Aflac Incorporated, a leading provider of supplemental insurance products through its subsidiaries in the U.S. and Japan, today announced it has received two major recognitions while making significant strides related to gender equality and LGBTQ initiatives. The company was named a World's Most Admired Company by Fortune Magazine for the 20th year and appears on Bloomberg's Gender-Equality Index for the second consecutive year. Aflac also saw a 15-point increase in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2021 Corporate Equality Index score, reflecting the company's ongoing commitment to being a strong corporate citizen through its invigorated environmental, social and governance (ESG) program.

"More than 65 years ago, Aflac was founded on the notion that if you treat your employees well, they will take care of the business, establishing our company as a leader in corporate social responsibility," said Aflac Chairman and CEO Dan Amos. "We are pleased by these honors and are proud of our company's ongoing commitment to diversity, inclusion and fairness in all of our business practices."

"It is always an honor to be recognized by organizations at the forefront of measuring corporate cultures to ensure that our actions are aligned with the interests of consumers, shareholders, and stakeholders across the nation and the world," said Aflac Incorporated President Fred Crawford. "But beyond the accolades, these third-party validations provide a window into the priorities that we have established as a company. As we strive to deliver value to our shareholders, we are clear that being truthful to what our company stands for is as important as the products and services we provide."

As of Dec. 31, 2020, nearly 50% of Aflac U.S. employees are minorities and approximately 66% are women. At the same time, the company upholds fair and equitable compensation practices, paying men and women at par. In Japan, through its Women's Empowerment Program, Aflac surpassed its goal of reaching 30% of women in leadership positions (assistant manager or higher) one year ahead of schedule. Aflac Japan has now raised the bar and is on pace for a new target of 30% of manager or higher positions to be filled by women by the end of 2025.

In 2020, Aflac Incorporated actively responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with $11 million in contributions to provide PPE and mental health care to frontline workers while engaging in proactive measures that benefited customers and employees alike, including Aflac Japan, which contributed 500 million yen to medical institutions and health care professionals across Japan.

Aflac Incorporated provided — and continues to provide, as it has since before the Civil Rights Movement — an active voice in calling for racial justice, including working with the Congressional Black Caucus Institute to enact meaningful change. Company and senior leadership's support for the Georgia Hate Crimes Bill and its active membership with the Business Roundtable contributed to the 15-point spike in Aflac's Corporate Equality Index score.

"We realize the vital concerns that every stakeholder has about corporate integrity and governance, which is why while we view our ESG and CSR programs as robust, we know that there is always room for improvement. We are extremely proud of these awards and look forward to these achievements and more today and into the future," Crawford said.

For more information about Aflac's commitment to corporate responsibility, please visit esg.aflac.com.