WALMART RELEASES 2016 GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

Global Corporate Member Walmart released its 2016 Global Responsibility Report this week. The report focuses on the corporations’ efforts to create economic opportunity, enhance sustainability, strengthen communities, and promote good governance across the globe. The report highlights Walmart’s efforts to increase sourcing from women-owned businesses and its work with WEConnect International on pages 40-46.

Highlights include:

• Walmart worked with WEConnect International to fund a 10-module e-learning series called WEConnect Academy. The course provides business basics designed to help female entrepreneurs learn the necessary skills to grow their business.
• In January 2016, Walmart India announced an innovative entrepreneurship development program for WOBs with the aim of enhancing their skills, capability and sustainability. Working with WEConnect International and Vrutti, a market-based community development organization in India, the initiative is designed to help women entrepreneurs achieve higher levels of business growth.
• Following the launch of the Women Owned logo by WBENC and WEConnect International, in 2015 the logo was expanded into French, Mandarin and Spanish to continue to provide opportunities for international WOBs. The Women Owned logo is a consistent label that helps raise customer awareness of WOBs and facilitates the support of WOBs as part of their purchasing behavior. All four logos can be used either by WBENC- or WEConnect International-certified businesses.
• Since the launch of Walmart’s Women’s Sourcing Goal, the company has sourced an additional US$10.9 billion in tier 2 indirect spend with diverse suppliers.

Read the report.