Dive Brief:

• Gap Inc. Monday announced it’s expanding its program to provide life-skills training to women who work in its overseas factories.

• Called P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement & Career Enhancement), which the company launched in 2007, the program was developed with partners including CARE and the International Center for Research on Women. Gap wants to expand it from 30,000 to one million women by 2020. Some 80% of apparel workers worldwide are women.

• To achieve that, the retailer is broadening the program to other suppliers, instituting more classes, working with more NGOs, and is bringing in other companies to participate, including competing apparel retailers.

Dive Insight:

Gap will open up the program to specific partners without charging them a fee and give them training in administering P.A.C.E. classes. The program includes classes in communications skills, financial literacy, stress management, problem-solving and decision-making.

The P.A.C.E. program has been helpful to the women who participate, and it’s a good thing to do, as President Bill Clinton told the retailer three years ago when he also advised expanding it.

But the company has also found higher retention rates at participating vendors, so there’s a direct benefit to the company as well.

“There are many places in the world where women are denied access to opportunity and education in particular,” says CEO Art Peck said. “We believe this is good for the business. We also believe it is the right thing to do.”