Report From Shanghai: Diversity and Inclusion Challenges in China's Growing Economy

As the world continues to face pressing diversity and inclusion concerns, Diversity Best Practices, Working Mother Media,  and the National Association for Female Executives work to help businesses navigate these ever-changing, always significant challenges.

In November, 2011, Diversity Best Practices and  Working Mother Media made a return trip to China after a successful 2010 visit, bringing the International  Association of Female Executives along for the first time.As Carol Evans, president of Working Mother Media and CEO of Diversity Best Practices, said, “We are here to plant seeds, spread knowledge and make connections around the world.”

The 2010 sessions in Beijing, China, drove provocative discussion and, we believe, helped multinational businesses move the needle forward on diversity and inclusion issues. Our work in China is a continuation of the global support we aim to provide to organizations. In previous years Diversity Best Practices and Working Mother Media have traveled to Toronto, Canada;  Sao Paulo, Brazil; Johannesburg, South Africa; and  Bangalore, India, to conduct events.
The 2011 event in Shanghai, China, was supported by our hosts and sponsoring companies: Cisco, EMC2, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Intel, Johnson Controls, Johnson & Johnson, Mattel, Procter & Gamble, PricewaterhouseCoopers, PepsiCo, Sodexo and Walmart. 

The weeklong event included a Global Best Practice Session on November 15, convening 115 diversity  practitioners and leaders focused on China and the rest of Asia. The following day, 210 women attended the Global Advancement of Women session, and another 115 joined us on November 18 for the Women Leading Busi-ness Summit. Woven around these events were global  briefings and cultural immersion opportunities, helping attendees grasp the full flavor of Shanghai and  its diversity challenges.

This paper explores, in depth, the topics addressed during this intensive week of discussion.

To read the full report, click the PDF icon above. (Diversity Best Practices membership required.)