TeamAsia, a multi-awarded integrated marketing experience agency, was recognized in the recent 2022 United Nations Women Empowerment Principles (UN WEPs) Awards. The agency received the SME Champion for a Gender Inclusive Workplace award for its astounding efforts in creating a workplace environment where discrimination and violence do not thrive.
“It is such a great honor to be recognized by the UN Women as a gender inclusive workplace in the SME sector. This award is a testament to our commitment to promoting gender equality and empowering every member of our organization with equal opportunities to grow and flourish in their careers,” said Bea Lim, Managing Director of TeamAsia.
Apart from providing next-level experiences through its services in Digital, Creatives, PR, and Events marketing, TeamAsia is also committed to ensuring its employees are able to work harmoniously by providing avenues to hone their talents and skills. This includes creating a workplace environment where people are given benefits that promote work-life balance and ensure their mental and physical health.
As a women-owned and women-led company, TeamAsia aims to continuously elevate its programs and policies in promoting diversity and inclusion. Because of this, its President and Co-Founder Monette Iturralde-Hamlin initiated the push for the agency to sign up for the UN WEPs in 2021. The UN WEPs guide companies on how to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace, and community.
One of the first things TeamAsia did upon signing up for the UN WEPs was to take the Gender Analysis Tool (GAT) exam. The agency was surprised to receive a dismal Improver result of 29%. This pushed TeamAsia to be more extensive and aggressive in creating a gender inclusive workplace.
“We were devastated when we saw the result of the GAT. But instead of focusing on the negative, we took it as a learning opportunity to see the areas where we need to improve. We were determined to work the whole year until we take the test again to attain the UN WEPs standards of a gender inclusive company,” said Iturralde-Hamlin.
Upon taking the GAT exam again this year, TeamAsia achieved its goal of boosting its score and got a Leader result of 81%. The company’s push for heightened gender inclusive practices gave birth to TeamAsia’s Equal Opportunity Policy and Zero Violence Policy. Here, TeamAsia refined further its policies against discrimination through training sessions and reinforcing opportunities that promote diversity in recruitment and promotion processes.
It also amplified its policy in supporting parents and caregivers by including parents to adopted children who can avail of the maternal and paternal leave benefits. Furthermore, TeamAsia allowed working flexibility for its employees during the pandemic to help them navigate better in the hybrid work set-up.
To make sure policies are measured and implemented effectively, the agency now collects and analyzes sex-disaggregated data in terms of recruitment, turnovers, and promotions.
To further impact industries and communities TeamAsia has organized nation-building and women-centric events and campaigns in partnership with the Women’s Economic Empowerment Forum, APEC Women, League of Corporate Foundations, and WomenBizPH, which Monette also chaired, among many others.
Moreover, TeamAsia utilizes its publication The Red Circle, and podcast Breakfast to Business in promoting gender inclusivity. They produce content that highlights women empowerment and equality in communities and in the workplace. The agency also spearheaded an initiative called MommaCon which started during the onset of the pandemic in 2020. Here, TeamAsia opened a platform for women and mothers to voice out their experiences in a safe space.
On an internal level, TeamAsia organizes a monthly engagement virtual event for its employees. This allows every member of the agency to have time apart from their rest days to stop working, bond as a team and celebrate achievements together.
“Looking ahead, we are devoted to continuously evolving and innovating our policies through different strategies and measuring standards. We will remain steadfast in nurturing a gender-inclusive workplace culture where everyone is empowered, has access to equal opportunities, and is able to act on their advocacies,” said Lim.
