Dear gender equality advocate,
We’ve seen lot of positive activity in the corporate world of gender-lens investing and gender equality recently. Our quarterly update presents some of the main highlights, but this is really only the tip of the iceberg.
During the first quarter of 2019, we rang our 'alarm bell' on several companies in our database, indicating a gender equality-related controversy. We see it as our responsibility to hold companies to account, with the aim that they will take measures to proactively address issues of gender-based violence or discrimination within their workforce and supply chains. We have also seen a growing momentum for legislation to close the gender pay gap in Europe, with both the UK and France now requiring companies to report their gender pay gap to the public. And then there are the countless initiatives which see women supporting other women: from a fund for businesswomen of color to a new directory for women in Venture Capital.
One of our main highlights the past month was our participation at the 5th WAW! W20 conference in Japan, where I was inspired by the heartfelt speeches of Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai and former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, as well as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's commitment to advance gender equality in Japanese workplaces. We presented our latest Special Report highlighting the Top 100 Asian companies, commissioned by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and launched during a panel on gender lens investing.
Equileap turned three years old last February, and our research continues to expand thanks to the growth of our international team. The first quarter of this year is only just over, and we look forward to sharing our new and exciting plans ahead.
We would love to hear from you, too. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and send us the latest updates from your company.
Warm regards,
Diana van Maasdijk,
CEO, Equileap