FGV Upholds Its Commitment To Championing Women's Rights And Gender Equality
The company recently established the Gender Equality & Women Empowerment Committee to strengthen its commitment towards this goal.
By Jeremy Ng — 15 Jun 2023, 06:08 PM
FGV Holdings Bhd (FGV) is committed to promoting gender equality and empowering women within its operations chain, in line with the company's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda
Women's rights and gender equality are becoming important aspects of the sustainability agenda, both in the corporate and agricultural sectors. This is clearly seen in existing industry standards, including the Malaysian Corporate Management Code, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), and the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) Certification.
As Malaysia's premier food and agribusiness, FGV believes it is their responsibility to promote gender equality and women's rights across their operations and supply chain, which is predominantly occupied by males. This will help the company work towards realising a prosperous future for all, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, one of which is gender equality.
FGV's Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Datuk Nazrul Mansor said that the company welcomes the government's women empowerment initiatives
As a responsible company, FGV has zero tolerance for all forms of discrimination, as clearly stated in its Group Sustainability Policy, which comprises of three main pillars — promoting economic growth, respecting human rights, and protecting the environment.
Under the pillar of respecting human rights, FGV has implemented several gender equality and women empowerment initiatives, including the establishment of the Gender Equality & Women Empowerment Committee (GEWE) in 2021
This committee is chaired by FGV's Group Chief Human Capital Officer, while the GCEO serves as an advisor.
"The establishment of this committee allows us to focus on efforts to uphold and implement the principles of gender equality and women empowerment in all FGV operations effectively," shared the committee chairperson.
To reaffirm FGV's commitment to women's rights, FGV also adopted the United Nation's Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) in 2022
The WEPs are a set of guidelines to guide companies in promoting gender equality and women empowerment in the workplace, market, and community. By embracing equity, FGV believes it can create a more inclusive and diverse workplace that fosters innovation, creativity, and growth.
FGV has also collaborated closely with other relevant parties in advancing efforts to promote women's rights, especially in the oil palm sector.
In 2022, FGV together with the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) held a workshop related to the issue of sexual harassment for palm oil companies in Malaysia. Attended by 50 representatives, the workshop aimed to raise awareness among companies about the issue of gender-based harassment, and steps that can be taken to address these issues in the workplace, among others.
More recently, in conjunction with International Women's Day, FGV hosted a celebration at Sheraton Hotel, KL for all its female staff
The celebration was also the company's way of giving back and showing gratitude for the essential roles and contributions of women that have driven the company's success.
In March, FGV also hosted a panel discussion on Gender Equality and Women Empowerment in the oil palm sector, which was attended by over 100 representatives from government agencies, the corporate sector, civil society organisations, United Nations agencies, and embassies in Malaysia.
The panel discussed developments on women's rights in Malaysia, especially in the oil palm sector. It also talked about the importance of adherence to international standards and industry standards in advancing women's rights.
Moving forward, FGV said it will continue to increase its efforts to promote gender equality and women empowerment throughout its operations to create an inclusive work environment for all.
Find out more about FGV's initiatives on their website today.
This article originally appeared on Berita Harian, with rights to be republished on SAYS.
