On September 13, the Women Empowerment Council had over 400 participants and guests and awarded finalists in seven award categories at its Women Empowerment Conference & Awards. Themed “Leveling the Playing Field to Win Equality for All,” Li Na, the first Asian to win a grand slam and keynoter, inspired all in her remarks to help women achieve a harmonious balance between their personal and professional lives.
Other notable speakers included Jean-Marc Taton, China Chairman of ExxonMobil China, Smriti Aryal, Country Representative of UN Women China, and Poh Yian Koh, VP of Operations at FedEx China. They highlighted the importance of diversity, actions, and supportive policies within companies to empower women, stressing that advancing gender equity requires equitable policies and shared responsibilities within families to drive change.
In addition, the WEC launched the Healthy Women, Healthy Economies White Paper, commissioned by Merck, and titled “Can Women ‘Have it All’? How Career-Planning Affects Chinese Women’s Family-Planning Decisions.” Natascha Braumann, VP, and Head of Global Franchise Policy, Fertility and CM&E, and Diane Ho, Partner, Women Empowerment Council, presented key findings and insights:
92% of the women surveyed consider their career to be either important (50%) or very important (42%) 89% of the single Chinese women surveyed want to get married and 92% want a child (debunking an assumption to the contrary) Key factors influencing a woman’s family planning decisions included career goals (33%) sexual and reproductive health concerns (26%), healthcare and childcare support (25%), and societal pressure (16%). China is aligned with the global gap between the desired and actual family size (?) and the perceived and actual age a woman’s fertility starts to decline (35 vs 25), emphasizing the need for accurate information. Strategies to close the awareness and service gap in fertility healthcare include: information campaigns, regular fertility health checks, in-house women’s health support, family-friendly workplaces, comprehensive leave policies, and incentivizing child subsidies to empower women in their careers and family planning. The challenges women face in balancing work, family, and self-care is a “triple burden” that hinders their career advancement and will require public and private policies, facilities, and programs to level the playing field and empower women in China.
In addition, Eunice Yoon, Beijing Bureau Chief of CNBC, moderated a panel with Michael Zhu of HPE, Roberta Lipson of New Frontier Health, and Vivian Zhang of Merck Healthcare China. Zhu noted comprehensive policies and family planning measures, while Lipson called for increased access to healthcare and childcare support. Zhang announced Merck’s commitment to support women with fertility treatments.
Lipson also emphasized, “Companies that support women do better in business” and underscored the need to recognize the full spectrum of talent. Zhu highlighted HPE’s parental leave policy, which provides six months of paid leave for both men and women. Vivian Zhang shared Merck’s inclusive culture and commitment to women’s development, showcasing the company’s impressive statistics with 53% female employees, 53% in medical and health roles, and 57% in leadership positions.
Flora Liao, Founder and CEO of CareMs, noted the trend to leverage technology for women’s health and wellness, known as FemTech. Liao explained that the FemTech industry is still in its early stages of development, but it is growing rapidly, particularly in China. She noted the high social expectations on women in China, and shared a pivotal moment in her journey that opened her eyes to the importance of her own well-being which shifted her priorities.
Li Na, the first Asian competitor to win a Grand Slam, delivered an inspiring keynote speech. In her speech, she said, “Our abilities far exceed our imagination. It starts with having an idea and then taking action.” She encouraged girls to have more self-belief and confidence. Regarding family philosophy, she believes that “one plus one is greater than two.” This ideology means that men must be aware that family needs to be nurtured, and that requires mutual assistance and support.
In closing, Poh-Yian Koh, emphasized the need for men and women to work together to create a level playing field and achieve gender equity. “Women want to have a happy family and a successful career without compromising one or another,” Koh said. She stated that men need to be more involved in childcare and household tasks and that they need to create a more inclusive workplace culture. Su Cheng Harris-Simpson, the President and Founder of the Women Empowerment Council added that it can be easy to talk the talk, but real change happens when we walk the talk, so she encouraged all come away from the Conference& Awards making time and space to reflect and consider the actions we can take to move the needle.
In its third year, the Women Empowerment Awards celebrated trailblazing individuals and organizations making significant contributions to advancing gender equity. This year, the WEC awarded winners in seven categories (for more details, go to https://womenempowermentcouncil.com/we-awards/)
Individuals
Organizations
BBDO China as the Best SME for the Advancement of Women; EcoLab as the Best MNC for the Advancement of Women; and Educating Girls in Rural China (EGRC) as the Best Civic Organization for the Advancement of Women.
The Women Empowerment Conference & Awards 2023 showcased the importance of advancing gender equity and highlighted actionable steps for individuals, organizations, and society as a whole. By addressing the challenges women face in balancing work and family life and implementing supportive policies, progress towards equality can be achieved.
