L’Oréal India has become the first company in India to receive certification for gender equality in the workplace from the Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE) initiative. The company underwent an extensive review of its gender policies and data to achieve the required standard and to date is the only company to be awarded the coveted badge in the country.

“Gender equality in the workplace is critical in a country like India. We are incredibly proud that we have received the respected EDGE certification that reinforced our commitment towards practising gender equality in the workplace,” said Mohit James, HR Director, L’Oréal India in an interview with The Times of India.

“This is not only crucial to our success across our businesses, but also gives us a competitive edge towards attracting talent. Our effort towards building gender equal leadership is continuous and this certification is a great validation towards this goal,” he added.

The EDGE methodology required L’Oréal India to carry out a survey of employees on gender equality, and the findings were independently verified by a third-party auditor. India currently ranks 114 out of 142 countries in gender-based disparities and has one of the lowest percentages of firms with female participation in ownership.