Gender Equality

Gender Commitments

At Vodafone, we’re committed to making the world a fairer, more equal place for women. Here’s how we’re doing our bit to close the gender gap, through the power of technology:

Youth

#CodeLikeAGirl workshops inspire 1,000 girls into STEM each year
50/50 gender split in global Grad hires since 2012

Family

Global maternity policy
Global parental leave policy
16 weeks paid leave
Work 4 days, paid for 5

Menopause

Global Network
Menopause Toolkit & e-learning
Global Support Program
Impact at work research

Women's Networks

Business
Commercial
Technology
Corporate Functions

Withstander

Debiasing our recruitment process
Challenge 4 Change Workshop
Withstander Programme

Domestic Violence & Abuse

DVA support policies
10 days safe paid leave
HR and Manager training
App against abuse

ReConnect

Programme welcomes back women
Supports with transition back to work
Live in 26 markets
Management and Frontline

Female Leaders

34% currently in management and leadership
We aim to see this increase to 40% by 2030.

Hybrid

Remote working
Remote hiring
Job share
Sabbaticals
Part-time
Flexible location
Flexible hours

Putting gender firmly on the agenda

By empowering women and promoting gender equality, we can help communities, economies and businesses, including our own, to thrive. Here are some of the ways we’re working to redress the gender balance here at Vodafone, and beyond.

Domestic Violence and Abuse

In 2019, we were the first global company to launch a new HR policy for victims of domestic violence and abuse. Any employee who has faced abuse will have access to up to 10 days’ additional “safe leave”, giving them the time and support they need to manage their situation.

Parental Leave

Our pioneering global parental policy is a cornerstone of our flexible working offer. Available across 30 countries, our parental leave gives women at least 16 weeks of fully paid maternity leave and, when they return, a 30-hour week on full pay. In addition, any employee whose partner is having a baby, adopts a child or becomes a parent through surrogacy will have the flexibility to take up to 16 weeks paid leave at any time during the first 18 months.

Reconnect (Global Returners Programme)

Initially aimed at women, our ReConnect programme helps people of all backgrounds return to the workplace after a career break – and to do so with confidence. As well as offering full-time or flexible hours, we offer development and training opportunities to help returners make new professional connections and refresh their skills.

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Showcasing women

While we always celebrate International Women’s Week, we believe that profiling talented women should happen all year long. Throughout the year, we ensure that our events, panels and contributions represent our broad community, and that our talent reviews and awards do too.

Code Like A Girl