NEW ALBANY, Ohio, Dec. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF), a leading, global, omnichannel specialty retailer of apparel and accessories, today announced it has received a top score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index (CEI). This marks A&F Co.’s seventeenth consecutive year to receive a score of 100.
The CEI is the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. It evaluates corporations’ non-discrimination policies across business entities, equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families, inclusive workplace cultures, and corporate social responsibility programs.
“It’s rewarding to see our inclusive culture recognized by the Human Rights Campaign for the seventeenth consecutive year,” said Fran Horowitz, Chief Executive Officer of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. “We aim to create a welcoming environment that embraces our customers and associates in the LGBTQ+ community, and we are proud to continue these efforts year after year.”
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. has numerous initiatives in place to support, uplift and advocate for its LGBTQ+ associates, customers and allies. This includes an LGBTQ+ & Allies associate resource group, inclusive company policies and benefits, workplace training materials and ongoing programming to foster workplace equity and inclusion of all gender expressions. Additionally, the company celebrates the LGBTQ+ community with a variety of product collections, round-up campaigns, and more that support partners like The Trevor Project and GLSEN.
“For well over two decades, businesses have played an important role in furthering LGBTQ+ equality by centering employee needs and voices when it comes to workplace inclusion. While there is much more work to be done, year-over-year growth in CEI participation is evidence of a business community that recognizes the responsibility and value in upholding equity and inclusion,” said RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, Human Rights Campaign Sr. Director of Workplace Equality. “Our goal at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation is to work in a spirit of partnership with companies, providing educational resources and leading benchmarking, and collaborating on ways for businesses to support the LGBTQ+ community at a time when we face unprecedented legislative attacks, heightened anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and physical violence. The CEI is an ever-evolving tool – a blueprint that companies can use to show up more effectively in supporting their LGBTQ+ employees and their families.”
The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:
- Non-discrimination policies across business entities;
- Equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families;
- Supporting an inclusive culture; and,
- Corporate social responsibility.
For more information on the 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index, visit www.hrc.org/cei.
About Abercrombie & Fitch Co.:
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) is a leading, global, omnichannel specialty retailer of apparel and accessories for men, women and kids. The iconic Abercrombie & Fitch brand was born in 1892 and aims to make every day feel as exceptional as the start of a long weekend. abercrombie kids sees the world through kids’ eyes, where play is life and every day is an opportunity to be anything and better anything. The Hollister brand believes in liberating the spirit of an endless summer inside everyone and making teens feel celebrated and comfortable in their own skin. Gilly Hicks, offering active lifestyle products, is designed to create happiness through movement. Social Tourist, the creative vision of Hollister and social media personalities, Dixie and Charli D’Amelio, offers trend forward apparel that allows teens to experiment with their style, while exploring the duality of who they are both on social media and in real life.
The brands share a commitment to offering products of enduring quality and exceptional comfort that allow consumers around the world to express their own individuality and style. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. operates approximately 760 stores under these brands across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, as well as the e-commerce sites www.abercrombie.com, www.abercrombiekids.com, www.hollisterco.com, www.gillyhicks.com and www.socialtourist.com.
About HRC:
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity and deepening the public’s understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a clear focus on advancing transgender and racial justice. Its work has transformed the landscape for more than 15 million workers, 11 million students, 1 million clients in the adoption and foster care system and so much more. The HRC Foundation provides direct consultation and technical assistance to institutions and communities, driving the advancement of inclusive policies and practices; it builds the capacity of future leaders and allies through fellowship and training programs; and, with the firm belief that we are stronger working together, it forges partnerships with advocates in the U.S. and around the globe to increase our impact and shape the future of our work.
Media Contact:
Kate Wagner
Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
(614) 283-6192
Public_Relations@anfcorp.com
