Taco Bell, a division of Yum Brands, has launched WomXn @ The Bell, an employee resource group aimed at giving "womxn" a chance to be heard.
The chain said the group pays tribute to two significant events in women’s history: the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, and Women’s Equality Day. Both dates characterize how far we have come, the Irvine, Calif.-based quick-service chain said Wednesday when announcing the launch of the company's first-ever womxn’s employee resource group.
“Why ‘Womxn’ spelled with an “x”? Well, it's meant to be inclusive to transgender, nonbinary and non-white womxn that provokes thought and represents the complexity of gender (gender identification and the roles we play as womxn),” the company said.
The mission of the resource group is to “develop womxn leaders to be seen and heard, and provide opportunities for womxn to expand boundaries and engagement,” the company added.
“At Taco Bell Corp., we’re proud to announce this launch and can’t wait to see what this corporate group does next,” the company said.
No further details were provided.
The resource group comes as chains across the U.S. have made efforts in recent months to diversify their workforce amid social justice demonstrations triggered by the killing of George Floyd.
Taco Bell’s parent company has stepped up in a big way.
In June, Yum Brands said it would commit $100 million over five years to support its Unlocking Opportunity Initiative. The program expands funding on programs that help increase representation of Black people, Hispanics, people of color and women among executive and management teams.
In early September, the brand extended that program to the community when they announced plans to invest $6 million over five years to advance equity and opportunity across Louisville, Ky.- the headquarters for Yum Brands and KFC.
The company said investment in Louisville “will target endeavors that tackle inequality and uplift Black students, educators, entrepreneurs and social change agents.”
“At Yum!, we know our brands, frontline restaurant teams and communities are much stronger when we have diverse people, voices and ideas at the table to tackle our biggest challenges,” Yum Brands CEO David Gibbs said in a statement. “With this expanded effort in Louisville, we are pleased to increase our partnership and investment in experienced local leaders and institutions that are already working to address the complex challenges of inequality.”
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