Forest City recognized as a global leader in gender equality

CLEVELAND, July 31, 2017

Equileap, an organization aimed at accelerating gender equality in the workplace, created the survey and ranking to help investors and others identify companies that are leaders in gender balance and opportunity, and to provide independent information about companies that treat genders fairly over the long term.

The survey evaluated more than 3,000 global public companies and ranked the top 200 worldwide. Forest City ranked 174^th and is the sole U.S. REIT to make the rankings. Only two percent of all U.S. companies studied earned recognition.

"Forest City's inclusion in this global ranking demonstrates our commitment to making opportunities available to all associates," said David J. LaRue, Forest City president and chief executive officer. "Envisioning and sustaining communities that celebrate the diversity of people, perspectives and ideas – including our own workplace culture – is at the core of who we are as a company.  We're honored and gratified by this recognition, and we know there is opportunity to do more."

The report and ranking, which will be updated annually, was sourced exclusively through publicly accessible data from external reporting by the companies surveyed. Equileap assessed each company on 19 specific data points within four broad categories: gender balance in leadership and workforce; equal compensation and work/life balance; policies promoting gender equality; and commitment to women's empowerment.

"This new ranking makes gender equality transparent and globally comparable across all sectors for the first time," said Jill Ziegler, Forest City's director of sustainability and corporate responsibility.  "Our ranking was based on what we report in our annual Corporate Responsibility (CR) report and our other public disclosures and filings.  We believe our commitment to transparency in CR reporting helps differentiate us from our peers, strengthens our brand and reputation, and validates an important aspect of what makes Forest City a great place to work."