Nordstrom Announces New Human Rights Goal to Empower Women Within its Global Supply Chain
The retailer commits to sourcing 70 percent of all Nordstrom Made products from factories that support women’s empowerment by 2023
SEATTLE, WASH. (June 5, 2019) — Today, Nordstrom is proud to announce a new goal to source 70 percent of all Nordstrom Made products from factories that support women’s empowerment over the next five years. This effort will create meaningful, sustainable improvements within factories and the Nordstrom supply chain — estimated to reach 75,000 workers across Vietnam, India and Bangladesh through investing in BSR programs like HERhealth, HERfinance and HERrespect, among others.
“From our salespeople to those who manufacture our products, we value the many people who help us serve our customers,” says Jen Jackson Brown, President of Nordstrom Product Group. “Women make up the majority of factory workers around the world, and we are committed to supporting them in developing the skills they need to thrive both at work and beyond. And with women also making up the majority of our customer base and 70 percent of our company’s workforce, a commitment to women’s empowerment is simply the right thing to do.”
Since 2007, Nordstrom has partnered with BSR’s HERproject to launch worker empowerment programs in 28 factories around the world, reaching tens of thousands of workers. The trainings are focused on topics like health, financial literacy and gender equality. In addition to directly supporting the factory workers, these programs have a ripple effect that benefit families and communities by providing valuable skills, education and resources. Nordstrom also works closely with factories that manufacture Nordstrom Made brands to ensure they’re meeting guidelines to create a safe, healthy and fair workplace for all employees.
Nordstrom has long believed partnership and collaboration are key to sustainable change and will work with organizations like BSR to identify solutions to make programs that support women’s empowerment within the supply chain more scalable and accessible. Partnering with local NGOs and implementing peer education models have also proven to be successful, and the results of these investments support not only the workers themselves, but overall factory business and entire communities.
ABOUT NORDSTROM
Nordstrom, Inc. is a leading fashion retailer based in the U.S. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 372 stores in 40 states, including 122 full-line stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico; 239 Nordstrom Rack stores; two Jeffrey boutiques; two clearance stores; six Trunk Club clubhouses; and its Nordstrom Local service concept. Additionally, customers are served online through Nordstrom.com, Nordstromrack.com, HauteLook and TrunkClub.com. Nordstrom, Inc.'s common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol JWN.