Gender in Business: Lessons Learned for Last Mile Distributors

Much has been written on the business case for companies to pursue gender equality. There is good data that shows that both gender diversity internally and a gender-diverse customer base can improve business performance. As a result, today more and more businesses and funders are clear on the “why” for pursuing business actions that contribute to gender equality.

Yet, few studies delve into the “how”, specifically, how businesses can embed gender into their operations. This guide is unique in that it explores in depth the actions that five LMDs have taken to improve gender equality. For each of the five businesses, the guide identifies
the exact actions they took and the results they saw.

Additionally, this guide is hands on, providing other LMDs with evidence-based, practical guidance and step-by-step implementation tips to embed gender inclusion into their own business operations. The primary audience of this guide is LMDs and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) more generally.

In addition, this guide is useful for funders, investors, and business support organisations that partner with and support LMDs on their gender inclusion journeys. The guide centers on five business strategies to improve gender equality, from workforce to customer-facing strategies, and includes an illustrative case study for each one with the results it achieved.