Standard Chartered has three key objectives for its diversity and inclusion agenda in Malaysia: to attract, engage, develop and retain diverse talent; to deliver banking products and services that cater to the changing needs of its client base; and to support a diverse and responsible supply-chain function.
Some of those efforts are driven from within. StanChart provides up to 20 weeks of maternity leave for women and two weeks of parental leave for employees. It also offers re-employment options to those retiring and gives them the necessary training to keep them engaged.
When it comes to gender parity, 47.5% of the senior management team in Malaysia are women. People from over 34 different nationalities work at the bank in Malaysia and 0.5% of its staff are those with disability, despite there being no government or regulatory mandate in the country to make such hires.
StanChart has also emphasised financial support to businesses owned by women in Malaysia and has made 41 new loans worth RM21.2 million ($4.7 million) to these firms.