Italian food company Barilla last year increased women's representation in executive roles and achieved gender pay equality for all employees, it said, as it stepped up efforts to become a more inclusive workplace.
The family-owned group has been working on diversity and inclusion issues since late 2013, when its chairman made a comment against gay families during a radio interview, triggering a consumer backlash.
Barilla, which is the world's biggest pasta marker, said on Tuesday it increased women's representation in direct reports to the chief executive to 28% last year, compared with 8% in 2013.
Women Leaders
The number of women in leadership positions globally increased in the company to 38% last year from 33% in 2014.
The group will receive an award in March from Catalyst, a nonprofit organisation that helps companies increase women's inclusion in the workplace.
Barilla currently employs more than 8,000 people around the world, with women accounting for 35% of its workforce.
In 2018, it became the first Italian company to support the United Nations standards of conduct for business aimed at tackling LGBTI -lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, and intersex - discrimination in the workplace.
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