Women get guide to working environment in companies

Women in Asia still face challenges such as the glass ceiling, sexual harassment and the gender pay gap in the workplace, according to Nicole Yuen Shuk-kam, a financial-sector veteran and founder of Women Workplace Index.

Yuen's organization has developed a certification regime called Women Workplace Index, which aims to disclose women workplace practices in Asian companies.

The index includes a publicly available database containing information on women workplace representation and practices of approximately 250 companies from various sectors.

"This constitutes the biggest, publicly available database dedicated to women workplace practices in Asia. As such, the certification as a Women Workplace Index employer is a public recognition and an important accreditation of the company's commitment to progressing women workplace practices," the organization said.

Yuen expects to complete the inputs and updates of profiles for over 250 companies by September.

The first batch of data from 50 companies will be released on the website in late May, with updates for an additional 50 companies every two months. A report presenting the analytical results of the index will be issued in September.

The index is supported by founding members, including life insurer Manulife, property developer Sino Land, energy provider CLP, law firm Linklaters, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, environmental sustainability group Business Environment Council, and women empowerment group Women in Finance Asia.

Yuen, also a member of the operations review committee at the Independent Commission Against Corruption, said there is a threat to Asian society posed by low fertility rates and rapidly aging populations.

She hopes to improve the current workplace landscape to better support women balancing work and family responsibilities and urged employers to take action in promoting sustainability.

"As we embrace a world where sustainability becomes the cornerstone of public and private efforts, women should not need to change what they strive for with respect to family values for work or education," Yuen said.

"Instead, the system should come to meet their values and beliefs. This goes beyond 'women empowerment' or 'diversity, equity, and inclusion.' It strikes at the core of humanity, which is the sustainability of our society."

The Women Workplace Index operates through questionnaires voluntarily filled out by companies.

These questionnaires reveal information about corporate policies and operations, personnel and culture, supply chain, marketing practices, and community engagement.

If the questionnaires indicate inadequate protection of women's rights in the workplace, the organization provides policy and training to address the issue.

Rather than ranking companies, the organization shares best practices for enterprises to follow and certifies them based on the accessibility of their disclosures to the public.

Betty Chan Bik-ki, who directs CLP Holdings' human resources (group organization development and talent) and is one of the inaugural members of the Women Workplace Index, stressed the importance of achieving greater gender diversity and increasing women's representation in the workplace for their business and community development.

For Yuen, "Hong Kong is our initial focus, with plans to expand to other Asian countries and regions. We believe that Hong Kong is in an ideal position to lead efforts in Asia."