Out of the four Philippine companies included in Bloomberg’s 2022 Gender-Equality Index, the Gokongwei Group proudly accounts for two of them. Robinsons Land Corporation has made it on the prestigious list for the second year running, while Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. is celebrating its debut appearance.
“Robinsons Retail values gender diversity within its work culture. We recognize and celebrate the vast contributions made by women within our company, as women comprise the majority of our employee and management base. We are pleased with our inclusion in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, as it is not only an avenue for transparency to our stakeholders, but it is also a tool to further look into our organization and how we create spaces that are genuinely inclusive for all genders,” said Robina Gokongwei-Pe, Robinsons Retail president and CEO.
Speaking on behalf of the Gokongwei Group’s real estate arm, Constantino Felipe, RLC vice president for Human Resources, said, “We are honored to be included once again in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index. This recognition supports our commitment and progress in championing diversity, equity, and inclusion. At Robinsons Land, we are fostering an inclusive, people-driven culture that empowers all our employees to succeed, irrespective of gender. We will use the results of this year’s GEI to improve our policies and programs in ensuring balanced representation, equal opportunity and treatment, and merit-based advancement.”
According to Bloomberg chairman Peter T. Grauer, the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index recognizes companies that provide an inclusive work environment “that supports the evolving needs of employees and retains the competitive strengths gained through gender diversity, which is increasingly critical in this challenging business environment.” In addition, Grauer says that the GEI “sheds light on what was once an opaque area of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) data reporting, the ‘S’ in ESG.”
More than 550 companies — a new record — from across 45 countries and regions voluntarily contributed their data for the GEI’s seventh reporting cycle, with 418 companies (representing 11 sectors) passing the criteria for inclusion on the list.
Companies vying to make the index are asked to submit a comprehensive 60 question survey detailing how they invest in women in the workplace, the supply chain, and in the communities in which they operate. This GEI-reporting framework focuses on five key pillars to measure and track gender equality in the workplace: female leadership and talent pipeline; equal pay and gender pay parity; inclusive culture; anti-sexual harassment policies; and pro-women brand.
At present, Robinsons Retail’s employee base is composed of 70% women, with female employees fulfilling leadership roles across all levels of management, including the roles of president and CEO, chief financial officer, corporate secretary, and head of investor relations.
Women account for the majority of Robinsons Land’s total workforce and management base as well. As of December 2021, 57% of its employees are female, with a significant number engaged in senior leadership roles across the organization.
The inclusion of two companies from the Gokongwei Group on Bloomberg’s GEI manifests the conglomerate’s pursuit of a holistic sustainability agenda, guided in principle by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Highly prominent among these UN SDGs is the goal of Gender Equality, which, in part, involves securing equal participation and opportunities for leadership.
As RLC’s VP for Human Resources observes, promoting diversity and gender equality in the workplace are integral to a company’s continuous growth and expansion. “These factors drive creativity and innovation, better decision-making, and greater work satisfaction,” says Felipe.
For more information on Robinsons Retail Holdings and Robinsons Land Corporation, visit robinsonsretailholdings.com.ph and robinsonsland.com
To learn more about Bloomberg's Gender-Equality Index, visit bloomberg.com/gei
