Singapore-headquartered WomenIconsNetwork.com (WIN), has announced the launch of an initiative – The Collective for Equality (Singapore) – to promote and support the actions of organizations, programs and people working towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 that deals with achieving Gender Equality and empowering all women and girls.
A not-for-profit country-specific initiative, The Collective will be guided on a pro bono basis by a Council of Leaders and will urge CEOs in Singapore to not only commit time, effort and resources for ensuring gender-balanced workplaces but also share their goals, experiences and challenges, thus inspiring equality in all walks of life. The aim is to 1) Expand C-Suite support for Gender Equality; 2) Deepen organization commitment for Gender Equity; 3) Broaden the pool of aspiring women leaders.
Grace Park, Manisha Seewal and Dr Vinika Rao join as the Council of Leaders to advise on The Collective’ efforts in Singapore. The Council will be expanded with other like-minded leaders.
Speaking on the occasion of the launch, Grace Park, Co-Founder & President, DocDoc said, “Though the SDG 5 Goals are common for the world, every country has to work within the boundaries of economic, social, and cultural realities. Thus, it is important that leaders in Singapore come together to discover innovative yet effective ways to overcome the challenges of gender inequities.”
?Every organization irrespective of their size, sector or domicile will have to play its part to ensure that Singapore is truly a gender-balanced place of work. However, we have to recognize and assist organizations that need a nudge and a push to discover the long-term benefits of pursuing a gender-balanced strategy,” said Manisha Seewal, Group CMO, Carro and CEO, Jualo.com.
Dr Vinika Rao, Executive Director, INSEAD Emerging Markets Institute & Gender Initiative and Asia Director, Hoffman Global Institute for Business & Society, said, “Some of the reputed corporates in Singapore have covered considerable ground in the journey towards gender equality. Their experience should both inspire others to follow suit and provide learnings on best practices for developing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This is especially relevant today, to ensure that Covid19 does not disrupt decades of hard-earned progress towards developing a gender-balanced workplace and society in Singapore.”
Building awareness about an organization’s intent for promoting gender-equal place of work is a key benefit of joining The Collective. By sharing news, views, and developments about the gender equality initiatives, an organization can not only attract and retain talent but also distinguish themselves clearly from others in the minds of half the world.
Vishwesh Iyer, Co-Founder & Director, Women Icons Network, said, “The problems of addressing Gender Inequities have been further exacerbated by the pandemic. It is important for leaders to recognize that working towards a gender-balanced workplace is one of the biggest challenges facing us today at the intersection of social and economic inequities.
The initiative, led by the Women Icons Network, aims to internalize the issue of Gender Equity into the collective consciousness as envisaged by the Singapore government. It will also add to the “Conversations on Women Development” that the government has recently rolled out. Following the Singapore launch, The Collective will also be launched in Malaysia and India soon.
About Women Icons Network
Women Icons Network (WIN) is an engagement and data aggregation platform that captures the value of gender-equal places of work across South and South East Asia. Integrating workplace feedback and published data on companies to create a Diversity Metric that differentiates places of work around gender equality, the platform will amplify the efforts of all stakeholders operating in the area of diversity and inclusion.
WIN, headquartered in Singapore, is promoted by two experienced professionals and supported by hundreds of women leaders across South and South East Asia.
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Vishwesh@WomenIconsNetwork.com
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