Nicole (Nicole YUEN, Founder and CEO of Women Workplace Index),

Distinguished guests and friends,

Good afternoon.

Thank you for inviting me here today. It’s an honour for me to be a part of the launch of the Women Workplace Index. The vision and mission of the Index are truly innovative and ambitious, and this bold approach is exactly what we need to make the next step in advancing gender equality. So, congratulations to Nicole and her team for bringing this project to fruition!

The challenges and barriers women face in employment have gained considerable attention in recent years. From tackling unequal treatment to eliminating harassment and increasing the representation of women in leadership positions, enterprises and the Government are increasingly proactive in finding solutions to boost women’s equal participation in the labour market, especially as our city is facing a talent crunch.

Despite these positive changes, there’s clearly still a lot more we need to do. Barriers to achieving gender pay parity remain, and many women continue to face pressure to conform to traditional gender roles. Here in Hong Kong, the monthly median income for women is around 16% lower than that of men. The labour force participation rate of women who have never been married is also much higher than that of women who have been married. And unfortunately, sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination in employment remain some of the most common types of complaint cases we receive at the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC).

The causes of gender inequality are complex, and eradicating them requires a multi-pronged approach for every level of society, from the individual all the way to macro policies. At the EOC, we see that companies and employers have an indispensable role to play, as their practices often have a direct impact on the everyday lives of their employees.Flexible work arrangements, for example, can help women better balance work and family responsibilities, while fair recruitment and promotion practices can reshape career opportunities for female employees.

Greater disclosure requirements and setting benchmarks are effective ways to encourage companies to implement policies and practices that promote gender equality. We are certainly encouraged by the Hong Kong Exchanges’ requirement for locally listed companies to end single-gender boards by the end of this year and to disclose targets and timelines for achieving gender diversity at board level and across the workforce. In our submission for the review of the Corporate Governance Code in 2021, we also recommended that HKEX set benchmarks to ensure a “critical minority” of women on the boards of listed companies to prevent tokenism.

But of course, advancing gender equality in the workplace is not a one-and-done process. It will require continuous monitoring, tracking of changes, and identifying areas where improvements are still needed. This is where the Index can accelerate progress and place gender equality at the forefront of Hong Kong’s corporate culture. By encouraging disclosure through the questionnaire and recognising good practices through the certification scheme, the Index will make the promotion of gender equality an essential corporate strategy for companies in not just Hong Kong, but also in other Asian countries as well. The database you build will also serve as essential evidence to show that ensuring gender equality in the workplace is not just the right thing to do, but in fact, it makes business sense.

Eradicating gender stereotypes, increasing female representation in leadership roles, and creating an environment where women can thrive are not matters that concern only one sex. Instead, ensuring gender equality in the workplace, and truly recognising and harnessing the talent, skills, and contributions of half the population, will be key catalysts for achieving long-term, sustainable development of our city. I am confident that the Women Workplace Index will set a new standard for gender equality and inspire groundbreaking practices for female empowerment.

Lastly, I want to take this opportunity to thank all the partners I have worked with in advancing gender equality since taking up the role as Chairperson of the EOC. Your support has been invaluable, and I hope you will continue to work with the EOC to create a Hong Kong that embraces diversity and inclusion.