Nestlé Joins the UN’s Coalition for Women’s Rights & Health

Despite living longer, women tend to spend 25% more of their lives in poor health according to the World Economic Forum.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency that works to help enhance women’s health and reproduction-related rights.

The fund has three core missions, known as the three zeros:

• Zero unmet need for family planning
  
• Zero preventable maternal deaths
  
• Zero GBV and harmful practices.

About UNFPA

UNFPA and partners have teamed up to create The Coalition for Reproductive Justice in Business (CRJB).

The coalition aims to advance and mainstream the reproductive-health agenda for women and girls in corporate strategy and operations – ensuring adequate maternal-health support, access to information on family planning information and response to gender-based violence.

CRJB states that more than 190 million women work in global supply chains and that private sector organisations can not only influence reproductive rights for their employees, but can also leverage their lobbying power to impact their customers, suppliers and communities.

The overarching aim is to support the private sector in implementing policies for sexual and reproductive health and rights that improve the standards for women in the workplace.

What are the gaps in reproductive rights?

Reproductive rights are fundamental human rights that shape women's health, participation and potential at work. 

Businesses can support this by: 

• Offering maternal-health and family-planning services
• Tackling gender-based violence
• Enabling flexible working for menstrual and menopause symptoms
• Creating safe spaces with reporting channels
• Providing onsite reproductive-health services
• Training staff as peer educators.

CRJB finds that 37% of countries across the world do not guarantee paid employment leave for both parents after childbirth.

The coalition finds that 67% of countries have legislation on sexual harassment in the workplace and nearly 75% of sexual harassment claims that happen in the workplace go unreported.

A quarter of ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ+ community report having been made to feel uncomfortable in their workplace.

Nestlé’s support for women

In line with tackling this, Nestlé has joined the CRJB to further express its commitment to supporting women’s health.

"We are proud to join this initiative and collaborate with UNFPA and other coalition members to redefine how businesses address women's health," says Serena Aboutboul, Global Head of Nutrition Division at Nestlé. 

"From maternal health to menopause, our commitment is unwavering. 

“We provide innovative and tailored nutrition solutions, ensure respectful workplace conditions and increase support to women. 

“When women thrive, families, communities and economies flourish."

The coalition aims to support the UN's Sustainable Development Goals on Good Health and Wellbeing and Gender Equality.

By becoming a member, Nestlé aims to help strengthen broader corporate action in line with the UNFPA's scorecard of metrics and indicators for women's health and wellbeing in the workplace.

"We welcome companies taking concrete steps to strengthen women's health and rights in the workplace," says Mariarosa Cutillo, UNFPA Private Sector and Civil Society Branch Chief. 

"By joining the Coalition, Nestlé signals its commitment to advancing measurable standards and supporting a future where women's health is recognised as central to business success and societal well-being."

Nestlé aims to prioritise women's health and offers tailored nutrition solutions globally to support maternal and menopause health. 

In the workplace, the company has taken action to support motherhood by providing up to six months of maternity leave, 400 breastfeeding rooms, access to childcare facilities and postnatal reintegration programmes – prioritising flexibility. 

Respecting different cultural and operational contexts, Nestlé also offers menopausal women flexible working hours, practical adjustments to workplace conditions, access to medical guidance and training for leaders.

Advocating for women’s rights

Women are leading sustainability in the corporate world, they now hold 63% of executive roles.

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