Accenture to achieve gender-balanced workforce by 2025

ACCENTURE on Thursday announced that it will achieve a gender-balanced workforce - comprising 50 per cent women and 50 per cent men - by 2025.

Currently, Accenture has 150,000 women staff, nearly 40 per cent of its global workforce. The professional services company said it would grow its percentage of female managing directors to 25 per cent globally by 2020.

"Diversity makes our business stronger and more innovative and, most important, it makes the world a better place," said Pierre Nanterme, Accenture's chairman and chief executive officer.

Accenture said it has taken a number of steps to attract, retain, advance and sponsor women on its path to achieving a gender-balanced workforce. These include sponsoring the company's most senior women to advance in profit and loss roles, committing to transparency by publishing its workforce demographics, and launching initiatives that provide women with in-demand skills.