12.14.23
Mary Kay Inc., a global advocate for women’s empowerment, announced on Women's Entrepreneurship Day that it has officially become a signatory of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) in the Asia Pacific region.
In March 2019, Mary Kay Inc. took the first step in its WEPs journey, becoming a global signatory during the WEPs Forum held on the sidelines of the Commission on Status of Women (CSW63).
As Mary Kay marks its 60th anniversary, the company joins the WEPs to further position itself as a leader in women’s entrepreneurship in the Asia-Pacific region where it says it’s synonymous with unparalleled business opportunity, fostering a supportive workplace, and giving back to the community through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
The WEPs provide a holistic framework for companies to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and community and drive positive outcomes for society and business. Launched in 2010 by UN Women and UN Global Compact, the WEPs are informed by international labor and human rights standards and grounded in the recognition that businesses have a stake in, and a responsibility for, gender equality and women’s empowerment.
“Through pursuing its global WEPs journey that Mary Kay embarked on in 2019, today, in the Asia Pacific region, the company reaffirms its pledge to help accelerate the closing of the gender gaps in the workplace, marketplace, and community,” said Wendy Wang, president, Mary Kay Asia-Pacific Region. “Women’s empowerment’ goes beyond women’s career successes - it needs a holistic view, a roadmap toward measured progress and impact, as well as the engagement of all stakeholders including the private sector – and the WEPs are doing just that. At Mary Kay, we lead by enabling women from all walks of life with the right tools, mentorship, and education so they can make choices leading to a fulfilling and meaningful life for themselves, their families, and communities.”
China Empowering Women Impact Report
In celebration of the WEPs milestone for Mary Kay in the Asia Pacific Region, Mary Kay China released its first Mary Kay China Empowering Women Impact Report titled, "Thinking Like A Woman." The report operationalizes Principle 7: “Measurement and Reporting” and Principle 6: “Community Initiatives and Advocacy.”
The report discloses Mary Kay China's work and results in women’s empowerment to achieve success through multiple approaches in leadership, marketplace, workplace and community work. Future editions of the report will cover the pledge and impact of Mary Kay in other countries of the Asia Pacific region where it operates.
Achievements Encompassing the Seven WEPs Principles
From 2022 to March 2023, 1,327,082 Independent Beauty Consultants participated in training sessions. From 2020 to 2022, Mary Kay invested more than 80 million Chinese Yuan in the digital empowerment to develop online and offline business tools for beauty consultants.
In 2022, the percentage of women among Mary Kay China's executive team and employees were both 57%, while 64% of promoted employees were women. In 2022, 93% of Mary Kay China employees participated in training on project management, market trends and leadership, with per-person average of 1.6 training sessions, six hours of training time, and 1,500 in Chinese Yuan of training investment.
As of April 2023, a total of 257,117 women have benefited from Mary Kay China's CSR programs. In 2022, 1,267 Mary Kay China Independent Beauty Consultants and employees contributed over 9,000 hours of volunteer service in various capacities: serving as non-medical volunteers at a cleft lip and palate surgery center, helping clean their communities, or conducting complimentary beauty classes for charitable causes.