Call for Applications for UN Women WEPs Corporate Action Philippines: Accelerating Women’s Leadership in Technology

The Philippines continues to rank among the best in Southeast Asia in terms of gender parity, yet a persistent gap remains in women’s representation in strategic leadership roles. While women’s workforce participation remains strong, advancement into top leadership roles remains uneven. In high-growth sectors such as technology, the disparity is especially pronounced: globally, the World Economic Forum (WEF) reports that women hold only 12.4 per cent of C-suite positions. This limitation is compounded by persistent structural barriers—including unequal care responsibilities, restricted geographic mobility, and entrenched cultural expectations—which continue to constrain the leadership pipeline. 

What is the WEPs CAL?

The Women’s Empowerment Principles Corporate Action Lab (WEPs CAL) is the flagship initiative of the UN Women Gender Action Lab (GAL): Innovation and Impact for Gender Equality in the Asia-Pacific, implemented in partnership with the Government of Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It is designed to help companies identify challenges and innovate new solutions through a cohort-based learning approach. Guided by UN Women’s gender equality expertise and tailored resources, this initiative will be implemented with a cohort of companies, referred to as “WEPs Changemakers,” in one country over a period of 6-9 months.

By defining the concept of a “lab”, the WEPs CAL provides companies with the opportunity to pilot and experiment with new solutions tailored to their own unique needs and goals. These solutions are expected to contribute to improved company performance, talent acquisition and retention, employee productivity, brand recognition, and the broader inclusive economic growth in the Philippines.

At a glance, the WEPs CAL aims to:

• Identify and address persistent challenges and bottlenecks through peer-learning in an organized, cohort-based approach, with guidance provided by UN Women and potential partners.
• Provide support to co-create, pilot test, and track progress on innovative solutions tailored to address specific business needs.
• Build a pool of “WEPs Changemakers” to document and share best practices through national, regional, and global platforms, inspiring other companies to take conscious, deliberate, and intentional actions.

What is the thematic area of the WEPs CAL Philippines?

The thematic area of the first WEPs CAL in the Philippines is “Accelerating Women’s Leadership in Technology.” A core focus of this initiative is preparing more women for leadership roles by systematically addressing gaps in skills development and career progression. For example, this may involve interventions at the mid-career stage, where drop-out from senior management often occurs. We envision that the participating companies will co-create innovative solutions and take proactive steps, recognizing that strengthening leadership pathways for women means unlocking a large untapped pool for the economy.

Examples of solutions may include the following:

• Addressing the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions (e.g., training and building capacity for high-potential women managers through mentorship and sponsorship programs).
• Identifying deeply entrenched cultural, structural and organizational biases that often sideline women into support or back-office functions (e.g., developing strategic succession plans for “next-in-line” leaders and ensuring that women and other minority groups are well-represented in such plans).
• Tackling social norms that impact women’s career trajectories (e.g., adopting flexible working arrangements and supportive policies that address work-life balance challenges).
• Bridging the absence of standardized gender metrics in corporate sustainability and the lack of evidence linking women’s leadership to good corporate governance (e.g., mandating companies publicly report on their gender equality commitments).

What kind of support will UN Women provide to the cohort?

UN Women will provide technical guidance throughout the WEPs CAL implementation, including:

• Development of individual work plans/action roadmaps
• 1-on-1 problem-solving, expertise, benchmarks, and networking
• Facilitated cohort interactions and learning exchanges
• Use of the WEPs Gender Gap Analysis Tool (GAT) and other relevant resources
• Connections to other solution providers, innovators, and experts
• National, regional, and global recognition (for completers)

The online application form is open from 9 June 2025 until 11 July 2025. Apply now by completing the Application Form:

APPLY NOW!