TOP RETAIL COMPANY STORES SPECIALISTS, INC. GROUP RECEIVES

GENDER EQUALITY CERTIFICATION

Certification system allows SSI Group to achieve a gender equal workplace

 In its efforts to reinforce strong gender balance and an inclusive workplace culture, top Philippine retail company, Stores Specialists, Inc. (SSI Group), received the Economics Dividend for Gender Equality (EDGE) Certification and is the first specialty retail company to get certified in the Philippines and in South East Asia.

EDGE is the leading global assessment methodology and business certification standard for gender equality. They assess policies, practices, and numbers across five different areas of analysis, namely equal pay for equivalent work, recruitment, promotion, leadership development training and mentoring, as well as flexible working and company culture.

“Strengthening a culture of inclusivity and equality is vital to every company’s success,” says Mr. Anton Huang, President of the SSI Group, Inc. “SSI is no different. With the EDGE certification, we are more confident that the policies we have in place are essential to achieving gender equality in our workplace culture.”

Zita R. Deniega, SSI’s HR Manager adds, “We, in SSI, believe in providing equal opportunities to both men and women. Being an EDGE-certified company, we continue to honor the aspiration of each employee, consistent with our mission to enhance life“.

As an EDGE-certified company, SSI demonstrates strong gender balance within its organization through equal growth and opportunities for men and women as well as policies that ensure equal and equitable career flows, among others.

EDGE uses a robust workforce analytics approach to investigate gender dynamics. It also has an effective benchmarking tool across industries around the world. More importantly, EDGE lends itself as a global branding tool that allows companies to showcase their commitment for workplace gender equality.

SSI Group Inc., led by Mr. Huang is also a founding member of the Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment (PBCWE). PBCWE is a coalition of seven large and influential businesses committed to pursue gender equality in the workplace. Employers that are part of PBCWE are responsible for taking strides in not only heralding gender equality in the workplace but also influencing other companies to follow suit in becoming better employers of women.

(L-R) Ma. Aurora “Boots” D. Geotina-Garcia, Chairperson of the Philippine Women’s Economic Network (PhilWen) and Co-chairperson of PBCWE, Anton Huang, President of SSI Group, Inc., Victoria “Vicky” P. Garchitorena, Co-chairperson of PBCWE, and Zita R. Deniega, SSI’s HR Manager

About SSI Group, Inc:

SSI Group, Inc. is the leading specialty retailer in the Philippines with an extensive portfolio of established international brands that caters to all aspects of a quality lifestyle and is supported by a nationwide strategic retail presence. Leading the Philippine specialist retail market in terms of the size and breadth of its international brand portfolio and store footprint, SSI Group Inc. has also expanded its retail format offerings with its entry into e-commerce, unique restaurant concepts such as TWG and SaladStop!, and mall developments such as the premiere lifestyle destination Central Square.

About PBCWE:

The Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment (PBCWE) was launched in March 2017, through the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funded Investing in Women (IW) initiative. In the Philippines, IW has partnered with the Philippine Women’s Economic Network (PhilWEN) to create a business coalition to pursue Gender Equality (GE) in the workplace and Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) nationwide.

PBCWE is made up of influential businesses that are large employers who will take the appropriate steps to improve gender equity in their own workplaces and to influence businesses, both in their supply chains and other large businesses, and to also become better employers of women. PBCWE’s founding members are Accenture, Ayala, Convergys, Magsaysay Group of Companies, Natasha, SGV and Co., and the SSI Group.

SSI Group, 30 Years of the Curated Life

On its 30th year, the SSI Group partners with one of the world’s leading banks, Citibank, to bring the Curated Life to every Filipino with rewarding shopping experiences and perks. With a retail network of over 600 stores and various retail format offerings, the SSI Group continues to make an impact on the lifestyle values of its consumers, by inspiring, enabling, indulging, and rallying them to live a life well-lived—a life that’s well-curated.