A Bloomberg article on Walmart tells the story of an unintended consequence that arose as a result of the retailer’s commitment to greater gender diversity.
Walmart, in 2009, faced a glaring disparity between the percentage of women it had in leadership positions compared to the female representation of its total workforce, according to Bloomberg. Twenty-seven percent of senior roles were filled by women, while half of its overall employees were female.
The retailer made a concerted effort to bring more women into leadership positions at the store and corporate levels. Women now represent 45.71 percent of Walmart’s management and 30.59 percent of its officer positions, according to the retailer’s 2021 fiscal midyear “Culture, Diversity & Inclusion Report.”
