Japan, Germany, Singapore lower on list of 28 countries
A study has unveiled that Filipino women are claiming more top-tier executive positions compared to other countries worldwide.
The survey conducted by London-based Grant Thornton found that 43% of senior management roles in Philippine businesses are held by women, according to a Nikkei Asia report.
The survey, conducted at the end of 2023, encompassed 4,891 midsize companies at 28 countries across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Grant Thornton defines senior management roles broadly, encompassing positions from CEOs and COOs to board members and finance chiefs.
The Philippines has maintained a strong presence at the top of the survey for two decades, being no. 2 in 2023, no. 4 in 2022, and no. 1 in 2021 and 2020.
This is not due to Western society's low consciousness of gender roles but because of the Philippines' early efforts to address gender issues, including the Magna Carta of Women Act of 2009, which guarantees women economic and social rights, said Tomoko Tashiro, a manager in marketing communication at Grant Thornton Japan, in the Nikkei Asia report.
Female representation in the global corporate setting
Three other Southeast Asian nations that placed in the Top 10 in 2023 include Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Countries like South Korea and Japan lag at the bottom of the list. Australia ranked no. 8, but South Korea is at no. 27, and Japan is at no. 28.
Globally, the female share of management positions has crept closer to parity for four years in a row, to 33% in the last survey, said the Nikkei Asia report.
However, 47% of surveyed companies are now primarily office-based, up from 36% the previous year, while 45% of businesses are hybrid, down from 53%, said Grant Thornton.
The report adds, "Businesses in which workers are primarily office-based are the only ones where thew percentage of women in senior management roles drops below the global benchmark,” said Nikkei Asia.
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