This International Women’s Day, Paula Bobbett, Executive Sponsor of the Women of WBA Business Resource Group, reflects on the work Boots is doing to support women customers, team members and communities  

At Boots, we’re committed to empowering women to help each other feel their best, achieve their goals and unlock their futures. ​ 

​Boots has always sought to be a place where women feel empowered – through our products and services, our expert advisors, our partnerships, and our practices as a responsible employer.​ Women supporting women runs down to our very foundations laid by Florence Boot. 

It’s always been really important to me to foster an environment where women support each other and ​I’m so proud of the work we’re doing at Boots in this area. I’m so excited to share some of the work we’ve been doing to support our women customers, team members and communities. 

Supporting customers: 

• We’re making it easier for customers to choose and support aspirational brands created by women for women – with a new shopping edit on boots.com  where shoppers can browse more than 2,600 products from a selection of female founded brands, including our very own Liz Earle and Soap & Glory. 

• Through our brands, products and services, we have always worked to empower and build our customers’ confidence. Boots offers over 15 dedicated women’s healthcare services like the Boots Online Doctor Menopause and HRT Treatment service. 

• We have over 1,300 Boots Beauty Specialists on the high street who help customers to confidently choose the right products for them. 

• We offer a Meet the Buyer scheme which has been specifically designed to break down traditional barriers for small brands who are hoping to get a listing with a large retailer, particularly those founded by women – with new brands launching from Luna Daily, Ova, and Unfabled. 

Supporting team members: 

More than three quarters of our colleagues are women, and we are committed to continue to offer quality jobs and learning opportunities.  

• The Women of WBA BRG has almost 1,000 members – a team member-led network working alongside women to reach their desired potential. Alongside the Parent and Carers BRG, it has championed the introduction of new policies and initiatives like offering free period products in all Boots staff bathrooms. 

• Working with the Baby Loss and Fertility BRG, we’ve improved our policies for team members in these areas, which includes the addition of free educations resources for team members and enhancing the paid leave available to team members. 

• Continuing our focus on creating a menopause friendly working environment, educating our team members on how menopause is experienced across different cultures and communities. We’re now working towards becoming an accredited Menstruation Friendly Employer, as well as building confidence among individuals and line managers so that everyone can get the support they need.  
• Connecting team members through support networks as part of our Business Resource Groups – including networks focussed on menstrual health, menopause, neurodiversity, new parents, parents of older children and carers. 

Supporting communities: 

• In partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, we launched a campaign to raise awareness of women who experience early menopause caused by cancer treatment. This included development of online resources on the Boots Health Hub and signposting to the support available in our stores through Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacists and Boots Macmillan Beauty Advisors. 

• Boots, in partnership with The Kings Trust, is launching a Get Started into Beauty programme this year, which is set to unlock the potential of more young people looking to kick start their career in beauty.  

• We are proud to support women through some of the hardest times in their lives. Our pharmacies continue to be Safe Spaces for anyone experiencing domestic abuse who needs to access help. We have also provided almost 60,000 washbags to Sexual Assault Referral Centres across the UK. 
• We continue to support the work of The Hygiene Bank, founded by the inspirational Lizzy Hall MBE, helping families access essential hygiene products.  

Paula