National Red Cross Societies in East Asia are actively advancing gender equality and promoting women’s leadership through concrete actions that extend from internal governance to community engagement. These efforts include enhancing female representation at all levels and implementing family-friendly workplace policies.
Significant progress has been made in increasing women’s leadership within the societies. East Asia National Societies are tracking data to achieve 50 percent representation in governance and senior management roles. By 2025, women held over half of the seats on the governing board of the Mongolian Red Cross Society, and the Macau Red Cross achieved gender parity in management positions, reflecting measurable strides toward gender-inclusive leadership.
Family-friendly practices are being implemented across the region to support work-life balance for all employees. The Hong Kong Branch of the Red Cross Society of China introduced work-from-home and flexible arrangements, while the Republic of Korea National Red Cross received government certification in 2025 for its gender equality and work-life balance policies. Such initiatives aim to transform traditional gender norms and ensure equitable opportunities for both men and women.
Empowering women in local communities is another key focus. Programs like the “Model Mama” project in China, jointly run by the RCSC and Alibaba, have trained over 26,000 women in 12 provinces to gain skills for employment or entrepreneurship. Similarly, the Hong Kong Branch launched the EmpowerHer Network in 2025 to mobilize women leaders from diverse backgrounds, fostering broader participation in humanitarian efforts.
Public advocacy and networking are integral to these initiatives. In 2025, the Japanese Red Cross Society hosted GLOW Red events, including a panel discussion at the World Expo Women’s Pavilion in Osaka and the GLOW Red Annual Meeting in Tokyo. These platforms strengthened connections among women leaders and emphasized inclusive leadership as a critical component of effective humanitarian response.
Leadership support remains crucial to sustaining progress. Olga Dzhumaeva, Head of the IFRC East Asia Delegation, highlighted that fostering gender diversity at all levels of the organization helps dismantle barriers to equality. Since 2022, the East Asia Five Plus Leaders Forum has included dedicated sessions on gender diversity and women’s leadership, and gender focal points were designated across National Societies in June 2025 to strengthen coordination and cooperation.
The IFRC network’s global Protection, Gender and Inclusion Policy underpins these regional efforts, with commitments reinforced through initiatives like the Hanoi Call for Action, endorsed at the IFRC Asia-Pacific Regional Conference in 2023. While progress toward gender balance remains uneven, the Asia-Pacific region showed incremental improvements, with women holding 37 percent of governance and leadership positions in 2025, up from 34 percent in 2024.
IFRC Asia-Pacific Regional Director Alexander Matheou emphasized the importance of male allyship and institutional responsibility. He noted that male leaders must actively create pathways for talented female leaders to advance, ensuring women can realize their full potential in leadership roles and contribute meaningfully to the humanitarian sector.
