Walmart Woos Women With $20B 'Economic Empowerment' for Biz Owners

When Walmart customers sniffle, the economy catches a cold; look at what's happening now. And when America's largest company and the world's largest retailer puts its might behind something with a huge corporate commitment, it arguably changes the globe.

Walmart has done so over the last several years in areas as diverse as its environmental footprint, low-price prescriptions, "food deserts" in inner cities and the spread of organic and locally sourced products.

Bolstering those corporate citizenship commitments, today the company announced that it is going to put similar if not greater oomph behind a new program to better women's economic empowerment around the world.

The program includes increased sourcing from women-owned businesses in the United States and elsewhere, skill-development programs for factory workers, retail training of 400,000 women worldwide, an effort to increase gender diversity among major suppliers, and a vow to make significant philanthropic giving toward women's economic empowerment.

The external initiative also includes country-specific goals, from Brazil to China — but is it doing enough for the women in its own ranks?Continue reading...