MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ “non-discriminatory” policies and other practices of Filipino business helped catapult the Southeast Asian nation to the top of a new survey, which shows that the proportion of Filipinas holding senior management positions is way above global average.
According to Grant Thornton International Ltd.’s 2018 Women in Business report, which polled 4,500 senior executives across 35 countries, 46.58 percent of Filipinas in the work place occupy top management posts.
That was higher compared to 40 percent last year and 39 percent in 2016.
The survey said respondents lauded the Philippines’ non-discriminatory policies for recruitment, paid parental leave, flexible hour and equal pay for men and women performing the same jobs.
“These practices have been introduced by Filipino businesses in order to attract and keep employees, enhance company performance, comply with government legislation, live up to organizational values and meet the expectations of wider society,” Grant Thornton said.
The country with the second highest percentage of women in senior leadership posts is Indonesia, with 42.56 percent, followed by Thailand, with 42.07 percent.
Across regions, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations had the highest average at 38.55 percent.
“Make diversity and inclusion a core value in your business: Organizational values drive behavior, so it is important that the whole business is signed up to diversity and inclusion,” said Ma. Victoria C. Españo, chairperson and chief executive officer of P&A Grant Thornton.
Globally, Grant Thornton, one of the world’s leading accounting and consulting firms, said businesses had taken “one step forward but one step back” in terms of giving women the opportunity to perform senior management roles.
It added that while it was “hugely positive that women are in senior roles at more businesses, it’s disappointing that they are being spread so thinly” as the proportion of the team that is female dropped to 24 percent in 2018 from 25 percent.