Fashion retailer Shein has partnered with Dress for Success to support women's professional development, one of several moves by large companies to fold gender equality into their environmental, social and governance strategies.
Deutsche Bank has launched a related initiative in Asia aimed at helping women working in agriculture, while investment group Olritz Financial has positioned itself as a partner focused specifically on social sustainability.
The companies involved frame the moves as both a moral commitment and a business one, arguing that women's economic participation, broader talent pools and improved corporate reputation are increasingly tied together as ESG standards become a bigger factor in investment decisions.