Women’s Equality Day, celebrated every year on August 26th, marks the historic moment in 1920 when the 19th Amendment was certified, granting women the right to vote in the U.S. This holiday is a time to honor a pivotal step forward for women’s rights and reflect on the ongoing journey towards true gender equality in every part of life, including the workplace. Established in 1971 through a Congressional resolution, Women’s Equality Day serves as an opportunity for us to celebrate how far we’ve come and to look forward to the work ahead to reach true parity.
IDFA is proud of our ongoing work to support gender equality in dairy. Through our Women in Dairy network, we’re making strides to improve recruiting, retention, and gender equity in U.S. dairy through insightful data, C-suite engagement, and fostering networking and leadership development opportunities. Earlier this year, we released the 2024 State of Women in Dairy Report, which highlights industry-wide progress and offers recommendations to keep us moving forward.
As we mark the significance of this day, we acknowledge the work happening across the dairy industry to secure a more equitable experience for women in the workforce. IDFA spoke with several companies that are working to align with the recommendations set forth in the 2024 State of Women in Dairy Report. We are inspired by these efforts, which are an excellent representation of what Women’s Equality Day is all about. We can’t think of a better way to mark this celebration than by amplifying our industry’s progress and reflecting on the exciting work ahead to build on this progress.
Franklin Foods
As of 2022, Franklin Foods did not offer a dedicated parental leave policy; instead, leave benefits were covered under their disability policy, which provided partially paid time off for mothers after childbirth. Recognizing the importance of parental leave in creating a supportive work environment and helping employees balance their professional and family responsibilities, the Franklin Foods team saw an opportunity to improve. In 2023, they introduced a one-week parental leave policy for both new mothers and fathers as a first step toward enhancing this benefit and becoming a more competitive employer.
After attending IDFA’s 2024 Dairy Forum conference and learning about the State of Women in Dairy Report’s recommendations for the industry, Franklin Foods CEO Emma Aer knew there was an opportunity to expand the existing policy to further support gender equality in the workplace. She proposed expanding the parental leave policy to improve this benefit and position Franklin Foods as a socially innovative leader in the market. This led to the launch of a fully revamped parental leave policy announced just before Mother’s Day. The new policy offers up to 12 weeks of paid leave for new mothers and up to 4 weeks of paid leave for new fathers, allowing them time to acclimate and bond with their newborns.
Not only does this policy allow women greater flexibility during their time after childbirth, but it allows for men to take time off as well. This is critical for encouraging women to stay in the workforce and allows both parents to balance family obligations. “Even if you have all the caregivers in the world, you can’t outsource parenthood,” Aer says when discussing the importance of this policy change. The new policy has also encouraged an emphasis on a culture where it is accepted and commonplace for men to take time to be with their families, challenging traditional expectations for new parents.
Franklin Foods’ leadership also understands the value of flexibility for their employees, including new parents. They consider remote or hybrid work arrangements when possible and have explored shift options that better accommodate working parents. When extended time off is needed, they have successfully used contract workers to cover the gap. By collaborating with employees to find practical solutions, Franklin Foods has seen increased employee satisfaction and improved retention. They recognize the importance of a flexible and supportive work environment to encourage employees to remain in the workforce and to reach for the next level. Reflecting on her career, a parent herself, Aer noted, “I wouldn’t be able to be a CEO of a company today if my previous companies were not flexible when my boys were small.”
Leprino Foods
At Leprino Foods, its “Better Together” initiative serves as the foundation for supporting women and promoting gender equality across its organization by fostering a culture of engagement and inclusivity. By ensuring equal opportunities for all, the company strives to empower its team members to bring their full selves to work – enhancing both creativity and collaboration. To champion gender equality in the workplace, Leprino prioritizes creating a robust support system for women. This includes fostering connections, offering mentoring opportunities, and facilitating the sharing of experiences and knowledge. Central to these efforts are Leprino’s lean-in circles, quarterly breakfasts for female new hires, and a comprehensive mentorship program.
Leprino further supports its women employees through targeted professional development programs. They host on-site presentations by guest speaker and micro learnings, addressing topics like work-life balance and imposter syndrome—common challenges for women in the workforce.
Additionally, their Women’s Leadership Development Initiative plays a key role in succession planning and learning and development strategies, empowering women on their leadership journeys and fostering growth within the company.
On top of initiatives that strengthen connections and support systems, Leprino is committed to tracking progress with concrete data. A key aspect of this effort is conducting pay equity reports through a third-party organization to reaffirm their continued pay parity across the organization. These reports assess pay equity across all demographic groups, including women and minorities, to ensure that compensation is free from inequalities related to gender or race. This approach helps ensure that gender equality is reflected not just in culture, but also in compensation for all employees.
When the State of Women in Dairy Report was released, Leprino embraced it as an opportunity to evaluate their progress toward greater gender equality. The report offered several recommendations for improving gender equality within the dairy industry, which Leprino used as a benchmark to compare against their ongoing internal efforts.
This comparison allowed them to assess their standing relative to other dairy companies and confirmed that they were meeting—and exceeding—industry standards. The report also served as a valuable discussion point among Leprino’s leadership, reinforcing their commitment to continuous improvement in gender equality. The State of Women in Dairy Report emphasized the need for this kind of discussion, which can lay the groundwork for consideration of how company policies and culture can support gender equality.
This is an important opportunity for collaboration and we are excited to see how our members are continuing these important steps in the direction of progress. With results like these, IDFA is excited to see where the State of Women in Dairy Report leads us next. Stay tuned for details soon on the release of the next State of Women in Dairy survey and plan to participate! Contact womenindairy@idfa.org with questions or feedback about this initiative.