Zurich Insurance Group said recently that it has become the first global company in the insurance industry to receive “EDGE” certification in key markets of operations, a designation that involves gender equality certification.

EDGE stands for Economic Dividends for Gender Equality and is the leading global assessment methodology and business certification standard for gender equality. It provides data and benchmarking which Zurich will use to measure and create specific initiatives to improve gender equality in Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the U.K.

Zurich said the milestone demonstrates its commitment to be the employer of choice for women in the insurance industry.

As a result of the EDGE analysis, all six participating countries have created a customized roadmap toward closing the gender gap, and have committed to targeted actions over the next two years including:

Proactively managing pay equality.

Implementing a global flexible working program.

Taking a more systematic approach to recruiting practices.

“As part of our strategic commitment to diversity and inclusion, EDGE certification plays a key role in ensuring that we have the right mix of talent to succeed. It will support our goal to be an employer of choice for women within the insurance industry,” said Kate Hughes, Group Head of Diversity & Inclusion, in a media statement.

Source: Zurich Insurance Group