
UN Women 2020 Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards:
Meet the Judges

We are thrilled to introduce the regional and national judging panels for the UN Women 2020 Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards!
Sponsored by the European Union, WeEmpowerAsia launched the WEPs Awards with the aim of recognizing and encouraging the efforts of individuals and businesses that promote gender-inclusive business cultures and the achievement of gender equality guided by the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). More than 400 outstanding applications were received across 17 Asian countries! As part of the wider regional initiative, WeEmpowerAsia countries China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam are celebrating with national ceremonies throughout November. Meet the panel of external judges who have carefully assessed the applications using their expertise in private sector initiatives for gender equality.
Tune in LIVE as we announce the national winners throughout November and build momentum towards the Regional Ceremony and announce the regional winners on Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 at 15:30-17:30 (GMT+7)!
REGIONAL (incl. Thailand & Malaysia)

“The Women’s Empowerment Principles provide a powerful and unique framework for companies to recognize their opportunities to influence the status of women—from employment practices to supplier relationships and product and service development.”

“We believe that gender equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace must be embedded in our business strategies as it will yield sustainable benefits, including higher profitability and productivity and increased ability to retain talent. We continue to strive for inclusive progress built upon a common understanding across the workplace, home, and broader community."

"Innovative solutions to address today’s challenges require diversity of thought. It requires us tapping into the potential of all - including the women in our companies and wider communities."


“The private sector can change their corporate policies and governance for the advancement of women in order to achieve a more gender-neutral environment. Leaders can support equal pay, encourage more women on the board, set quantitative recruitment goals to support gender equality and ensure there is transparency in the candidates selection process in order to create an equal opportunity workplace which leads to a better society as a whole.”


“As the largest creator of jobs in developing countries, the private sector has a critical role to play in advancing women’s economic empowerment and SDG 5, including through more gender-inclusive employment and workplace practices.”


“Applying a gender lens to the workforce, market and value chains of businesses is not rocket science. It is the right and smart thing to do. The WEPs help us by giving us a common language to speak to each other about how to take gender action and learn from each other.”

“The private sector is an engine of economic growth, and their influence over shaping the business ecosystem, including their own workplaces, to be more inclusive and gender-equal must be appreciated. With their committed actions, we can expect transformative changes to the world of work so that it is more future-oriented and SDG-aligned.”

“Factors influencing occupational success – expectations about women’s reproductive role, barriers to networking opportunities and perceptions of men as more rational, decisive, and daring – create obstacles for women to fully participate in business. We believe that by adopting the WEPs framework, private sector is better positioned to endorse and validate good practices, and highlight areas for improvement.”

“The world is populated by men and women almost equally. By fostering gender-sensitive culture and practices, companies are actually ensuring their future sustainability by getting business insights from both genders which lead to maximum performance and growth.”
INDIA

“The private sector is a crucial partner for building an inclusive and equitable workforce and for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. How businesses act to ensure, that both men and women can contribute and benefit equally in the workplace, will go a long way in helping further the sustainable development agendas.”

"The WEPs Awards are laudable as the first awards initiative in the Asia Pacific region which highlights exemplary business practice aligned to the seven guiding principles in the UN Women and UN Global Compact’s Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). Recognizing business efforts is an important step towards gender-responsive value chains and to inspire others to follow suit."

“By making gender equality a core part of their everyday practice, the private sector can drive the way forward. Companies stand to benefit too - since achieving gender equality can add $12 trillion to the global economy, and gender diversity at all levels of the organization can increase profitability, productivity, and organizational effectiveness.”

“Businesses play a critical role in encouraging women’s participation in work and ensuring inclusive practices. This will benefit the economy too, since achieving gender equality in India could generate around USD 700 billion of added GDP by 2025.”

“We must advance and empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community. Businesses which enable women to achieve leadership roles and promote gender equality at all levels will be recognized as proactive forward-thinking businesses. This recognition will also translate into greater business momentum, market share and value.”

“It is essential for business to take a leading role in changing corporate culture and enable women to break the glass ceiling. Women offer an enormous potential to positively impact business and society."
CHINA


“It is the social responsibility and legal obligation of enterprises to promote gender equality and eliminate gender discrimination in the workplace. Creating a gender equal and family friendly workplace is conducive to promoting sustainable and healthy economic and social development, social equity and justice, and protecting women's human rights.”


“Persistent disparities remain between women and men at the workplace, including in labour market participation, pay for work of equal value, representation of women in high-paying occupations and managerial positions. Let’s act together to close the gender gaps in the workplace!”
INDONESIA

“The WEPS are really a great tool of reference because they are meant for everyone. Any business can identify with one or several of the principles and can find inspiration on how to achieve better gender equality in the area they see best fit with their strengths in making a difference.”

“The private sector is already recognized as a key partner to the achievement of the universally adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It plays an important role as an engine of economic growth and job creation in developing countries. It provides goods and services, generates tax revenues to finance essential social and economic infrastructure, and develops new and innovative solutions that help tackle development challenges, and it is a central actor in addressing climate change."

“Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Awards is a recognition of business effort in taking real life examples to empower women. I’m honored to serve as the UN Women’s WEPs Awards judging panel for this prestigious effort. Studies have proven that when business creates an enabling environment for women, business can unlock women’s big potential that business can benefit from.”

“The world is populated by men and women almost equally. By fostering gender-sensitive culture and practices, companies are actually ensuring their future sustainability by getting business insights from both genders which lead to maximum performance and growth.”

“To advance economic diversity, it’s a no brainer to include women in the workforce. Accepting, equipping and allowing women to participate in the economy without limitations and restrictions, improve the quantity and quality of human resources in the development advances the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.”
PHILIPPINES

“We are all responsible for the SDGs – business too. And we count on companies to do their part in the way they promote sustainability and equality throughout their value chains – from the way they procure and hire to the way they produce and market. The companies that manage to do this well, are the companies whose goods we will buy and the companies that we want to work for.”

“The engagement of the private sector through gender-transformative workplace practices is vital in the achievement of our loftiest aspirations of genuine gender equality and women’s empowerment. Over and above the positive impacts on businesses, gender equality and women’s empowerment are critical in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and in the enhancement of women’s autonomy and control over their lives, decision-making power, and ability to effect meaningful change.”

"The 2020 WEPS Awards provide an avenue for all stakeholders (businesses, governments, and rights-holders alike) to showcase and identify the concrete practices in gender-sensitive business culture. A gender-sensitive business is sustainable as it gives premium to an inclusive business and work environment, whereby diverse talents, individually or collectively as enterprises, are being recognized as innate to any human person and should be nurtured for the common good, regardless of stereotypes. Congratulations to the winners and the organizers!"

“Taking corporate actions to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment underpins a strong business case for sustainability. Women have long proven their leadership in all aspects of society – including workplace. Empowering women is the best human capital investment that can ever be made.”

"Given that women constitute a huge chunk of our workforce, it totally makes sense to help them achieve their fullest potential in order for our country to prosper. We need business leaders to champion the case of gender diversity and create an inclusive culture. Taking strategic actions that will be measured against clear set of goals is important to achieve real change."
VIETNAM


"Women are a secret weapon for the happiness of the family, the company's success, and the sustainable development of the economy. Gender equality in the working place and women's economic empowerment fosters such firepower."

“Any enterprise, big or small, in any sector, should be the enabling environment for promotion of equality between men and women. Gender equality is the investment for the future and profits of the enterprises, contributing to building an equal society for everyone.”

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