Ohio companies named to global gender-equality index

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Several Ohio companies have been included in a global index measuring the importance of gender equality for corporations worldwide.

American Electric Power in Columbus, Cardinal Health in Dublin, Fifth Third Bank and Procter and Gamble in Cincinnati and KeyCorp in Cleveland are among the 484 global companies named to Bloomberg's 2023 Gender-Equality Index. The annual GEI tracks the performance of public companies committed to disclosing their efforts to support gender equality.

This year marks the fifth year in a row AEP has been included.

"A key part of AEP's business strategy is building an engaged workforce and a positive, welcoming culture where all our colleagues feel like they're part of the team," said AEP president and CEO Julie Sloat in a release.

Bloomberg's index evaluated more than 600 companies in 50 countries by measuring gender equality across five pillars: leadership and talent pipeline, equal pay and gender pay parity, inclusive culture, anti-sexual harassment policies, and external brand.

The nearly 500 companies included represent a combined market capitalization of $16 trillion and are headquartered in 45 countries and regions across 11 sectors and 54 industries. Bloomberg rejected 136 companies that applied to this year's index.

"[This recognition] gives us a lot of motivation to continue to work to reduce the barriers for women in the workplace, as well as other diverse voices in our organization," said Ola Snow, chief human resources officer at Cardinal Health

Snow said the company has emphasized a commitment to female employees by optimizing mental health resources, development opportunities, and a transparency in pay and representation. Cardinal's executive leadership team is 57% female, its board of directors is 54% female, and is increasing the global representation of women at the manager level and above from 40% to 48% by 2030.

Intel is also named in the index ahead of the company's $20 billion dollar project to build a “mega-site” of semiconductor fabrication plants in central Ohio. The initial announcement promised at least 10,000 direct jobs and thousands more indirectly, $100 million in educational partnership investments, and a plant on 1,000 acres one county east of Columbus.

Snow said Intel and other global companies moving into central Ohio are great for women and underrepresented voices in the community and urges those organizations to embrace the Buckeye State's diverse talent pool.

"We know that when we bring diverse voices to the table, we make better decisions as an organization so continuously pushing ourselves toward our commitments, both on equality and representation and inclusion, are on the agenda every single day for our team," Snow said.

View Bloomberg's Gender-Equality Index for 2023 here.