Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE) has named Patricia Milligan CEO of Edge Americas. Milligan will work with organizations across the United States and the Americas region to foster equal career opportunities and inclusive policies for women and men in the workplace.
A global organization that sets standards and certifies businesses for gender equity has appointed a CEO to expand its efforts to the United States.
“I believe deeply that companies must address both gender and racial inequalities head on if they want to emerge from this crisis stronger, more agile and resilient than before,” Milligan said. “The organizational benefits of gender equal, diverse and
She joins EDGE from Mercer Consulting, where she held multiple roles over 15 years, most recently serving as the global leader of Mercer’s multinational client group and the architect of Mercer’s When Women Thrive program. She is also an advisor to the World Economic Forum.
Launched in 2009 at the World Economic Forum, EDGE offers a certification program that encourages organizations to progress toward gender equality. The three levels of certification are based on four factors:
1) gender balance at all levels;
2) pay equity;
3) the effectiveness of policies and practices to ensure equitable career flow for men and women; and
4) an inclusive culture.
EDGE certified companies include 200 large organizations in 37 countries across five continents representing 24 different industries, including companies like IKEA, L’Oréal, Accenture SAP and Pfizer as well as organizations like the World Bank and UNICEF.
“Being EDGE certified had a strategic value for us at IKEA Switzerland,” said Simona Scarpaleggia, global head of “The Future of our Work,” INGKA Group at IKEA, co-chair UN High Level Panel for Women’s Economic Empowerment. “We not only had a measure and a benchmark of what we had achieved in terms of gender equity, but we also got essential elements to draw our roadmap for the years to come. ”
About EDGE
EDGE is the leading global assessment methodology and business certification standard for gender equality. Launched at the World Economic Forum in 2011, EDGE has been designed to help companies not only create an optimal workplace for women and men, but also benefit from it. EDGE stands for Economic Dividends for Gender Equality and is distinguished by its rigor and focus on business impact. For more information, visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn.