THE WOMEN’SEMPOWERMENTPRINCIPLES (WEPs)
PRINCIPLES INTO PRACTICE:AN INTRODUCTION FOR COMPANIESIN ASIA AND THE PACIFICWOMEN’S EMPOWERMENTPRINCIPLES (WEPs)

PRINCIPLE 1
HIGH-LEVEL CORPORATE LEADERSHIPPRINCIPLE 2TREAT ALL WOMEN AND MEN FAIRLY AT WORK WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION

PRINCIPLE 3EMPLOYEE HEALTH, WELL-BEING AND SAFETY

PRINCIPLE 4EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR CAREER ADVANCEMENT

PRINCIPLE 5ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT, SUPPLY CHAIN AND MARKETING PRACTICESPRINCIPLE 6COMMUNITY INITIATIVES AND ADVOCACYPRINCIPLE 7
MEASUREMENT AND REPORTING

WELCOMETO THE COMMUNITY
Congratulations on having taken an important step towards the Women’s Empowerment Principles(WEPs) journey. We thank you for your interest and for making your business mean equality.
Amid all the challenges and opportunities in the ongoing pandemic, one fact is unassailable: countries
and companies with higher gender equality enjoy higher levels of growth and performance. Investingin women, in their leadership and training, and equal opportunity, brings high returns and help shapewhat's to come – a more equitable and inclusive workplace, marketplace and society at large.
As business leaders, you now have the opportunity to leap-frog directly to achieve this by unleashing
the potential of women. Companies are taking this forward in many ways, one of which involves
signing and implementing the WEPs. Forged through an international multi-stakeholder consultativeprocess, they provide a “gender lens” through which business can survey and analyze current practices,benchmarks and achievements. Informed by real-life business practices, they help companies tailor
existing policies to realize women’s economic empowerment.
As a leader in gender equality, UN Women is nurturing the WEPs Community and provides a series oftools, trainings and programmes to inspire and intensify the efforts to bring more women in at all levels.
It includes access to the business-friendly WEPs Gender Gap Analysis Tool, which will help organisations
make a confidential self-assessment of their strengths and what they need to do next, paired with anAction Planning Tool.
This first introduction brochure will also provide information about the WEPs and UN Women's services
to implement them including training and learning programs, technical assistance and innovative newprograms, such as the UN Women WEPs Activator and Industry Disruptor that are bringing companies
across Asia and Europe together to co-create gender-inclusive business.
In the spirit of collaboration, our objective is to deepen, broaden and strengthen our private sector
engagement to help shift behaviours for gender-responsive business conduct – and organizations
like yours play a vital role toward achieving this.
Once again we thank you and the companies that are committed to creating a more gender-inclusive
business environment and we look forward to supporting you on your journey.

MOHAMMAD NACIRIKATJA FREIWALD

UN Women Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific

Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) LeadUN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

WEPs INTRODUCTION FOR COMPANIES IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC | PAGE

1

WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT PRINCIPLES (WEPs)
A framework for gender-inclusive, sustainable and resilient business
Advancing women’s economic empowerment in the Asia and the Pacific holds enormous potential to drive
economic growth and support business performance and resilience. At the macro level, achieving genderequality in the workplace could add $3.2 trillion to the region’s GDP1, paving the way towards more inclusive
and resilient economies. For business, integrating commitment to women’s empowerment across their value
chain is an opportunity to drive sustainable growth.

The Business Case for the WEPs
The Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) provide a holistic framework for companies to promote andintegrate gender equality into their value chains for positive outcomes in business and society. Launchedin 2010 by UN Women and UN Global Compact, the WEPs are informed by international labor and humanrights standards and grounded in the recognition that businesses have a stake in, and a responsibility for,gender equality in the workplace, marketplace, and community, regardless of their size, sector or geography.

INNOVATION THROUGH DIVERSITY
Companies with more diverse leadership teams perform financially better and are more likely to have superior value creation.2

Innovation
Supporting women helps attract andretain new talent, enabling innovation
for market growth and/or process
improvements and efficiencies.

Cost Savings,
Increased Productivity& Resilience

WEPs Business
Case Triangle

Promoting gender equality canbuild more resilient and inclusive
workplaces and supply chains, withgreater retention, reduced turnover andincreased productivity through accessto opportunities and health andwell-being resources.3

Market Growth& Brand
Reputation
Advancing women’s equality
drives consumer loyalty, enhances
brand reputation, helps access andgrow new markets, and improves
access to women consumers
who form the largest growing
consumer group.4

Strengthening gender-inclusive value chains around the world
Asia and the Pacific are home to many manufacturers supplying brands globally and customers
buying from international brands, demonstrating the complex links of global value chains. Thesecompanies do not operate in isolation, and as such meaningful change will require collaboration
across regions and sectors. Businesses across the globe can benefit from promoting women’s
economic empowerment throughout their supply chains from the design stage, through toproduction and retail, making women’s economic empowerment relevant to all companies.
1
2
3
4

ILO (2017). World Employment Social Outlook. Trends for Women 2017. International Labor Office.
McKinsey and Company (2018). Delivering through Diversity.
BSR (2016). Women’s Empowerment in Global Value Chains. A Framework for Business Action to Advance Women’s Health, Rights and Wellbeing. Business for Social Responsibility.
McKinsey and Company (2018). Delivering through Diversity.

WEPs INTRODUCTION FOR COMPANIES IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC | PAGE 2

More than just good business sense: the moral and regulatory
imperative to promote women’s economic empowerment
In addition to the business benefits, companies havea moral and regulatory imperative to address gender
discrimination throughout their value chains.
Women’s rights are human rights and require thesame level of commitment that companies give tointernational human rights frameworks.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
aims to achieve gender equality andsimultaneously acknowledges throughout
the Declaration that advancing women’shuman rights as well as gender diversity
and inclusion are a prerequisite for inclusive
and sustainable growth.

New international standards are shifting expectations
for business, including but not only, the ILO Violenceand Harassment in the World of Work Convention(C190) and Recommendation 206 and the Gender
Dimensions report of the UN Guiding Principles ofResponsible Business Conduct.

17161NO
POVERTY

PARTNERSHIPSFOR THE GOALS

2ZERO
HUNGER

PEACE, JUSTICEAND STRONG
INSTITUTIONS

315The WEPs are the primary vehicle for businessto deliver on the gender equality dimensionsof the 2030 Agenda and the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals.

GOOD HEALTH
AND WELL-BEING

LIFE ONLAND

414GENDEREQUALITY AND
WOMEN’SEMPOWERMENTLIFE BELOW
WATER

13CLIMATE
ACTION

5612

QUALITYEDUCATIONGENDEREQUALITY

CLEAN WATER
AND SANITATIONRESPONSIBLE
CONSUMPTION
AND PRODUCTION

711SUSTAINABLE
CITIES ANDCOMMUNITIES10REDUCEDINEQUALITIES98INDUSTRY,INNOVATION AND
INFRASTRUCTURE

AFFORDABLE AND
CLEAN ENERGYDECENT WORKAND ECONOMICGROWTHGoal

GENDER EQUALITY
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
The Sustainable Development Goal 5 aims to achieve gender equality and empowerment all
women and girls. Gender equality is also key to the achievement of all other Goals.

WEPs INTRODUCTION FOR COMPANIES IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC | PAGE 3

Women face multiple barriers to realizing economic empowerment
in the Asia-Pacific region
Women are present throughout the business value chain in the Asia-Pacific region as producers, businessowners, executives, employees, distributors, and consumers. In some industries in the region, such asapparel, women represent up to 90% of the workforce.5 Women own and manage approximately 30% of theregion’s businesses, mainly in self-employed, micro, and small enterprises.6
However, women face deep inequalities and discrimination in the economy leading to poorer outcomesfor women, their families, and communities. Discriminatory gender stereotypes, violence and harassment
at work, among other issues, all impact women’s access to resources, finance, training and their ability toadvance in the workplace. Women in informal employment and women from marginalized groups, including
migrants, are particularly vulnerable but also have the most to gain in terms of economic empowerment.

The barriers facing women vary from country to country but generally include:
East Asia and the Pacific is the only region where women face declining employment rates from 66.08%
in 1991 to 58.19% in 2020.7
Women are over-represented in vulnerable and informal employment: more than 64% of employed
women in the region are in informal employment, and the female share of vulnerable employment
was 78% in South Asia in 2017.8
The gender pay gap in Asia is 15% on average, impacting women’s ability to invest in their families,communities, and the economy.9
Women in the Asia-Pacific region perform the most paid and unpaid care work in the world. Women in
the ASEAN countries do up to 3.5 hours more unpaid care work than men. In extreme cases in the AsiaPacific, women can spend as much as 11 hours a day on unpaid care work limiting the time and energy
they have to participate in paid work. Unpaid care work is the primary reason why women are outside
the labor force. Over 20% of women in the Asia-Pacific region see balancing their work and family
responsibilities as a major challenge to participating in the labor force.10

Time spent on Unpaid Care Work (mins)
Men64

Women

262050

100

150

200

250

300

Women inthe region
are responsiblefor 80%of unpaid
care anddomestic work

Women are underrepresented in leadership, holding only 23.3% of managerial positions in Asia and thePacific11 and only 20% of parliamentary seats.12 When women are left out of decision-making, the policies
and programs are unlikely to respond fully or effectively to their needs.
The gender gap in STEM skills and resources is likely to become more visible as female-dominatedsectors and jobs, such as manufacturing and teaching, automate or go online. Already, women are lesslikely to be connected to the Internet. In South Asia only 17% of women had access to the Internetin 2017.13

ILO (2014). Wages and working hours in the textiles, clothing, leather and footwear industries: Issues Paper for discussion at the Global Dialogue Forum on Wages and Working
Hours in the Textiles, Clothing, Leather and Footwear Industries, Geneva, 23–25 September. International Labor Office.
ILO (2018). Game changers: women and the future of work in Asia and the Pacific. International Labour Organization.
7
Modeled ILO ESTIMATE https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS?locations=Z4. International Labour Organization.
8
ILO (2018). Game changers: women and the future of work in Asia and the Pacific. International Labour Organization.
9HRM Asia (2015). Two Cents: Mind the Gender Pay Gap.
10ADB and UN Women (2018), Gender Equality and the Sustainable Development Goals in Asia and the Pacific Baseline and pathways for transformative change by 2030.
11
ILO Stats (2019)12
UNESCAP (2019), Pathways to Influence: Promoting the Role of Women’s Transformative Leadership to Achieve the SDGs in Asia and the Pacific.
13ILO (2018). Game changers: women and the future of work in Asia and the Pacific. International Labour Organization.
5

6WEPs INTRODUCTION FOR COMPANIES IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC | PAGE 4

Introducing the seven Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs)
The private sector has a key role to play in breaking down barriers to gender equality and driving progressfor women. The seven Principles provide a guiding framework for businesses to empower women acrosstheir value chain, in the workplace, marketplace, and community.

Principle 1

High-Level
Corporate Leadership

Leadership

Principle 2

Principle 3

Treat all Womenand Men Fairly
at Work without
Discrimination

Employee Health,Well-Being andSafety

WorkplacePrinciple 5

Principle 4

Education andTraining for Career
Advancement

Enterprise andSupply-ChainDevelopment andMarketing Practices

Marketplace

Principle 6

Community
Initiatives andAdvocacy

Principle 7

Measurement andReporting

Community and Transparency

WEPs INTRODUCTION FOR COMPANIES IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC | PAGE 5

Implementing the Women’s Empowerment Principles:
A journey for businesses
Committing to the WEPs takes businesses through a journey that will allow them to put in place tailor-made
impactful measures to drive gender equality across their industry and promote inclusive, sustainable growth.
2. Sign: Apply,
formalize andcommunicate
your WEPs
commitment.

4. Engage: Activate yourbusiness partners, vendors
and suppliers to foster
gender-responsive andinclusive value chains. Engage
in WEPs-related activities.

Sign

EngageConsider

1. Consider: Gain awarenessof the WEPs and garnersenior internal commitment
for signing the WEPs CEO
Statement of Support.

6. Report: Share yourcompany's progress against
your WEPs action plan,
integrate results into corporate
reporting frameworks, andstart your certification process.

ReportActivate
Sustain3. Activate: Take the WEPSGender Gap Analysis Tool anddevelop your WEPs action plan,establish KPIs, set targets, sharethem on weps.org and start
implementing them.

5. Sustain: Continue tocommunicate progress,experiences and lessons
learned on weps.org.

WEPs Gender Gap Analysis Tool is an online tool for companies to anonymously assess their progressagainst the WEPs Principles. The tool scores companies overall progress from beginner, improver,achiever, and leader and across their value chain in leadership, workplace, marketplace and community.
To date, 2,067 companies in 117 countries have used the tool.
The top 5 industries represented: Financial Services; Energy and Extractives; Food,Beverage and Agriculture; Healthcare; Information and Communications Technology.
More than half of companies which took the assessment have over 250 employees.
Average global score for companies is 28% – ranking them at level 2 “Improver”.
On average, companies scored 33% in the workplace dimension, 31% in leadership,
22% in community and 17% in marketplace.
Only 5% of companies that used the tool are from Asia.

WEPs INTRODUCTION FOR COMPANIES IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC | PAGE 6

www.weps-gapanalysis.org

What does the WEPs community offer?
Companies (private, public, state-owned and cooperatives) of any size and industry, established undernational law, industry associations and chambers of commerce committed to advancing gender equality
and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and community are invited to join the WEPs
community. By joining us, you will be able to:
Become part of a community of leading companies/peer-networks and exchange.
Accelerate your gender actions, fast track your sustainability agenda and make your action
visible to consumers and stakeholders.
Get access to training and support to incorporate the WEPs into your strategy and implement
impactful women’s empowerment measures. In-person and virtual trainings are available for eachstage of the WEPs Journey and cover the seven Principles. These trainings can help build internal
awareness and support for women’s empowerment and begin to implement the WEPs.
Participate in networking and exchanging events, as well as have the chance to get recognized foryour actions in the annual UN Women Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards.
Jointly develop and implement women’s empowerment programs with UN Women to address
crucial areas and implement together programs in your own operations, ranging from factory toworkplace programs and making your procurement more gender-responsive, or engaging larger
industry platforms, such as the Unstereotype Alliance, to create wider change.
Co-create larger individual programs and jointly run communications or advocacy
campaigns advancing gender equality at large with UN Women.

WeEmpowerAsia is a UN Women programme funded by and in partnership with the European Union.
The programme aims to catalyze action for gender equality and women’s full and equal participation in
the economy while creating a more gender-inclusive trade ecosystem between Asia and Europe. The
program is active in 7 countries of Asia. For more, visit weempowerasia.org.

Join the UN Women ‘WEPs Activator’ – A 10-month training programthat brings together companies to learn about the WEPs and assess
their progress towards building gender-inclusive business and supplychains.

Join the UN Women ‘Industry Disruptor’ – A unique incubation andmentorship program that provides entrepreneurs of all genders withfemale-benefitting enterprises the chance to tackle key sustainability
challenges in the fashion industry.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE?
Visit our website for more information about joining the WEPs community or contact us:
Email: weempower.asia@unwomen.org
Email: katja.freiwald@unwomen.org
Funded by:

Produced by:

In support of:

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the European Union, UN Women or the United Nations.