more than 260,000 team members worldwide. Members benefit from the company's comprehensive loyalty program – ALL - Accor Live Limitless – a daily lifestyle companion that provides access to a wide variety of rewards, services and experiences. Through its Planet 21 – Acting Here, Accor Solidarity, RiiSE and ALL Heartist Fund initiatives, the Group is focused on driving positive action through business ethics, responsible tourism, environmental sustainability, community engagement, diversity and inclusivity. Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France and publicly listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACCYY) in the United States. For more information visit group.accor.com, or follow Accor on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
