According to the report, geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainties were pushing diversity down the list of priorities for companies. “Leaders are concerned with reducing costs and retaining talent, relegating diversity to a nice-to-have rather than a must-have,” according to the authors of the report.
Gender diversity has come under fresh spotlight following recent allegations of sexual harassment and gender bias against ride-hailing company Uber by a former employee.
Grace Cheong, vice president of HR for Asia Pacific and Japan at U.S.-based tech company F5 Networks, told CNBC’s “Street Signs” on Wednesday that despite news of gender discrimination in certain areas, “great strides” had been made in raising awareness, especially on social media.
Diversity, Cheong said, underpinned ideas that were different as well as opened new avenues for business. “The digital economy has no respect of gender, it is an open marketplace,” she said.
But for many female employees, especially in the technology sector, advancing to a senior role can be a challenge as the industry tends to be male-dominated, according to industry executives.
The impetus is on women to advocate for themselves, according to Sophie Guerin, diversity and inclusion lead for Asia Pacific and Japan at Dell.
“But we recognize particularly in the technology industry, where men continue to remain in majority of leadership positions, it’s really about men needing to play a critical role in advocating for women as well,” Guerin told CNBC.
