Accor has announced the international launch of its women’s network: Women at Accor Generation. The network’s aim is to help Accor reach its gender equality objectives. In the long term, the Group aims for women to account for half of its hotel managers worldwide, with an intermediate target of 35 per cent by 2015. Chaired by Sophie Stabile, Global Chief Financial Officer, Accor, Women at Accor Generation’s activities are focussed on mentoring, sharing of experiences and training, with the aim of providing greater access for women to managerial positions.
“There are more female graduates than male graduates, and yet women are under-represented in corporate managerial positions. We know that mixed teams are more innovative and more efficient. Women at Accor Generation aims to give women confidence in their potential, to embolden them, and to accompany them as they take this approach,” said Stabile.
Women at Accor Generation is structured around a Steering Committee, which determines its key areas of activity and coordinates regional initiatives, and a Bureau, which is its active representative body. The network’s initiatives are agreed on collectively and in consultation with the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, North America, Latin America, Southern Europe, Northern, Eastern and Central Europe, and France regions. The committee for Asia-Pacific is represented in India by Sonia Singh who will help promote the representation of women leaders in the group.
Ashwin Shirali, Regional Director, Human Resource Accor, India stated, “In the current business and economic environment, diversity is a key driver of innovation and is becoming increasingly critical for creating competitive advantage. Given the scenario, more emphasis is being placed on attracting and retaining a strong and talented workforce. Factors like diversity and inclusion practices are increasingly becoming more important in differentiating one employer from another.”
Going forward with this initiative, Accor in India is sincerely committed to providing safety measures, adopting strong recruitment drives at hotel management schools, creating flexibility at the workplace and mentoring and retaining talent. Accor will also have a strong grievance redressal system for its women employees. By end 2015, the network aims to have 3,000 members and to have deployed all its action plans and workgroups in the five continents.
