UN Women 2022 Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards:
Meet the National Winners
We are excited to announce the winners of the UN Women 2022 Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards!
Big congratulations to all the winners who have committed themselves to advancing gender equality and women's economic empowerment. These gender champions from different countries, sectors, and fields are acknowledged respectively for their outstanding Leadership Commitment, Youth Leadership, Gender-inclusive Workplace, Gender-responsive Marketplace, Community Engagement & Partnerships, and Transparency & Reporting
*The UN Women Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards represents recognition of exemplary company efforts for gender equality and is limited to a designated category and a specific location and time period. Awarded organizations, alongside their products and services, receiving awards are not endorsed or affiliated with UN Women or WeEmpowerAsia and being recognized as an Awardee does not constitute a partnership. Claims, statements, or endorsements made by awardees are solely those of the individual or organization and do not represent official policies or positions of UN Women.
Winners
Emma's commitment extends beyond her role as a director, as she serves as the Chairperson of PERTIWI and Head of Division for Srikandi BUMN, a professional women's network. PERTIWI focuses on enhancing the well-being and career advancement of female employees within PT Pertamina, while Srikandi BUMN provides a supportive platform for women across state-owned enterprises to foster collaboration, skill-building, and career progression. Emma's tireless efforts aim to integrate gender initiatives across various company programs at Pertamina and BUMN, ultimately fostering corporate sustainability through the promotion of gender equality..
In 2023, PERTIWI Pertamina introduced several programs focused on developing the capabilities of both female employees and young talents within the company to prepare them for future leadership positions in Pertamina.
The programs promoted by PERTIWI Pertamina aim to increase the number of women in leadership positions. By the end of 2022, it had reached 18.1%, up from 14% at the end of 2021. In 2023, PERTIWI Pertamina is increasing its target to over 20%, in line with the Minister of State-Owned Enterprises' target. To achieve this target, PERTIWI Pertamina is currently conducting Coaching & Mentoring for Aspiring Women Leaders at Pertamina, with 95 coaches and 402 coachees. It also has had 173 counseling sessions as a concrete step towards promoting respectful workplaces.
Amartha is a fintech peer-to-peer lending platform providing social impact, focused on empowering women micro-entrepreneurs in rural areas in Indonesia. In 2022, Amartha channeled Rp 2 trillion (USD 134,000) in funding to more than 418 thousand partners in Java and parts of Sumatra and Sulawesi.
For 10 years, Amartha has consistently sought to mainstream impact investment in Indonesia and provided alternative social investment services for the community, especially women. Amartha commits to improving recruitment and work promotion gender balance and promotes women’s career development and leadership position. As of 2020, 60% of Amartha’s employees are women. The company also supports employees in parenthood by providing parental leave, an on-site childcare facility, and a designated breastfeeding room. They also support employees with caregiving responsibilities and work-life balance by implementing flexible working hours and a policy on remote working. Amartha also promotes a safe working environment by applying a stand-alone policy, confidentiality, and grievance procedures. The company also keeps track of grievances of workplace violence, harassment, and sexual exploitation.
Amartha is a micro-financing company that bridge women micropreneurs with online potential lenders. As a company that has a vision of creating equitable prosperity through empowering women, Amartha also applies the principles of women's empowerment within the company. Amartha strives to eliminate gender bias in companies through transparency, company regulations and supportive activities.
AMAAN Indonesia is a digital mass market ecosystem platform with a clear mission: to empower women micro-entrepreneurs and their families to achieve prosperity. By providing crucial financing and other essential services, AMAAN supports the growth of women-owned businesses and livelihoods. Currently, AMAAN reaches women consumers in 1,700 sub-districts across 100 districts in six provinces, including Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, South Sumatera, and Lampung. With over one million women already engaged in its ecosystem, AMAAN has made significant strides in its mission.
In its financing agent service, AMAAN employs dedicated women as Community Development Partners (CDPs). These CDPs play a vital role in assisting community leaders who oversee networks of women entrepreneurs. With the involvement of over one million women entrepreneurs in this ecosystem, AMAAN is fostering a strong and supportive community.
AMAAN is committed to realizing digital and social inclusion. Digital inclusion means providing women micro-entrepreneurs, or "friends of AMAAN," with access to financial and non-financial services through the AMAAN app. Additionally, social inclusion is a priority, as AMAAN aims to create a platform that brings together all ecosystem actors who share a passion for serving the mass market segment, particularly women entrepreneurs and their families. Through the user-friendly AMAAN app, individuals can easily access products and services offered by both financial institutions and non-bank entities within the ecosystem.
Think.Web, a leading online marketing and strategic agency in Jakarta, Indonesia, specializes in developing niche ideas for web and digital media solutions tailored to meet client needs. Renowned for their exceptional results and innovative approach to concept, maintenance, and visual communication design, the company has established a strong reputation in the industry.
In their commitment to promoting gender equality and empowering women in the wider community, Think.Web has established a dedicated social change unit within their digital agency called Think.Women. Think.Women focuses on three key areas of women's empowerment: education, technology, and financial empowerment through entrepreneurship. A flagship program, "Perempuan Maju Digital" (Digitally Advanced Women), has been created to support women's empowerment across these sectors. Currently, Think.Women has over 950 members from all regions in Indonesia.
Think.Web is an impact agency, creating meaningful impact for brands and social enterprises through technology and creative innovation. They develop a social unit called Think.Women that supports the creative social development of women enterpreneurs. Think.Women promotes women empowerment through education, technology and finance (entrepreneurship). Perempuan Maju Digital (Digital Advance Women) is a flagship program to provide mentoring and digital workshop to women, such as digital marketing, advertising and branding, and content writing.
Evermos is a renowned Indonesia-based social commerce platform and ecosystem that connects local brands and resellers, enabling the sale of authentic Indonesian products. Recognized for its transformative impact, Evermos has been included in the esteemed Forbes Asia 100 list, featuring 100 innovative companies in the Asia-Pacific region driving positive social change.
With a network of 500,000 resellers, of which 73% are women, Evermos places great emphasis on tracking and documenting its women's empowerment programs. These initiatives are meticulously outlined in the company's sustainability report, which is distributed to its resellers. The objective is to actively engage resellers in women's empowerment programs, foster gender equality, and promote effective measures and monitoring systems. By sharing their progressive efforts in creating an enabling ecosystem for SMEs, local brands, and end consumers, Evermos aims to build transparency, enhance its image, and maintain its reputation among internal and external stakeholders.
Recognizing the significance of transparency, Evermos publicly publishes its sustainability reports, ensuring accessibility to stakeholders. Through this approach, Evermos demonstrates its firm commitment to gender equality, focusing on three critical areas: Digital Economy Transformation, Unemployment Rate Alleviation and Job Creation, and Women Empowerment in the Workplace and Communities. These efforts aim to benefit all segments of society, with a particular focus on empowering women.
PT SRC Indonesia Sembilan is a contemporary Indonesian grocery chain that provides a range of products, but its workforce is primarily male. PT Indonesia's gender gap is a significant concern, and the company established an Inclusion & Diversity department to address this issue. This department aims to integrate diversity, equality, and inclusion principles into the company's culture, creating a welcoming environment for all employees. PT SRC Indonesia Sembilan's actions align with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 5, which aims to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls. Overall, the company's efforts show a commitment to creating a more inclusive workplace and contribute to achieving SDG 5.
1st Runners Up
Within Telkom, FM Venusiana R has spearheaded the development of the Respectful Workplace Policy (RWP). This policy aims to create a workplace that is conducive to women's success and fosters mutual respect among colleagues. The RWP aligns with the Implementation of the Law on Sexual Violence (Undang-undang Tindak Pidana Kekerasan Seksual or TPKS), which was passed by the Indonesian Parliament on April 12th, 2022.
Through these initiatives, she demonstrates her unwavering commitment to ensuring a safe and inclusive workplace for all employees in Telkom and actively supports the broader national efforts to prevent discrimination and violence in BUMN.
Bank Mandiri, as a state-owned bank, is dedicated to fostering a conducive work environment that upholds gender equality and implements supportive policies and programs. The bank's commitment to gender equality is evident in the representation of women in its workforce, with female employees accounting for 52% of the total workforce. Furthermore, women hold positions in top-level management, ranging from Assistant Vice President to the Board of Directors, at a percentage of 32%.
Recognizing the importance of nurturing female talent, Bank Mandiri operates as a “Woman Talent Factory”, continuously developing programs to enhance women's capabilities. Initiatives such as the Woman Mentoring program, Woman Leadership Program, and various other talent retention programs aim to empower and support female employees. Notably, Bank Mandiri's flagship program, the Woman Leadership Bootcamp, provides a platform for millennial women to engage with accomplished women leaders through sharing sessions and bootcamp-style development activities. These programs are designed to foster awareness and inspire female employees to aspire to leadership positions in their respective career paths.
Bank Mandiri also places emphasis on supporting women during pregnancy and postpartum periods. The bank provides essential facilities and support systems, including lactation rooms for breastfeeding employees and daycare services for children aged 1-5 years. Additionally, Bank Mandiri promotes a flexible work environment, allowing employees to wear informal attire during specific times.
Amartha is a fintech company that specializes in peer-to-peer lending and alternative investments, with a strong focus on empowering women micro-entrepreneurs in rural areas. Over the course of 2021, Amartha successfully channeled Rp 2.6 trillion in funding to more than 650,000 partners, primarily located in Java, parts of Sumatra, and Sulawesi. For the past decade, Amartha has been at the forefront of mainstreaming impact investment in Indonesia, offering alternative social investment services to communities, particularly women.
By providing financial resources and opportunities to women micro-entrepreneurs, Amartha is actively contributing to the economic empowerment of women in rural areas. The company's mission is to create a more inclusive and equitable society, where women have equal access to resources and opportunities to thrive. Through their innovative approach to impact investing, Amartha is making a significant difference in the lives of women and their communities, creating a brighter future for all.
During these training sessions, Telkom provided valuable support to enhance the skills and capabilities of the community. The assistance included essential resources such as electric-powered sewing machines, overlocking machines, an overdeck, a gas-fired oven, and home appliances. These tools were handed over directly to the representative of the Sukapura women's community. Telkom's intervention aimed to improve the welfare of the women and their families, enabling them to access greater opportunities for education and economic prosperity.
Telkom's initiatives in Sukapura demonstrate their commitment to creating positive social change by empowering women and uplifting communities. Through training, mentoring, and various social activities in the fields of entrepreneurship and health, Telkom is making a significant impact on the lives of women and their families.
PT. Pan Brothers Tbk, one of the leading garment manufacturing companies in Indonesia, is dedicated to fostering a culture of gender equality, diversity, and inclusive work opportunities. The company recognizes the importance of providing equal treatment and opportunities for all employees, regardless of their religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. With a strong commitment to gender balance, PT. Pan Brothers ensures that its top management maintains a 50:50 gender ratio, reflecting their dedication to promoting equal representation and decision-making power at the highest levels of the organization.
In line with its commitment to transparency and accountability, PT. Pan Brothers actively measures, analyzes, and reports on gender data throughout its business chain. The company has implemented an accountability framework that includes specific targets and regularly reports on its progress. This comprehensive approach enables PT. Pan Brothers to identify areas for improvement and take necessary steps to enhance gender-responsive practices, including recruitment, retention, and women's participation in management roles.
Moreover, PT. Pan Brothers conducts audits and analysis to address gender-related issues and foster gender appreciation within the organization. The company also supports other businesses in increasing their publicly reported gender indicators through collaborative efforts.
TORAJAMELO has had a significant impact by providing employment opportunities for over 200 women in rural weaving communities in Indonesia, preventing outward migration and promoting empowerment. They have also supported small and medium-sized enterprises in the weaving sector, boosting the local economy. TORAJAMELO's gender-responsive marketplace has encouraged sustainable and ethical fashion practices and enabled these SMEs to expand their reach beyond local communities. This initiative has revitalized the rural economy and addressed the issue of outward migration while promoting a more conscious fashion industry.
2nd Runners Up
Hartono actively advocates for competence-based promotions, regardless of gender. This approach ensures that employees are recognized and promoted based on their skills, qualifications, and performance rather than their gender. By prioritizing competence, he strives to create a level playing field where equal opportunities are provided to all.
In addition, Hartono firmly believes in the significance of implementing strategies to "Break the Glass Ceiling" in business practices. This mindset reflects his commitment to dismantling barriers and prejudices that may hinder women from attaining senior leadership positions. By supporting initiatives that challenge these barriers, he aims to create a more inclusive and equitable work environment for all employees.
PT. Merck Tbk, a science and technology company headquartered in Germany, has taken significant strides to empower women and promote gender equality within its organization. With a strong commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace, Merck has implemented the Indonesia Women's Leadership (I WIL) initiative, a dedicated internal community that spans divisions and functions.
I WIL serves as a platform to support the personal and professional development of female employees at Merck Indonesia. Through this initiative, women are provided with valuable resources such as training programs, mentorship opportunities, and networking events, all aimed at empowering them to reach their full potential. Merck recognizes the importance of creating a supportive environment that enables women to thrive across all areas of the company.
Furthermore, Merck has placed a strong emphasis on increasing the representation of women in leadership roles. By actively working to ensure gender equality throughout its business operations, Merck is committed to creating a workplace that provides equal opportunities for all employees.
These efforts have been recognized and acknowledged, with Merck Indonesia receiving accolades such as being named one of the "Best Companies for Women to Work for" by HR Asia Magazine in 2020.