STAFF WRITER
Food and beverages concern, Nestlé Zimbabwe, has increased the number of female executives in management positions this year, a confirmation of its commitment to enhance gender balance in its workforce, an executive has said.
“Nestlé Zimbabwe is proud of the following milestones achieved thus far: 43% females in executive management positions from 28% previous year. This includes having the first Managing Director for Nestlé Zimbabwe since its inception in 1959,” Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Director at Nestlé ESAR, Saint-Francis Tohlang said.
“We strongly believe that women empowerment, diversity and inclusion enable competitiveness, growth and above all, a better society for all of us.”
The food and beverages concern has come up with a flexible and supportive work environment, including onsite lactating facility and up to six months maternity leave for new mothers or any primary caregiver to a newborn or adopted child.
Over the years, Nestlé has put in place multi-faceted initiatives to put their commitments into practice.
“Diversity and inclusion is an integral part of our company’s culture and is one of the ways we bring our purpose and values to life. This involves building an inclusive culture that values the different talents and experiences of our employees,” Tohlang said.
Nestle has moved to provide equal opportunities, and this starts from the point of recruitment until the end of the working relationship, he said.
In 2011, Nestlé Zimbabwe launched the Nestlé Dairy Empowerment Scheme for commercial farmers and then in 2015, it was extended to small scale farmers.
Under this scheme, Nestlé Zimbabwe trains farmers on milk production, agripreneurship and assists them to establish low cost models through supporting pasture development.
Currently, 16% of Nestle’s farmers in the programme are women and the company is targeting to increase the number in the near future.
Nestlé Zimbabwe is also promoting women empowerment through the Nestlé Zimbabwe Women Empowered in Business.
The project which was introduced in 2019, aims at giving women in Zimbabwe the opportunity to start their own business by becoming sub distributors for Nestlé.
