The fourth Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum, hosted by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, was held from September 9-10 at the West Kowloon Cultural District. This significant event convened over 2,000 global participants, including leaders from the philanthropic, academic, business, social sector, and government fields. One of the standout sessions at the forum was titled Equality in Action: How are Women in Impact Driving Impact for Women, a panel that brought together inspiring women leaders to share their insights and priorities in making fundamental gender shifts a reality.

The gender equality landscape: Progress stalled

While gender equality is a widely accepted goal, progress has faltered in many parts of the world in recent years due to crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and a growing backlash against women’s rights, particularly around sexual and reproductive health. Session moderator Theresa Hwang, Deputy Director of Gender Integration at the Gates Foundation, set the stage by offering a sobering view of the current global gender equality status: according to a recent Gates Foundation and Equal Measures report, 95 countries do not provide legal guarantees for equal pay for equal work. At the current rate, full gender equality is unlikely to be achieved until 2108 – three generations from today. “That’s too long for me to wait”, Theresa said, reflecting the frustration of many.

To reverse these trends, more intersectional and grassroots efforts are essential. The panel showcased how women leaders are innovating to push for equality in various contexts across Asia, each tailoring their approach to their community.

Closing the gender gap in STEM

Jennifer Yu Cheng, Group President of CTF Education Group and founder of JYC Girls Impact Foundation, discussed the importance of education, especially in bridging gender gaps in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) sectors. While there has been progress, a significant gender gap remains at almost every stage of the STEM pipeline—from early interest to career opportunities. Only 5.1% of women in Hong Kong, for example, are employed in STEM professions, with fewer female students selecting these subjects in high school.

Yu Cheng pointed out that this gap directly affects women’s opportunities in a world increasingly shaped by technology. By 2030, an estimated 400-800 million jobs globally could be lost to automation, and technological literacy will be vital.

Without more women in STEM, their access to these future employment opportunities will be severely limited.

Through her foundation’s 10,000 Girls4Girls Coding+ initiative, Jennifer aims to equip 10,000 teen girls by 2025 with essential digital and leadership skills. “We need to inspire young girls to see their potential, and equip them with the tools to access career pipelines in a tech-driven world.”

Empowering rural women trough technology

Echoing Jennifer’s view on women embracing technology, Xiaojing Wang, Secretary-General of the Ant Foundation, shifted the conversation to China’s rural areas. She explained how the foundation—backed by Ant Group, parent company of world’s largest mobile payment platform Alipay—is leveraging technology to empower women in underdeveloped regions. One flagship program, the Aidou Initiative, focuses on training women for AI-driven jobs like data annotation and labelling.

“Many women return from cities to care for elderly family members and children in their hometowns, but job opportunities there are scarce,” Wang explained. Data annotation jobs offer women in remote areas a steady source of income, while also providing them the flexibility to remain in their communities and balance work with caregiving duties—crucial in regions where migration to urban centres often leaves families fractured. By the end of 2023, Aidou Initiative had established 17 digital employment centres in underdeveloped counties in central and western China, supporting the employment of over 5800 people—mainly women, with incomes exceeding the local average, some reaching twice the average.

A study by Peking University revealed that over 78% of female workers in these centres value the job for helping them balance career development and caregiving duties, while 95% are satisfied with the women-friendly working conditions—such as free menstrual products. But the benefits aren’t only financial. The work has revitalised local economies, spurring the growth of small businesses like milk tea shops and nail salons. The true power of these initiatives goes beyond economics.The data labelling jobs help foster a sense of community and belonging in areas where social isolation has often been a challenge. Women who take these jobs also report a renewed sense of pride, saying the work has brought them dignity and respect within their families and communities.

“The AI jobs are more than just a paycheck,” said Wang. “They create social connections, build friendships, and make these hometowns more alive and vibrant.”

The importance of context

The idea of context-specific solutions resonated throughout the session, particularly when Shagun Sabarwal, Asia Regional Director of Co-Impact, weighed in. “When we think about gender equality, one thing is very important—it is deeply contextualised,” she said. “An empowered girl in Hong Kong is very different from an empowered girl in India. The norms of each place, and what gender equality means in those settings, are very different.”

Sabarwal took the discussion further by sharing a case of how Co-Impact’s investment to support gender norms change at scale. In India, only 33% of girls remain in the school system until the age of 17; Co-Impact is supporting Breakthrough Trust to create a more gender transformative education system. Building on their evidence-based curriculum, Breakthrough seeks to shape adolescent gender attitudes and catalyse a generational shift towards gender equality. In 2022，Breakthrough received a 5-year grant from Co-Impact to support the initiative in partnership with two state governments in India.

Gender equality as a collective goal

Victoria Vrana, CEO of GlobalGiving, highlighted the growing influence of women’s philanthropy. “Women are driving the growth of giving circles around the world—70% of these groups are exclusively or majority women,” Vrana explained. She encouraged nonprofits to tap into the power of women’s networks, as women tend to be more likely to support gender cause and more engage in online giving, Collective power, she added, can democratise philanthropy.

As the discussion progressed, a consensus emerged: fostering gender equality should not be viewed as a zero-sum game. Engaging men and boys as allies is critical, as more diversity ultimately benefits everyone. As Theresa Hwang reminded everyone at the beginning of the session, “Every dollar invested in women’s lives can unlock three dollars in economic growth. The question we need to ask ourselves is: How do we embed a gender lens into our work and our lives?” By showing that fostering gender equality benefits all of society, we can make change more inclusive and sustainable.

Fan Li is East Asia Regional Representative at Alliance magazine.