London, United Kingdom, 8 March 2019 – NTT DATA Corporation today announced a CEO statement endorsing the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs), which offer guidance for empowering women in the workplace, marketplace and community. The seven principles, which are a joint initiative of United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the United Nations Global Compact, emphasise the business case for promoting gender equality and encouraging women to participate fully across all economic sectors. NTT DATA is also joining CATALYST at the global support level, the world’s leading nonprofit organisation founded in 1962 to help companies to build workplaces that work for women.
Diversity and inclusion are major corporate priorities for NTT DATA, especially as the company continues to expand internationally and serves a wide range of clients and industries. To fulfill the company’s vision of “Trusted Global Innovator,” it is vital to hire diverse talent and work with a variety of business partners. "Trust" occurs only when each individual feels they are valued, respected and treated fairly. "Innovation" is achieved and sustained by the combination of perspectives from a diverse workforce and partners.
The company’s momentum towards empowerment has global overtones that are reflected by an employee-led group known as WIN, short for “Women Inspire NTT DATA.” The group is active in the UK, as well as Japan, the U.S., Canada, Germany, Italy, Romania, India and Spain.
The company’s decision to formally endorse the Women's Empowerment Principles will help advance women's participation in the workplace, and it calls further attention to the celebration of International Women's Day. NTT DATA also believes that empowering women will help accelerate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Simon Williams, CEO of NTT DATA UK, said:
“International Women’s Day is hugely important to NTT DATA UK. We celebrate and champion inclusion in the workplace every day, and are delighted to be partaking in the pledge to #BalanceForBetter in our workplace.
A diverse workforce brings a wealth of benefit in creating positive attitudes as well as ways of working and thinking; this is a mindset which we want to pay forward. At NTT DATA UK, we are proud to partner with The Girls’ Network, a fantastic charity which aims to inspire and empower girls from the least advantaged communities by connecting them with a mentor and a network of professional female role models.
Endorsing the values of International Women’s Day and holding diversity and inclusion at the forefront of our actions at NTT DATA UK is what sets us apart, and is an aspect of our company that I am extremely proud of.”
Yo Honma, President and CEO of NTT DATA, said:
“I believe that endorsing these well-established and powerful principles accelerate diversity and inclusion at NTT DATA. One of the key drivers to realize our "Trusted Global Innovator" vision is by creating a workplace and work culture where every person feels valued, respected and treated fairly. Being open to different opinions is a source of creativity, making us competitive in the global market.
I am committed to ensuring that, at NTT DATA, we encourage equality and empower women and everyone has the opportunity to contribute and achieve success at NTT DATA. It is only trough inclusion that organizations can benefit from diversity. I am proud that NTT DATA is commemorating this day internationally, and I applaud the efforts of our employees and everyone who fosters the advancement of women.”
About UN Global Compact
The UN Global Compact is a voluntary initiative based on CEO commitments to implement universal sustainability principles and to take steps to support UN goals.
For more information, visit https://www.unglobalcompact.org/
About UN Women
UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.unwomen.org/en/
About WEPs (Women's Empowerment Principles)
The Women's Empowerment Principles are a collaboration of UN Women and UN Global Compact (UNGC). The principles help guide private-sector actions that promote gender equality. The seven specific principles outlines steps that businesses can take to empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community.
For more information, visit https://www.empowerwomen.org/en/weps/about
About Catalyst
Catalyst is a global nonprofit working with some of the world’s most powerful CEOs and leading companies to help build workplaces that work for women. Founded in 1962, Catalyst drives change with pioneering research, practical tools, and proven solutions to accelerate and advance women into leadership—because progress for women is progress for everyone.
For more information, visit https://www.catalyst.org/
About SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are a blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all. The goals address global challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice.
For more information, visit https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/
About International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on March 8. It commemorates the movement for women’s rights and was first celebrated in 1911 by women and men who supported women’s rights to work, vote, receive training and hold public office.
The day became a global event in 1975 when it gained official support from the United Nations.
About NTT DATA Corporation
NTT DATA is a leading IT services provider and global innovation partner headquartered in Tokyo, with business operations in over 50 countries. Our emphasis is on long-term commitment, combining global reach with local intimacy to provide premier professional services varying from consulting and systems development to outsourcing. For more information, visit www.nttdata.com.