https://www.scmp.com/rss/510870/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Mattel is introducing an autistic Barbie on Monday as the newest member of its line intended to celebrate diversity, joining a collection that already includes Barbies with Down syndrome, a blind Barbie, a Barbie and a Ken with vitiligo, and other models the toymaker added to make its fashion dolls more inclusive. Mattel said it developed the autistic doll over more than 18 months in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a charity that advocates for the rights and better media... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3339652/mattel-adds-autistic-barbie-doll-line-devoted-showcasing-diversity-and-inclusion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3339652/mattel-adds-autistic-barbie-doll-line-devoted-showcasing-diversity-and-inclusion?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 20:58:46 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Hong Kong’s financial sector has seen strong growth in the number of women taking up senior positions and board directorships in recent years, driven by regulatory changes and corporate initiatives promoting gender diversity, according to a survey released on Tuesday. Women held 45 per cent of senior leadership roles – namely CEO, managing director and executives within three reporting levels below – in banks, asset management firms, insurance companies and fintech firms in the city, according... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3330557/glass-ceiling-shattered-45-top-hong-kong-financial-sector-roles-go-women?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3330557/glass-ceiling-shattered-45-top-hong-kong-financial-sector-roles-go-women?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 05:30:09 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A peculiar custom to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in southern China involves young people actively seeking verbal reprimands from the elders, believing that the more they are scolded, the longer they will live. This tradition, known as “Mid-Autumn cursing” or ma zhongqiu in Chinese, is primarily practised by the Zhuang ethnic minority in Xilin county, Baise, Guangxi province. The Zhuang, estimated to number around 19 million, are the largest minority group in China. They predominantly live... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3327306/china-ethnic-minority-youth-play-pranks-elders-during-mid-autumn-festival-longevity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3327306/china-ethnic-minority-youth-play-pranks-elders-during-mid-autumn-festival-longevity?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 08:00:08 +0000 Kylie Knott Kylie Knott Isaac Harvey’s passion for adrenaline-fuelled adventure started in 2015 when the Briton completed his first skydive. But his biggest challenge was not jumping out of a plane at 14,000ft (4,267 metres). It was the events leading up to it. Airfields across Britain told Harvey that skydiving was not possible because of his disability: he was born with limb/pelvis hypoplasia/aplasia (LPHA) syndrome. This rare genetic condition resulted in his being born with no arms, short legs, a weak pelvis and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3327315/how-disability-doesnt-stop-isaac-harvey-pursuing-his-passion-adventure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3327315/how-disability-doesnt-stop-isaac-harvey-pursuing-his-passion-adventure?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang Thailand’s military conscription lottery has made headlines for becoming a stage for transgender women who seek visibility and viral fame. The country’s military service law requires all male citizens to serve in national defence. When individuals turn 21, they must participate in a conscription lottery. Each participant receives an envelope containing either a red or a black card. A red card means they will enlist in the Thai military, typically for two years, while a black card signifies... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3305979/beauty-pageant-thai-transgender-women-seek-publicity-military-lottery-exercise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3305979/beauty-pageant-thai-transgender-women-seek-publicity-military-lottery-exercise?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Apr 2025 01:00:08 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification The United States has on several occasions accused the Chinese and Hong Kong governments of actions that eroded judicial independence and the rule of law. It has imposed sanctions on officials, most... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3306204/if-us-wants-protect-rule-law-start-its-own-backyard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3306204/if-us-wants-protect-rule-law-start-its-own-backyard?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Apr 2025 03:30:07 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A secondary school teacher in Malaysia has been placed under investigation after insulting a student for not understanding Malay and asking him to “go back to China”. The incident went viral after an audio clip of a phone call between the teacher and a man, who said he was a relative of the student, was posted online. The man asked the teacher if she had called the student “stupid”, and asked him to sit next to the dustbin and the teacher confirmed she had. She said she punished the student... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3303822/shock-malaysia-teacher-tells-stupid-pupil-struggling-dialect-go-back-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3303822/shock-malaysia-teacher-tells-stupid-pupil-struggling-dialect-go-back-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Mar 2025 10:00:09 +0000 I was 18 when I founded Breer in 2020. I had barely started university. What I struggled with most was having to fit the shoes of an entrepreneur very early on. Everything happened so quickly, which was a good thing for Breer, a food upcycling craft beer brand, but meant I had to accelerate my pace of learning to keep up. I didn’t know much about setting up a company. I didn’t know how you maintain business relations. I went from pitching to friends and having them try the beers we were making... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3301404/meet-brewer-breaking-gender-and-age-barriers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3301404/meet-brewer-breaking-gender-and-age-barriers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Mar 2025 02:45:07 +0000 Over the past few decades, there has been significant progress in gender equality globally, with more women holding parliamentary seats, fewer women living in extreme poverty and more legal reforms enacted to close the gender gap. But, despite the progress in some areas, the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index predicts it will take the world 134 years to reach gender parity. Clearly, there is still much work to be done. At the same time, we are seeing some markets and companies in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3301049/having-more-women-boards-makes-business-sense-hong-kong-gets-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3301049/having-more-women-boards-makes-business-sense-hong-kong-gets-it?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Mar 2025 21:30:07 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen The proportion of seats occupied by women on the boards of Hong Kong-based companies has surpassed one in five for the first time, but significant disparities remain in senior-management representation and pay equity, reports show. Across all Hong Kong-listed companies, 20.8 per cent of board seats were occupied by women as of October, up from 19 per cent a year earlier and 16 per cent in 2022, according to a report published by MSCI, an American financial company known for its indices.... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3301013/women-hold-1-5-board-seats-hong-kong-firms-first-time-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3301013/women-hold-1-5-board-seats-hong-kong-firms-first-time-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Mar 2025 23:30:08 +0000 The Trump administration has fulfilled a central campaign promise by issuing sweeping executive orders representing an unprecedented rollback on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across the United States. These measures have dismantled DEI initiatives in the federal workforce and military while enforcing a federal policy that formally recognises only two genders. The measures extend beyond the public sector. The administration is targeting private companies by threatening investigations and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3299309/us-hong-kongs-challenge-balance-progressive-ideals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3299309/us-hong-kongs-challenge-balance-progressive-ideals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Feb 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Investigators and aviation experts worked overtime on Friday searching for clues to this week’s deadly mid-air collision between a commercial jet and a military helicopter over Washington as attention focused on an increasingly stressed US aviation system, human error and concern the pilots involved may not have seen each other’s aircraft. Political pressure in the nation’s capital was building to identify what failed leading to the deadliest US air disaster in over two decades. US passenger... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3296988/stressed-us-aviation-system-draws-focus-investigators-search-clues-deadly-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3296988/stressed-us-aviation-system-draws-focus-investigators-search-clues-deadly-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Jan 2025 16:05:24 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A seven-year-old girl in eastern China has trended on social media after a video showing her different coloured eyes being welcomed and adored by her classmates at school. The girl, nicknamed CC who lives in Jiangxi province, southeastern China, has suffered from heterochromia from birth, according to her mother whose surname is Zou, reported the Jimu News. Years ago, the mother noticed her daughter right eye was grey-blue while her left eye was in black. CC started her primary school in... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3291350/china-classmates-embrace-girl-different-coloured-eyes-dispelling-bias-fears-mum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3291350/china-classmates-embrace-girl-different-coloured-eyes-dispelling-bias-fears-mum?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Dec 2024 01:00:10 +0000 Peta Tomlinson Peta Tomlinson On a typical work day Doris Yeung Man-shun, 59, plays two traditionally male roles: builder in reality and butler vicariously. Helping her clients through the upheaval of a major home renovation is an aspect of her job as a contractor that fills her with pride. “I’m with my clients every step of the way, from when they move out for demolition to begin, to when they are settled back in,” she says. As the gender gap narrows in one of Hong Kong’s biggest industries, the typically softer,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3281833/meet-women-changing-male-dominated-construction-industry-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3281833/meet-women-changing-male-dominated-construction-industry-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Oct 2024 23:15:08 +0000 The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games exceeded the high expectations set by the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. More than 4,000 athletes competed in 549 medal events across 22 sports. The Games showcased the remarkable talents of athletes with disabilities set against a backdrop of iconic Parisian landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower, Château de Versailles and the Grand Palais. The Paralympic Games are immensely important as a global celebration of ability, resilience and inclusion. Established to provide... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3278974/paris-games-and-philanthropy-show-power-human-spirit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3278974/paris-games-and-philanthropy-show-power-human-spirit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Sep 2024 01:30:08 +0000 How do you design a space that feels comfortable for as many people as possible? That was the question Yann Follain asked himself when his design studio, WY-TO Singapore, was invited last year to revamp the Keppel Centre for Art Education, in Singapore’s National Gallery. “They have been doing great work laying the foundation of art education [since opening in 2015],” says Follain. “But it was not addressing the needs for all. It had to be more inclusive.” More specifically, it wasn’t tailored... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/3273233/designing-inclusivity-how-can-we-make-public-spaces-more-welcoming-neurodivergent-visitors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/3273233/designing-inclusivity-how-can-we-make-public-spaces-more-welcoming-neurodivergent-visitors?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Aug 2024 23:45:09 +0000 A record number of athletes openly identifying as LGBTQ are competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics, a massive leap during a competition that organisers have pushed to centre around inclusion and diversity. There are 191 athletes publicly saying they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and nonbinary who are taking part in the Games, according to Outsports, an organisation that compiles a database of openly queer Olympians. The vast majority of the athletes are women. That number beat the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3272360/paris-olympics-record-191-openly-lgbtq-athletes-competing-2024-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3272360/paris-olympics-record-191-openly-lgbtq-athletes-competing-2024-games?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jul 2024 12:14:29 +0000 A new government report in Australia has recommended nearly 30 steps to enhance the nation’s cultural diversity, including offering citizenship tests in multiple languages and the creation of a dedicated commission for multicultural affairs. Observers have praised the Department of Home Affairs’ Multicultural Framework Review released on Wednesday and its ambitious reform agenda, but stress that its success hinges on effective implementation. Canberra did not publicly accept the report’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3272085/will-australias-new-multiculturalism-road-map-help-boost-migrants-sense-belonging?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3272085/will-australias-new-multiculturalism-road-map-help-boost-migrants-sense-belonging?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jul 2024 02:30:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A bride and groom in China have received generous money garlands worth a total of 160,000 yuan (US$22,000) on their wedding day from the man’s eight elder sisters and their husbands. The nuptials were held on May 15 in Shiyan of Hubei province, central China, Feidian Video reported. A clip showing the couple standing on stage while the groom’s sisters and brothers-in-law take turns placing wreaths comprising multiple 100 yuan notes around the newlyweds’ necks, went viral on mainland social... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3263615/china-groom-lavished-garlands-money-worth-us22000-8-older-sisters-underscores-cultural-bias-sons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3263615/china-groom-lavished-garlands-money-worth-us22000-8-older-sisters-underscores-cultural-bias-sons?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Jun 2024 06:00:10 +0000 A US-based Chinese TikTok influencer is under fire in mainland China for “reinforcing Asian stereotypes” after she posted a video of her changing costumes while using body movements that incorporated traditional cultural dress and makeup. Lucia Liu initially posted the video on TikTok on May 4, and it has since received 16.3 million views and 2.2 million likes. It features multiple costume changes that include a large variety of Chinese cultural outfits ranging from a cheongsam, an armoured... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3264955/china-kol-58-million-fans-criticised-costume-makeup-transformation-video-reinforces-asian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3264955/china-kol-58-million-fans-criticised-costume-makeup-transformation-video-reinforces-asian?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Jun 2024 06:00:10 +0000 Top China actors Wang Yibo and Huang Jingyu have faced a backlash for appearing in blackface makeup in a new movie about Chinese peacekeepers in Africa. On May 2, an online observer posted Wang’s blackface makeup from the action film Formed Police Unit, accusing the actors of “racial hostility”. The post has attracted 35,000 likes and 11,000 reposts. Released on the mainland during the May Day holiday, the film is directed by Hong Kong director Lee Tat-chiu and produced by Andrew Lau... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3261872/china-actors-face-blackface-backlash-over-makeup-used-film-about-chinese-peacekeepers-war-torn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3261872/china-actors-face-blackface-backlash-over-makeup-used-film-about-chinese-peacekeepers-war-torn?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 May 2024 06:00:11 +0000 Railway station staff in China who asked an armless man to prove that he was disabled in order to travel for free have sparked a wave of anger on mainland social media. Li Fengqiang, posted a video of his experience at the entrance of a metro station in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei province, on his Douyin account on March 21. A member of staff told him he needed to show his government-issued disability pass in order to travel for free on public transport. Li had forgotten his document and argued... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3256878/armless-man-china-denied-free-metro-ride-without-disability-pass-calls-more-humanised-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3256878/armless-man-china-denied-free-metro-ride-without-disability-pass-calls-more-humanised-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Apr 2024 01:00:14 +0000 Two British Airways flight attendants have been fired after mocking the accent of Chinese passengers and making racist slant-eye gestures in a viral video. The clip went viral after it was posted on TikTok by @jadenguyen_2 on March 16, triggering a backlash on mainland social media. It shows a white woman who was later confirmed to be British Airways flight attendant Holly Walton, trying to mimic a Chinese accent to say “give me wine” while making slant-eyes gestures. Another woman who filmed... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3256407/racist-british-airways-flight-attendant-duo-fired-slant-eyed-jibe-mocking-chinese-accents-passengers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3256407/racist-british-airways-flight-attendant-duo-fired-slant-eyed-jibe-mocking-chinese-accents-passengers?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Mar 2024 01:00:33 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. On International Women’s Day, I am reminded of the column, “As women get richer, they are also changing the face of philanthropy” (January 22, 2022), which pointed out that rather than just... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3254469/how-companies-can-ensure-gender-bias-doesnt-hold-women-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3254469/how-companies-can-ensure-gender-bias-doesnt-hold-women-back?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Mar 2024 03:30:10 +0000 With an economy struggling to rebound, persistent talent shortages and a rapidly ageing population, Hong Kong needs to use every pocket of talent at its disposal. While many resources are being invested to mitigate the impact of these challenges, there is an overlooked segment of the population that could significantly contribute: women. In Hong Kong, just 48 per cent of the local population of women participate in the workforce. This is in contrast to the 64 per cent of men in Hong Kong and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3253570/gender-inequality-hurts-men-and-boys-too-inclusion-everyones-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3253570/gender-inequality-hurts-men-and-boys-too-inclusion-everyones-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Mar 2024 01:30:11 +0000 The most notorious, violent and often sexist video game Grand Theft Auto is finally introducing a playable woman character into its testosterone-fuelled world, capping a wider trend towards more inclusivity in the gaming industry. The pressure is coming from players demanding wider representation and from a new generation of game designers sensitive to the issue. The result is “Lucia”, who featured in a trailer released on Tuesday for the Grand Theft Auto VI game that Rockstar Games will release... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3244040/how-grand-theft-auto-6-trailer-shows-diversity-and-inclusivity-video-gaming-has-hit-high-point?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3244040/how-grand-theft-auto-6-trailer-shows-diversity-and-inclusivity-video-gaming-has-hit-high-point?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Dec 2023 11:15:17 +0000 There was a time when I considered myself to be as “minority” as they come among Hong Kong’s ethnic minority demographic. For years since I first started working as a rookie reporter in this city in the lead-up to its 1997 transfer of sovereignty to China, most local people would tell me I was the first Tibetan journalist they had ever encountered, if not the first Tibetan person full stop. We used to joke back then that any company that hired me would instantly fill its diversity quota – and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3240429/why-south-china-morning-post-city-we-call-home-one-great-melting-pot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3240429/why-south-china-morning-post-city-we-call-home-one-great-melting-pot?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Nov 2023 22:00:32 +0000 Just 14 per cent of the directors serving on the boards of the 100 most valuable Chinese companies listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges are female, a report from a regional corporate governance body said. State-owned enterprises (SOEs) had a lower rate of female directors than their private sector counterparts, and nearly one in five companies had an all-male board, said the investor-backed Asian Corporate Governance Association (ACGA), whose research was based on companies’... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3234176/chinas-100-biggest-listed-companies-have-just-14-female-directors-their-boards-says-report-which?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3234176/chinas-100-biggest-listed-companies-have-just-14-female-directors-their-boards-says-report-which?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Sep 2023 14:26:54 +0000 Businesses like certainty. So why are they bullish on the business environment in Asia, as a new survey has found, even as uncertainty is on the rise? In a world of overlapping crises, uncertainty has become the new normal, forcing business leaders to put adaptability at the core of their strategy. Increasingly, executives must think about how to stay relevant in a rapidly changing environment and use diversity to their advantage to build more resilient and adaptable businesses. The... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3231043/how-businesses-still-upbeat-asia-can-adapt-uncertainty-new-normal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3231043/how-businesses-still-upbeat-asia-can-adapt-uncertainty-new-normal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Aug 2023 07:45:17 +0000 Measures to address racial equality among British workers fall short because they fail to consider the needs of different groups. While Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani workers earned 15 per cent to 16 per cent less than White British workers, Indian and Chinese workers earned 16 per cent and 23 per cent more, according to a report by consulting giant McKinsey. Yet it’s easy to overlook this bigger gap for BBP workers if ethnic minority individuals are lumped together under an umbrella reference... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3226437/uk-pays-chinese-indian-employees-more-other-ethnic-minorities-fails-address-racial-diversity-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3226437/uk-pays-chinese-indian-employees-more-other-ethnic-minorities-fails-address-racial-diversity-report?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Jul 2023 15:02:01 +0000 When New Delhi, India-based Hameeda Syed goes clothes shopping, she tends to gravitate towards the men’s section. A plus-sized woman of above-average height, she finds shirts and jeans designed for men most comfortable. For Aarti Krishnakumar from Pune, growing up in a small south Indian town meant covering up in roomy shalwar kameez and full-sleeved dresses that fell well below the knee. “It was not so much about modesty as about my size. ‘You are fat, so you need to cover up’,” she remembers... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3219017/why-should-we-feel-bad-about-ourselves-affordable-size-inclusive-indian-fashion-entrepreneur-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3219017/why-should-we-feel-bad-about-ourselves-affordable-size-inclusive-indian-fashion-entrepreneur-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 May 2023 08:15:08 +0000 When May Tan was tapped by her then-employer, British investment bank Cazenove, to relocate from England to work in Hong Kong in 1984, she was not thrilled. The firm had its eye on gaining a foothold in Asia and offered Tan, a Malaysia-born chartered accountant, a secondment in the city to do equity research. Hong Kong’s economy then was in turmoil, ahead of the 1997 handover from Britain to Beijing. Tan, who had never been to the city, described the situation as “chaotic”. “Deng Xiaoping and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3214493/lunar-malaysias-may-tan-looks-back-trailblazing-banking-career-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3214493/lunar-malaysias-may-tan-looks-back-trailblazing-banking-career-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Mar 2023 08:30:16 +0000 Hong Kong-listed firms must strive to get more women onto their boards of directors by implementing policies to encourage gender neutral hiring, offering training to nurture female talent and facilitating networking and mentoring, a panel discussion has heard. Policies requiring external head-hunters to come up with a minimum amount of female representation on a board’s nomination committee can help accelerate the process, said Andrew Weir, regional senior partner of KPMG Hong Kong. “The biggest... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3212849/international-womens-day-hong-kong-firms-must-do-more-recruitment-training-and-mentoring-achieve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3212849/international-womens-day-hong-kong-firms-must-do-more-recruitment-training-and-mentoring-achieve?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Mar 2023 23:30:11 +0000 Progress has been made in Japan on improving working conditions for women but more must be done, the country’s chief cabinet secretary said, adding that social attitudes about gender equality were poor. Japan ranked 116 out of 146 countries on gender parity in the World Economic Forum’s global report last year, and efforts to promote women in management and government have stalled. There are only two women cabinet ministers among the 20 members of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s cabinet. In... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3212767/japan-admits-it-must-do-more-ease-womens-struggle-balance-work-and-family?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3212767/japan-admits-it-must-do-more-ease-womens-struggle-balance-work-and-family?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Mar 2023 08:15:08 +0000 A teenager in Singapore, who was ridiculed on social media for labelling a S$80 (US$60) Charles & Keith bag a “luxury item” during a TikTok unboxing, has turned the tables on her critics after being named a brand ambassador for the home-grown city fashion chain. Charles & Keith, a Singapore accessories retailer with 600 branches worldwide, on Sunday shared a photo of Zoe Gabriel, 17, modelling a handbag as part of its campaign for International Women’s Day. Gabriel – who goes by ‘zohtaco’ on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3212541/singapore-tiktokker-zoe-gabriel-mocked-over-us60-handbag-now-charles-keith-model?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3212541/singapore-tiktokker-zoe-gabriel-mocked-over-us60-handbag-now-charles-keith-model?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Mar 2023 10:11:52 +0000 The representation of women on the boards of listed companies in mainland China and Hong Kong continues to rise but remains below that in regional and western peers, according to the latest assessment by US-based financial indices and analysis tools provider MSCI. Among companies domiciled on the mainland, women took up 14.8 per cent of board seats as of October 4 last year, up from 13.8 per cent in 2021 and 13 per cent in 2020, according to a report MSCI published this week, ahead of... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3212226/international-womens-day-more-gender-diversity-hong-kong-mainland-china-firms-boards-still-trail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3212226/international-womens-day-more-gender-diversity-hong-kong-mainland-china-firms-boards-still-trail?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Mar 2023 03:30:14 +0000 Women are breaking into Singapore boardrooms at a record pace. At the 100 largest companies listed on Singapore’s stock exchange, 36 per cent of board appointments went to women in 2022, a record high and up from 23 per cent in 2021, according to an annual study by the Council for Board Diversity. The influx of women follows new rules that require Singapore listed companies to say more about their board diversity policies. Starting from 2022, firms have to disclose their diversity targets,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3212085/record-number-singapores-new-director-roles-filled-women-after-new-diversity-rules-applied?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3212085/record-number-singapores-new-director-roles-filled-women-after-new-diversity-rules-applied?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Mar 2023 09:14:38 +0000 A project on Instagram to highlight ordinary women and their imperfections has transformed into a modelling agency that aims to redefine notions of beauty in Italy. The L’Imperfetta (Imperfect) modelling agency, started in 2020 by Carlotta Giancane, has a casting book full of models who defy the industry’s pre-established standards of beauty. They are of all sizes and ages, spanning the gender spectrum, some with disabilities or medical conditions like alopecia or vitiligo, visible scarring, or... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3211796/me-i-really-am-italys-first-modelling-agency-imperfect-models-seeks-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3211796/me-i-really-am-italys-first-modelling-agency-imperfect-models-seeks-change?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Mar 2023 09:15:09 +0000 Hong Kong businesswoman Lily Cheng Ka-lai recalls attending her first board meeting as an independent non-executive director of a travel company in Europe in 2016 and feeling intimidated but determined to speak up. “For a lot of women with my profile and age, they never thought this path was possible,” the 44-year-old Cheng told the Post at the Women of Influence awards organised by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) on Tuesday. “It always seemed like you had to be in your 60s or 70s as a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3211026/future-female-hong-kong-companies-did-not-get-memo-third-still-having-all-male-board-members?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3211026/future-female-hong-kong-companies-did-not-get-memo-third-still-having-all-male-board-members?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Feb 2023 14:25:35 +0000 Mia Nulimaimaiti Mia Nulimaimaiti The writing on the wall is abundantly clear, brazenly spelled out with no-nonsense language in the job posting for a Chinese automotive services firm in Sichuan province. “The average age of the team should be less than 30 years old,” states the notice seeking to fill a vacant human resources position. China’s pervasive ageism in employment is nothing new. And it’s certainly no secret. But signs could be suggesting that it is getting even worse. Traditionally, it starts rearing its head in the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3209667/chinas-youngest-millennials-told-theyre-too-old-jobs-and-elder-gen-z-workers-are-next?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3209667/chinas-youngest-millennials-told-theyre-too-old-jobs-and-elder-gen-z-workers-are-next?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Feb 2023 03:00:10 +0000 Nicole Li* made her way successfully through law school and landed a job at a Hong Kong legal firm, but was not prepared for the gender discrimination she faced at work. Unsolicited comments about her clothes, patronising remarks about her work and being talked down to were just some ways men upset the lawyer, in her 20s, who has been practising for more than two years. Men in the office providing “friendly advice” warned her that her career would be derailed if she ever decided to have a baby... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3208290/women-lawyers-work-hong-kong-survey-shows-gender-woes-men-who-patronise-workplace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3208290/women-lawyers-work-hong-kong-survey-shows-gender-woes-men-who-patronise-workplace?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Jan 2023 11:00:12 +0000 “Discrimination is not done by villains, it’s done by us,” said Vivienne Ming, the neuroscientist. Although condemned, discrimination remains prevalent, and while adults can sometimes cope, children often cannot and face lasting damage. In a city acclaimed for its quality of life, this situation is intolerable. On September 8, the UN Development Programme issued its latest Human Development Index, which surveyed 191 places in terms of human development, being knowledgeable and having a decent... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3204016/why-are-hong-kongs-young-still-bearing-brunt-prejudice-and-discrimination?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3204016/why-are-hong-kongs-young-still-bearing-brunt-prejudice-and-discrimination?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Dec 2022 08:45:12 +0000 The Hong Kong government has appointed former Asian Wall Street Journal journalist Julia Leung Fung-yee as the first woman CEO of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), the regulator said on Thursday. Leung, 62, will take charge on January 1 for a three-year term. Leung, the deputy CEO of the markets watchdog, was considered to be the most ideal candidate to replace Ashley Alder, as she has been ably assisting him for a long time, said one of the sources who was involved in the selection... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3203409/hong-kong-government-name-journalist-turned-regulator-julia-leung-first-female-ceo-sfc-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3203409/hong-kong-government-name-journalist-turned-regulator-julia-leung-first-female-ceo-sfc-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Dec 2022 08:02:04 +0000 Thirty-two. That was the number of years I lived before a doctor diagnosed me with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). The unexpected surprise was followed by frustration, that I hadn’t sought help earlier, anger, that so little was understood about it, and sadness, as I considered how the past could have been different. ADHD is surprisingly poorly named, as it is not a deficit of attention but instead, an increase in focus on things one finds interesting. Mine is merely one condition... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3201409/neurodiverse-talent-untapped-resource-across-asia-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3201409/neurodiverse-talent-untapped-resource-across-asia-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Dec 2022 00:15:10 +0000 I was born in Hong Kong in 1985. My family weren’t well off. My parents worked in the garment manufacturing industry and the five of us – me, my parents, my sister and our dog – lived in a 150 sq ft (14 square metre) public housing flat in Tsuen Wan, in the New Territories. I wasn’t the sort of kid who could sit still with a book. I liked sports, especially football, and supported Manchester United. My mum didn’t push me to compete academically; her only request was that I live a happy life. And... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/3200990/i-felt-hopeless-hong-kong-paralympic-badminton-medal-winner-daniel-chan-losing-his-leg-car-crash-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/3200990/i-felt-hopeless-hong-kong-paralympic-badminton-medal-winner-daniel-chan-losing-his-leg-car-crash-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Nov 2022 05:15:09 +0000 There has been a lot of talk over how Hong Kong can reboot itself after the past few difficult years. There are many issues to fix – and repairing Hong Kong’s reputation and standing in the eyes of the international community takes action and time. An area relatively overlooked, where meaningful change can come from the top down, is the rights of gender and sexual minorities. There exist many reasons for which we should care for genuine gender and sexuality equality: reasons to do with... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3200237/hong-kong-stands-lgbtq-rights-would-be-more-attractive-global-talent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3200237/hong-kong-stands-lgbtq-rights-would-be-more-attractive-global-talent?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Nov 2022 00:30:21 +0000 For the first time in 20 years, no women have been selected for the Chinese Communist Party’s Politburo, an omission experts say is “a step backwards” for gender diversity, and one that may further dampen female participation in Chinese politics. The new line-up of top party leadership that was unveiled on Sunday at the conclusion of the week-long 20th party congress was an all-man band. Further, both the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee and the 24-seat Politburo were filled exclusively... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3196848/absence-women-chinas-new-leadership-elite-step-backwards-political-diversity-say-observers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3196848/absence-women-chinas-new-leadership-elite-step-backwards-political-diversity-say-observers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Oct 2022 06:00:08 +0000 Hong Kong Disneyland is embarking on new initiatives to make the theme park more accessible to people with disabilities. It is the first Disney park in the world to provide sign language integrated into the body movements of performers at its shows, a practise it calls “theatrical interpretation” – starting with Halloween. The initiative is part of the park’s drive to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. “There’s a responsibility to live up to the promise that Walt Disney himself made when... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3195987/hong-kong-disneyland-makes-sign-language-part-show-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3195987/hong-kong-disneyland-makes-sign-language-part-show-world?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Oct 2022 09:15:09 +0000 https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3192854/win-diversity-emmys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3192854/win-diversity-emmys?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Sep 2022 08:00:00 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press There was a pivotal moment in one Filipina woman’s life that eclipsed all others – it was the moment, she says, when she first slid her legs into a mermaid tail. Queen Pangke Tabora is a transgender woman approaching middle age, and seeing her legs encased in vibrant, scaly-looking neoprene three years ago was the realisation of a childhood dream. It marked the beginning of her immersion into a watery world where she would find acceptance. The former insurance company worker described the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3182799/making-splash-mermaiding-subculture-thats-got-fans-hooked?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3182799/making-splash-mermaiding-subculture-thats-got-fans-hooked?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Jun 2022 09:36:35 +0000