FCM Travel Solutions launches Womenwise in Asia to create gender equality in the workplace

FCM Travel Solutions (a subsidiary of Flight Centre Travel Group) yesterday launched its Womenwise chapter in Asia, at a luncheon attended by Human Resources Online.

The event saw Carole Cooper, Global Peopleworks Leader and Co-Founder of Womenwise, as well as women from all areas of the business (in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and China) flying into Singapore from their respective countries to celebrate the launch.

Womenwise was established in 2015 by a group of Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) senior female leaders in a bid to inspire all women. It showcases opportunity, provides role models and offers structured support to create gender balance across FCTG businesses including leadership roles.

It has since grown into a global movement, with Womenwise chapters found across FCTG’s businesses in Australia, The Americas, UAE, South Africa, and most recently Asia.

Throughout the year, they offer platforms for women to connect and engage via various opportunities including regional town hall events, panel discussions, and the annual Womenwise conference, which aims to foster gender diversity and address issues associated with achieving equality in the workplace.

Apart from the launch of the Womenwise chapter in Asia, as part of the focus in engaging FCTG's women, 2019 will see the introduction of new processes. They include elimination of unconscious bias in recruitment, and flexible working arrangements for working mothers.

Additionally, the inaugural Womenwise Leadership Summit was organised as a career development day for female middle managers looking to leap forward into leadership roles and future-proof their career. The summit was facilitated by FCTG’s in-house leadership development specialists and senior leaders.

Bertrand Saillet, Managing Director at FCM Travel Solutions, Asia, said: "We are constantly making conscious efforts to drive this transformation in female leadership parity. It is important to recognise the influence and contribution of FCM’s women who are passionately contributing to the workplace and ensure they have equal and fair opportunities in leadership development."

He added that women and men both need to be the catalysts to drive this transformation towards an inclusive and diverse workforce of the future.

In FCM Asia, the percentage of women in the workplace is currently at 69%, with female leadership at 55%.

Womenwise Asia committee

Image / FCM Travel Solutions