ISS joins the Mentoring Refugee Women initiative in Europe

By joining the initiative, ISS reinforces its social commitment to advancing opportunities for groups of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Specifically, ISS has committed to mentoring 50 refugee women over the next three years in Spain, France and the Netherlands.

ISS joins more than twenty other companies across Europe in this initiative. Together, the companies will be mentoring more than 1,150 refugee women, who traditionally have experienced much lower levels of employment compared to refugee men as well as women who are local nationals. By providing refugee women with professional mentorships including CV- and job interview support, access to networks etc., the companies will seek to empower the women and enhance their opportunities at the job market.

Margot Slattery, Head of Group Diversity and Inclusion in ISS World Services A/S, said:
“I am really pleased to join this important initiative. Social responsibility is part of ISS’s DNA, and we have a long tradition of including and integrating minorities and socially excluded people into our workforce – which today counts almost 400,000 employees worldwide. Our ambition is always about making a true difference for our employees, our customers and the surrounding communities and societies, we operate in. At the same time, we strongly believe that a diversified workforce creates the greatest value for both ISS and our customers.

In several of our countries, we are already involved in various integration initiatives and activities aimed at supporting and educating refugees and immigrants. I am very much looking forward to welcoming these 50 refugee women – who may also be my future colleagues.”

Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder and CEO of Chobani - a major U.S. food company - and Founder of Tent, said:
“A decent job is one of the most important things to help refugees better integrate in their new communities - but refugee women are doubly discriminated against and face so many barriers to employment. I am very proud of the companies stepping up today pledging to mentor this population. This is the right thing and the smart thing to do - with Europe facing labour shortages across many sectors, it makes good business sense for companies to prepare new, hard-working, and resilient talent to enter the workforce.”

Allyson Zimmermann, Executive Director, EMEA, Catalyst said:
“This mentoring programme, that we’re honoured to partner with Tent on, is an important step to raise visibility on the plight of refugee women, but also the impact mentoring can have on their lives, communities and societies as a whole. We’re delighted that so many multinational organisations have warmly embraced this initiative and are taking meaningful action, so no women are left behind.”

The mentorship initiative was launched today by the Tent Partnership for Refugees, and Catalyst during the virtual European Business Summit on Refugee Women.

About the Tent Partnership for Refugees:
With more and more refugees displaced for longer periods of time, businesses have a critical role to play in helping refugees integrate economically in their new host communities. The Tent Partnership for Refugees mobilises the global business community to improve the lives and livelihoods of more than 30 million refugees who have been forcibly displaced from their home countries. Founded by Chobani’s founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya in 2016, Tent is a network of over 200 major companies committed to including refugees. Tent believes that companies can most sustainably support refugees by leveraging their core business operations – by engaging refugees as potential employees, entrepreneurs, and consumers. The full list of Tent members can be found here. Find out more at www.tent.org.

About Catalyst:
Catalyst is a global nonprofit supported by many of the world’s most powerful CEOs and leading companies to help build workplaces that work for women. Founded in 1962, Catalyst drives change with preeminent thought leadership, actionable solutions and a galvanised community of multinational corporations to accelerate and advance women into leadership — because progress for women is progress for everyone. Find out more at www.catalyst.org.

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