Published 7 March 2025 –
This year’s International Women’s Day calls us to step forward in solidarity to help #AccelerateAction in achieving full gender parity.
This could come in the form of supporting supporters, supporting women and girls into leadership, promoting creative and artistic talent of women and girls, and many more strategies on both individual and organisational levels.
Often overlooked in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Reporting, gender equality as a social issue plays a significant role in driving environmental and governance outcomes.
With increasing focus on gender equality and in alignment with this year’s focus on decisive action, we invited seven visionary female leaders across Asia to share how they advance gender equality and sustainability in both their organisations and personal lives, and their take on what #AcceleratingAction for gender equality means to them this International Women’s Day.
Dr. Allinnettes Adigue, Director for Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) ASEAN Regional Network
ASEAN
Dr. Allinnettes Adigue is the Director of the ASEAN Regional Network at Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Dr. Allinnettes engages with policymakers and stakeholders to create a supportive ecosystem for transparent sustainability disclosures, working with businesses of all sizes, especially SMEs, to simplify reporting through access to resources and digital tools.
“Accelerating action for gender equality means moving beyond rhetoric and taking tangible steps to dismantle systemic barriers.”
Dr Allinnettes shares that in the sustainability and reporting space, companies must commit to meaningful action through gender-responsive policies, mentorship programs, and stronger governance measures to hold organisations accountable, while championing women’s voices in decision-making.
On an individual level, she emphasises the importance of driving real change through normalising shared caregiving responsibilities, ensuring workplace policies support all employees equally, and challenging outdated perceptions of productivity and leadership that disadvantage women.
This International Women’s Day, Dr Allinnettes encourages fellow women in the workforce to stay true to their values, keep an open mind towards different unexpected opportunities, and continue challenging the status quo where needed to push for better policies and accountability.
“Your career is not a race; it’s a journey. Walk it with curiosity, courage, and the confidence to carve out a path that is uniquely yours.”
Charmain Kwee, Group Executive Director and Co-Chair of Sustainability Working Committee, Eurokars Group
Singapore
Charmain is the Group Executive Director of Eurokars Group, one of the largest privately-owned car distributorships in APAC. Charmain steers the Group’s strategic direction, collaborates with stakeholders to drive growth and success, pitches and secures new partners like Singapore’s BMW dealership, and oversees business operations in China and Australia. She also plays a key role in the Group’s Sustainability Working Committee (SWC) as Co-chair, implementing key initiatives such as comprehensive waste management processes, green building measures, and the adoption of Eurokars’ Environmental Policy.
“To me, accelerating action for gender equality means creating a workplace where merit truly dictates success.”
To create an environment where exceptional leaders are born, Charmain maintains a genuine commitment to meritocracy, demonstrating this through Eurokars’ focus on nurturing and recognising talent.
Notably, Eurokars Group has successfully achieved an outstanding 53% female leadership at top management level in a historically male-dominated automotive industry, through a system of unbiased evaluation and merit-based advancement.
In her personal time, Charmain actively volunteers at pro bono legal clinics with her expertise as a former disputes lawyer. She is an avid believer of cultivating unwavering faith in one’s abilities and inspiring others with self-confidence, regardless of any field or endeavour.
“Have faith in yourself, remain grounded in your values, and keep pushing forward with resilience and determination.”
Elaine Ng, Associate Director, International Affairs & Sustainable Finance, Securities and Futures Commission
Hong Kong
Elaine is the Associate Director of the International Affairs and Sustainable Finance Team at the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), which conducts research and external engagement initiatives that bolster SFC’s thought leadership in sustainable finance.
“To me, gender equality means creating an environment where women have equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in leadership positions, especially in finance.”
Elaine emphasises that accelerating action requires amplifying a diverse range of voices, including women with varied backgrounds, ensuring they are heard and valued in decision-making processes. This approach fosters a level playing field where there is fair access to opportunities. She believes that training programs aimed at addressing unconscious bias and promoting allyship can significantly contribute to transforming organizational cultures towards a more conducive environment.
Elaine openly shares the success story of the Hong Kong SFC’s workforce, which boasts a commendable 58% representation of women in mid to senior-level positions, including their CEO. These women leaders serve as inspiring role models for other women and girls, showcasing that success is indeed attainable. Such visibility inspires the next generation of female leaders, encouraging them to pursue careers in finance and other traditionally male-dominated fields.
For ladies at an early stage in their career, Elaine’s advice is to be proactive in seeking opportunities and experiences that align with one’s interests and if possible, purpose. This is core to building resilience and adaptability when challenges arise.
Lee Hui Ting, Deputy Director, Corporate Planning, Economics and Sustainability Management, Public Bank Berhad
Malaysia
Hui Ting heads the sustainability team in Public Bank, driving the achievement of the bank’s net zero 2050 target through developing strategy to mobilise the reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. She also oversees the ESG progress of the bank, ensuring all three pillars are on par with industry best practices, including diversity and equality.
“To accelerate action for gender equality means to provide equal opportunities to anyone based on merit.”
Hui Ting is an avid believer of providing support to anyone deemed competent or with potential of being nurtured, through coalitions to champion gender equality industry wide, identifying leaders, and providing necessary guidance to hone talent and empower them to reach their goals.
For other ladies navigating the sustainability space, Hui Ting encourages them to have confidence and build strong foundations without confining themselves to societal expectations to bring themselves further in both their personal lives and careers.
Madeleine Chang Shu Fang, Vice President, Products, ESGpedia
Singapore
Madeleine is the Vice President, Products of ESGpedia and helms the development of innovative platform solutions that empower clients to make informed decisions about their baselines and identify areas for improvement, directly enhancing their ESG performance. She plays a key role in empowering clients to turn sustainability challenges into competitive advantage, to collectively build a more sustainable future.
“I believe accelerating gender equality means taking more immediate, impactful, and coordinated steps to address gender equality issues.”
Madeleine shares that sustainability and technology are important in accelerating gender equality, especially in supporting women in balancing work and family. Remote work, made possible with technology, promotes inclusivity by enabling women with mobility limitations to balance caregiving responsibilities and creating more opportunities for companies to tap into a wider talent pool.
With industries such as renewable energy, electric vehicles, and environmental consulting on the rise, Madeleine highlights the importance of hiring talented women to build a more diverse workforce, effectively advancing equality for future generations.
Ting-Ting Zhang, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Fashion Council
Singapore
Ting-Ting is the Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Fashion Council (SFC), leading the Council’s efforts to transform the fashion industry into a more sustainable and responsible sector. Through initiatives such as the Fashion Sustainability Programme and ‘Zero-Fashion Waste Initiative” framework, the SFC helps enterprises adopt sustainable business practices.
“Accelerating action for gender equality means creating an inclusive environment where women have equal opportunities to lead and innovate in the fashion industry.”
Ting-Ting encourages the community to take decisive action for gender equality, suggesting these practical steps: implementing women’s empowerment programs in supply chains, promoting women to visible leadership positions while ensuring their representation in decision-making roles, and collaborating with organisations that specialise in gender equality initiatives, such as women-founder loan programmes.
To address intrinsic biases and systemic barriers, Ting-Ting advocates for women to stay curious and embrace challenges, while collaborating with male allies to promote gender equality and pushing for policies that support work-life balance and parental leave. She emphasises the importance of leaders in ensuring the workplace has adequate systems to safeguard fairness for everyone and eliminating biases whenever possible.
A piece of heartfelt advice shared by Ting-Ting for ladies starting out in their careers – “Remember that your unique perspective is valuable, and you have the power to drive positive change in the industry.”
Ma Victoria Tan, Chairperson, Global Compact Network Philippines (GCNP)
Philippines
Victoria is the Chairperson of Global Compact Network Philippines, advocating for member organisations to model the 10 principles of the United Nations Global Compact, and the 17 Sustainability Development Goals. She spearheads efforts to support businesses in their sustainability journeys, and the government in policy development and execution of major national sustainability initiatives.
“Accelerating action for gender equality means equal opportunities for all – access to basic human needs, equal pay for equal work, access to promotion, and other employment-related opportunities.”
Victoria encourages allies to work together in creating pathways to ensure next generations will have sustainable, equitable, and an inclusive future. She emphasises that lowering barriers to sustainability, a complex challenge involving many industries, is key to ensuring inclusivity.
To raise awareness and further gender equality, Victoria strongly believes that deeply embedded unconscious biases must be identified and addressed with decisive action.
Celebrate International Women’s Day 2025 by #AcceleratingAction
Whether it is through challenging gender stereotypes, discrimination, and biases, or creating equal opportunities in a workplace for promotion and recognition, we hope that the experiences and inspiring insights shared will encourage everyone to make a positive difference for women daily.
ESGpedia is immensely grateful to be working closely alongside a community of strong women leaders in sustainability. In line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 5, we are committed to continuing to promote gender equality, empowering all women and girls as part of our wider mission to accelerate ESG progress and excellence for businesses in the Asia Pacific region.