The Philippines ranked first for gender diversity in the workforce among 10 Asian countries, according to the 2019 Gender Diversity Benchmark for Asia (GDBA) report by Hong Kong-based nonprofit organization Community Business.
Credit: Tsuyoshi Tamehiro
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Each country’s diversity performance was measured by averaging a total of 3 indicators: women representation in the total workforce; representation at the senior level; and the pay gap. The Philippines scored the highest average versus China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan.
In terms of representation in the total workforce, the Philippines came second to Malaysia with nearly half of the workforce being made up of women.
The Philippines topped the list for representation at the senior level or positions of authority. However, even with the most number of women in leadership positions it still does not amount to even a third of leadership roles in the country.
The pay gap between men and women is also the smallest in the Philippines at 10.2%. Meaning for every dollar a man makes, a woman makes 10.2% less. The report then estimates that a woman would have to work 98 more days than a man in a year to make up for this gap.
In comparison, Japan’s pay gap between men and women stands at 26.8%.
Despite topping the list, the figures still point to a long road ahead for progress. Tina Arcilla, head of Community Business’ Diversity and Inclusion in Asia Network (DIAN), said in a press forum that this presents a challenge for women “to be champions for themselves.”
“We can start with the whole argument of nurture. There are these statements in Filipino culture like ‘kababae mong tao (you’re a woman and yet…),’ which may help us understand why there are certain gender roles associated with professions,” she said.
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