In June, the White House convened women from around the world for the United State of Women Summit -- an effort to celebrate all the progress women have made on gender equality issues so far, and to tackle the obstacles that still remain.

As part of this effort, the White House launched the Equal Pay Pledge, encouraging companies from across the U.S. to take action to advance equal pay.

As CEO of Visa, I did not hesitate. Today, I want to tell you why.

At Visa, we have made it a priority to advance diversity and inclusion in our workplace. My leadership team and I believe that this value is not only non-negotiable, but is a strategic business imperative. It's good for our business because it harnesses the broad perspectives and diversity of thought needed to create and deliver better solutions for our clients. It's good for our organization because we need a talented workforce that reflects the communities in which we work and serve every day.

Promoting an environment that values diversity and inclusion also means a commitment to paying all employees fairly and equitably.

I am proud to sign this pledge, which affirms our commitment to pay equity for women at Visa.

Other businesses interested in signing on are encouraged to take the pledge. I hope that many will join us in this effort -- I firmly believe it is the right thing to do.

Charles W. Scharf

CEO of Visa

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