Today, Singapore’s Committee for UN Women took a big step towards promoting gender equality and diversity initiatives in the work, at home and the community. Superstar individuals and amazing Singapore-based multinationals were awarded top gongs and recognition in the inaugural HeForShe Impact Awards for their stellar efforts.
You may recall the United Nations Women HeForShe campaign kicked off in 2014 with a speech by renowned actress Emma Watson that went viral. Now, this “global movement for gender equality which brings together one half of humanity in support of the other half, for the benefit of all”, is having an impact on the little Red Dot with awards are a Singapore-driven initiative to recognise the men and women that are active promoters of gender equality.
The winners: company
Singapore-based multinationals MasterCard, LendLease and Hilton Worldwide were recognised at the event for signing up as Singapore IMPACT Champions and making commitments to advancing and achieving gender equality. Each made three bold pledges that they aim to achieve within a year’s timeframe. Some of these pledges included ensuring that hiring managers all undergo unconscious bias training, the implementation of flexible work initiatives and policies to increase the female succession pool and female talent in senior management.
The winners: individual
Schneider Electric took out the top spot in the @Work category, recognising the strides that the company and its leadership have made in implementing policies and strategies promoting gender diversity and inclusion within the organisation.
Matthew Driver, Executive Vice President, Global Products & Solutions APAC at MasterCard was awarded in the HeForShe Leader category, recognising the work that he has done as a leader making a significant contribution to workplace policies that encourage diversity and inclusion.
Local migrant worker activist, Jolovan Wham, Executive Director, HOME was awarded the HeForShe Everday Hero award, for his work in promoting diversity and inclusion within the community.
Dora Liu, VP, Investment Bank Strategy for Asia Pacific at Barclays took home the HeForShe Influencer award for her work in actively encouraging men to be part of the gender equality movement within her workplace and local community.
The HeForShe Husband/ Partner award, a jovial category, recognised that husbands and partners have an influential role to play in championing the rights and empowerment of women at work or in the local community went to Bastian van Halder, Director, Corporate Finance at Jones Lang LaSalle.
You can take action
- Join over 2,000 men and women who have already pledged to take action against gender discrimination and violence at heforshe.org.
- Learn more about the HeForShe campaign in Singapore and how you can get involved.
- Find out more about Singapore Committee for UN Women’s work locally and in the region
- Organisations that wish to be involved as impact champions can pledge to make gender equality an institutional priority, commit to real change within and beyond each of their organizations in the UN Women global IMPACT 10x10x10 initiative.
