At Ingka Group, we believe that true gender equality, whether at home or in the workplace, lies at the heart of a fairer and more inclusive society. In 2022, we reached a key milestone in this journey—achieving a 50/50 gender balance in management positions. Today, I’m proud to say that 50.2% of our managers are women, and nearly half (48%) of our country CEOs are women.
“At Ingka Group, we believe that true gender equality, whether at home or in the workplace, lies at the heart of a fairer and more inclusive society”
– Ulrika Biesèrt, the Chief People and Culture Officer of Ingka Group
This is an achievement we don’t take lightly. Yet, it is far from the finish line.
The Global Context
The 2024 World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report shows that we’ve collectively closed 68.5% of the global gender gap—only a 0.1% improvement from last year. At this pace, full gender parity will take 134 years—five generations past the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target for gender equality. Additionally, the gender pay gap remains a staggering 23%, according to UN Women. These statistics paint a sobering picture of the work that still lies ahead.
It’s within this wider context that our efforts at Ingka Group must continue to evolve, not just within our business, but as part of the broader movement advocating for gender equality on all fronts.
A Longstanding Priority at Ingka Group
Gender balance has been a business priority since 2002, and our commitment stems from the belief that diverse teams make for better decision-making and a more innovative workplace, as well as being the right thing to do. While we have made significant strides, our journey to gender parity was not achieved overnight. It required a systematic and deliberate approach across several key areas:
- Leadership:
One of the cornerstones of our progress has been strong leadership support, beginning with our CEO. We have implemented mentoring programmes, succession planning, and unconscious bias training to ensure that we developed and accelerated talent from underrepresented groups.
- Pay:
We know that closing the gender pay gap has a positive impact beyond a single person, but with positive flow on impacts into wider society. Each of our markets reports annually on the status of gender pay gaps, and we’ve made it a board-level priority. We’ve also taken meaningful steps to remove biases from recruitment processes, such as stopping the practice of asking candidates for their existing salary history, which often maintains historic pay disparities.
- Breaking Traditional Barriers:
We’ve tackled structural barriers that disproportionately affect women, such as childcare responsibilities, parental leave, and perimenopause and menopause support. In many of our markets, access to affordable childcare remains a significant challenge, forcing women out of full-time work or the workforce altogether. Our response has included establishing Co-worker Advisory Groups and policies aimed at creating a more flexible and supportive work environment for all.
The Future: Gender Balance as an Ongoing Commitment
Achieving gender balance in leadership positions is a significant milestone, but as with many challenges in inclusion and representation, reaching the target doesn’t mean the work is over. Now more than ever, we need to continue dismantling stereotypes and addressing systemic obstacles that limit the potential of women and underrepresented groups in the workplace.
This means advocating for policies that will enable gender equality for the long-term—both globally and locally. As part of our commitment, we support initiatives like the EU’s Gender Equality Strategy and Anti-Racism Action Plan, the introduction of gender pay transparency, and the Victims’ Rights Directive, which aids survivors of domestic abuse. We’re also proud members of the Equal Pay International Coalition and fully support the UN Global Compact’s principles on human rights and labour.
The Challenges We Face
Our gender balance achievement comes in the context of global diversity and inclusion efforts that must account for different cultural and societal landscapes. In some countries, progress on gender equality has been slower, presenting unique challenges for how we apply our gender balance strategy across different markets.
Additionally, one area where we know we need to improve is intersectionality. While our gender balance efforts have focused on women, we recognise that gender is not a singular experience. We must address the unique challenges faced by women from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds, refugees, and non-binary individuals. We are committed to deepening our understanding of how gender intersects with other forms of identity, ensuring that our inclusion initiatives reflect the diverse world we live in.
Continuing to Push for Systemic Change
At Ingka Group, our success is rooted in the belief that equality and representation drive better outcomes for everyone. However, we are fully aware that the work is far from over. Reaching gender balance in leadership was not a one-time fix—it is a step in a much longer journey towards equality. We must continue to challenge ourselves and those around us to push for systemic change, both within our company and beyond.
Together, we can help create a world where true gender equality is more than just an aspiration—it’s a reality.
Ulrika Biesèrt, Chief People and Culture Officer of Ingka Group
About Ingka Group
With IKEA retail operations on 31 markets, Ingka Group is the largest IKEA retailer and represents about 90% of IKEA retail sales. It is a strategic partner to develop and innovate the IKEA business and help define common IKEA strategies. Ingka Group owns and operates IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. It has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. Read more on www.Ingka.com.
Media enquiries
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