ABSTRACT
As executives pursue gender equality in their workplaces, which steps might they take towards this goal, and which barriers might they encounter along the way? This case details the experience of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA), a nonprofit organization founded by executives working in the coffee industry. IWCA’s aim is to advance gender equality throughout the coffee supply chain. IWCA’s experience highlights at least six contributors to gender inequality in the coffee industry: challenges related to women’s time; physical mobility; skills and knowledge; industry visibility; control over resources; and personal safety. The lesson of this case is that at least four of these exist outside the “workplace”. Therefore, executives who seek to promote gender equality in their industries must become attentive to and conversant with these—and similar—contextual contributors to gender inequality.
