Six Singapore companies named in Bloomberg's 2021 Gender-Equality Index

DBS Group leads ASEAN in the top global quartile this year.

Six Singapore companies have made it into Bloomberg’s 2021 Gender-Equality Index (GEI), with DBS Group leading ASEAN in the top global quartile for the year.

Also included in the list are City Developments Limited (CDL), Singapore Exchange Limited, UOB Group, Singtel and Genting Singapore Limited, a new addition to the list.

In a statement, DBS CEO Piyush Gupta said that to be in the GEI’s top global quartile attests to the firm's commitment to advancing parity across DBS and its efforts in building a respectful and inclusive workplace that embraces gender, generational, and cultural diversity.

“We believe gender equality is essential to sustainable growth. At DBS, women comprise 50% of our workforce, 40% of our senior management, and run our largest businesses and key functions across the bank,” Gupta added.

Meanwhile, CDL is the only Singapore real estate company included in the index.

CDL Group Chief Executive Officer Sherman Kwek said the company is honoured to be named in the index for the fourth consecutive time. In 2017, CDL established an internal Diversity and Inclusion Task Force to promote diversity and inclusion within the workplace and the wider community.

Before the end of 2020, UOB’s workforce comprised 61.3% of women, an increase from 60.9% in 2019. Women represented 35% of senior management and 52% of middle management.

Dean Tong, UOB's head of group human resources, said that UOB is committed to ensuring equal opportunity for all on the basis of merit and to attract and to develop enterprising talent.

“We focus on building a workplace that values every individual and motivates them to reach their highest potential,” he added.

The GEI is a recognition for publicly listed companies that bring transparency to gender-related practices and policies, increasing the breadth of environmental, social, governance (ESG) data available to investors.

This year, the GEI comprised 380 companies across 44 countries and regions, and 11 sectors including automotive, banking, consumer services, engineering and construction, and retail, up from 325 companies in 2020. Firms on the 2021 index have a combined market capitalisation of USD14 trillion, up from USD12 trillion last year.