eNewsletter

Recent surveys suggest that women in the Philippines hold more senior management positions than women in any other Asian country. According to a Grant Thornton survey conducted earlier this year, 97% of firms in the Philippines reported that women hold senior management positions. This compares to 91% in China, 83% in Hong Kong, 67% in Singapore, and only 25% in Japan.

According to Labor and Employment Department statistics, Filipina women in the workforce are more educated than men. One fifth of working women in the Philippines has completed college, as compared to only one tenth of working men. At the executive level, more than half of top management positions in the Philippines are currently occupied by women. This compares to a mere 23% in the United States, 19% in the United Kingdom, and 7% in Japan.

For HR managers at Western companies in the Philippines, this is a welcome trend. In a region sometimes known for its sexist hiring practices, the Philippine example stands out. Culturally, women hold an important place in Philippine society, both in the household and in the political arena (the current president of the Philippines is a woman). Talented women can be assured that they will receive the same opportunities as their male counterparts. Although salaries for mid-level managers are still higher among men than women in the Philippines, the gap has been almost completely eliminated at senior management levels.