US retail giant Walmart is cutting many of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives following pressure from conservative activists.
The world’s biggest retailer has announced a raft of changes which include no longer considering gender and race as a way of improving diversity when awarding supplier contracts.
Under the plans, Walmart is closing non-profit organisation Center for Racial Equity, which it invested $100 million in four years ago after the police killing of George Floyd.
The company will also cut some of its racial equity employee training, evaluate the support it offers for Pride events and remove itself from the LGBT advocacy group Human Rights Campaign’s rankings.
Diversity initiatives
Diversity resources in place at 42% of organisations
It has also confirmed that official communications will no longer use the terms “DEI” and “LatinX” as it joins an ever-increasing list of big businesses that have scaled back or slashed many of their initiatives.
Ford, Boeing, Harley Davidson, Tractor Supply, and Molson Coors are among the latest companies that have pulled back from DEI policies.
In a statement, a company spokesperson said: “Our purpose, to help people save money and live better, has been at our core since our founding 62 years ago and continues to guide us today. We can deliver on it because we are willing to change alongside our associates and customers who represent all of America.”
According to the company’s latest culture and diversity report, in the US people of colour represented around half (51%) of its total workforce and nearly three in five (59%) of its new recruits. Women accounted for just under half (49%) of the retailer’s new hires.
The spokesperson added: “We’ve been on a journey and know we aren’t perfect, but every decision comes from a place of wanting to foster a sense of belonging, to open doors to opportunities for all our associates, customers and suppliers and to be a Walmart for everyone.”
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