United Kingdom: On International Women’s Day, the British High Commission (BHC) Singapore has launched ‘The Gender Pledge 2024,’ renewing its gender equality commitments.
The BHC Gender Pledge 2024 signifies the company’s renewed dedication to gender equality, both within and beyond the workplace. BHC Singapore renewed its Gender Pledge, which was initially adopted in 2019, to better integrate gender equality and inclusion objectives into business planning and corporate culture. The Board of Management at BHC is committed to monitoring and frequently reviewing the pledge.
The Gender Pledge will continue to outline the key actions, measures, and best practices for BHC and its staff. It includes championing gender equality in the workplace through inclusive recruitment and retention practices. This means ensuring diverse gender representation at all public events organised by the BHC and refusing to participate in single-sex panel discussions.
Additionally, the BHC will publish communications with gender-balanced visuals and avoid unnecessary gendered terminology and stereotyping. Furthermore, the BHC will support events that promote gender equality and awareness.
The British High Commission’s Gender Pledge is in line with the ‘3 E’s framework of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which aims to educate girls, empower women, and put an end to violence.
The UK is internationally recognised for its dedication to supporting the rights of women and girls worldwide. Their efforts significantly transform lives, create long-term prosperity and stability, and promote a fairer and more equitable world that benefits everyone.
According to Susanna Pettigrew, the BHC’s Gender Champion, gender equality is not limited to a single day such as International Women’s Day, but it requires a long-term commitment to address the gender gap. In 2023, they actively participated in numerous events and initiatives to promote gender equality. They engaged with young people, early career professionals, and leaders from multiple fields and sectors.
“We have challenged partners to increase diversity on panels; we have challenged ourselves to expand our networks; we have looked at our parental leave policies to ensure that both parents can take the time that they need upon the birth of a child; and we adopted a new flexibility charter to allow our staff to work flexibly to suit their personal circumstances as far as business requirements allow,” Pettigrew said.
The Gender Champion at BHC stated that they will renew their commitments in 2024 and will increase their monitoring activities to hold themselves accountable better. They will make sure that their workplace is as inclusive as possible.
TRENDING | China ‘under-represents’ true impact of COVID outbreak; WHO
