DEIA Best Practices Shaped Discussions at U.S. Consulate Event
On April 12, 2023, the US Shanghai Consulate invited DEI leaders to share workplace diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility best practices followed by a panel discussion moderated by Diane Ho, the partner at the Women’s Empowerment Council. Counsel General Jim Heller welcomed the participants and Deputy Chief of Mission Dave Meale shared his views on DEI to kick-start the event.
Two of the three panelists are WEC member companies! Some key summary points follow:
Selena Chu, Vice President at Dow Greater China, noted Dow focuses on valuing individuals and building a more inclusive environment. Women Inclusion Network (WIN), 1 of 10 ERGs established 30 years ago, has helped women around the globe share experiences, find mentors, seek professional development, and gain access to senior leadership. As a result, Dow’s leadership representation of women at the senior level is more than 40% globally, and more than 50% in China. Dow China was recognized by UN Women as Gender-Inclusive Workplace in 2020 & 2021 and was certified as Great Place to Work and Best Workplace for Women this year. Additionally, the company has many initiatives to help a diverse range of employees and uses the motto ALL IN.
Murray King, Vice President, Public Affairs at Shanghai Disney Resort, focused on philanthropic programs and its commitment to ensuring accessibility for all people, including those with disabilities, the elderly, and people with mental health issues. Named “MagicALL”, the programs and initiatives ensure that everyone, all guests and cast members, can enjoy their time at Disney. A key initiative and next-level accessibility is the training of their staff in sign language. Now, people with hearing disabilities can also fully enjoy their time at Disney and feel included and heard! It was highlighted in a Disney advertisement for people with hearing disabilities: “Sometimes silence speaks louder than words.”
上海迪士尼度假区负责公共事务的副总裁穆雷·金(Murray King)则专注于慈善事业并致力于确保所有人包括残疾人、老年人和有心理健康问题的人士都能在度假区享受快乐时光。这项名为“魔幻时光”的项目和计划将确保每个人，包括所有游客和演员都能在迪士尼玩得开心。而下一阶段的关键举措则是对其工作人员进行手语培训。现在，听力障碍人士也可以在迪士尼度过一段愉快的时光，他们会感受到被包容和被听得见！迪士尼为听障人士做的一则广告中尤其突出了这一点：“有时候沉默比大声说话更响亮。”
Julie Fu, China DE&I Business Partner at Merck shared the importance of all employees being inclusive. Merck leads various initiatives, including workshops on how to understand diversity and define it for leaders and employees. For employees that go through some hardships, there is a free psychological hotline available. Merck localizes its DEI program and ensures any global strategies, programs, and policies driven are tailored for Chinese culture and business to ensure the intended impact.
默克中国DE&I业务合作伙伴傅嘉钰（Julie Fu）介绍了关于所有员工变得包容的重要性。默克为其领导者和员工们发起了各种各样的计划，包括如何理解多元化和定义多元化的研讨会。而且公司还为正遭遇困境的员工开通了一条免费的心理咨询热线。另外默克为达到各项计划的预期效果，将其DEI项目本土化，并确保推动的任何全球战略、项目和政策都是为中国文化和企业量身定制。
The participants noted they learned new insights and were keen to incorporate some of the best practices to build more inclusive and diverse workplaces at their companies and at the US Consulate. Overall, the event was a great success and helped to raise awareness of the importance of supporting DEIA.
The Women Empowerment Council (WEC) is an engaged network of leaders and decision-makers that aims to advance gender equality in businesses in China and beyond.