Gender inclusion in the workplace goes beyond representation. It also involves creating policies and support systems that recognize employees' different family responsibilities, identities, and personal circumstances.
Unilever Philippines is putting this approach into practice through an integrated workplace inclusion framework built around three pillars: Care, Identity, and Community. The initiative recently earned the company first runner-up recognition in the Gender-Inclusive Workplace category at the 2026 UN Women Asia-Pacific Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Awards.
The recognition highlights the company's efforts to translate its diversity and inclusion commitments into workplace policies, from extended parental benefits and LGBTQ+ protections to employee-led communities.
For businesses looking to strengthen their own inclusion strategies, Unilever Philippines' approach illustrates how workplace equity can be addressed through concrete policies that respond to employees' everyday needs.
A workplace inclusion framework built on three pillars
Unilever Philippines developed its framework around the understanding that employees have different life stages, family structures, and lived experiences. Rather than relying on a single approach to inclusion, the company organized its initiatives into three interconnected areas.
These are Care, which focuses on caregiving and parenthood; Identity, which addresses gender identity and LGBTQ+ inclusion; and Community, which encourages employees to build connections through shared experiences.
According to Geeta Royyuru, Unilever Philippines HR Head and Beauty & Wellbeing Greater Asia HR Lead, the company's policies are designed to recognize that employees do not all begin from the same circumstances.
“True equity begins with recognizing that we don't all start from the same place,” Royyuru said, emphasizing the importance of providing employees with the support and space they need to succeed.
Care: Extending support for working parents and caregivers
One of the framework's key components is the expansion of parental and caregiving benefits.
Unilever Philippines said internal HR data showed that some parents relied on vacation or unpaid leave to extend recovery periods, manage caregiving responsibilities, and adjust to returning to work. In response, the company strengthened its benefits beyond the minimum requirements under Philippine law.
Early in 2026, Unilever Philippines extended fully paid maternity leave to 150 days for eligible regular and probationary employees, regardless of marital status. Employees may also take an optional additional 30 days of unpaid leave.
Other support measures include:
Return Ready Programme: Support for employees transitioning back to work after parental leave.
Primary Caregiver Leave: 20 days covering paternity, adoption, and same-sex partners.
Childcare Leave: Two days of additional leave.
Onsite daycare facility: A workplace childcare resource for employees.
The company also reported that women account for half of its workforce.
These measures reflect a broader approach to employee support, recognizing that caregiving responsibilities can affect employees' ability to participate in and progress through their careers.
Identity: Strengthening LGBTQ+ inclusion and workplace protections
The framework's second pillar focuses on creating a workplace where employees can feel respected and supported regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation.
Unilever Philippines recognizes same-sex domestic partners for medical benefit coverage and primary caregiver leave. It has also established a Gender Transition Policy for transgender and gender-diverse employees.
These policies are reinforced by a zero-tolerance approach to harassment and discrimination.
The company also conducts year-round inclusion and awareness activities, including annual Pride Month celebrations and initiatives through ProUd Network, Unilever's employee resource group for LGBTQ+ employees and allies.
In a country where legal recognition and protections for same-sex couples and transgender individuals remain limited, workplace policies can provide an additional layer of institutional support. However, company benefits and protections should be understood separately from formal legal recognition under Philippine law.
Community: Creating connections beyond workplace policies
Unilever Philippines' inclusion framework also recognizes that belonging is shaped by everyday interactions among colleagues.
Through employee-led groups, the company provides opportunities for people to connect with others who share similar experiences, responsibilities, and interests.
These include Parent Groups, Fitness Clubs, and ProUd Network.
According to the company, more than 300 employees participate in these communities, representing approximately half of its head office workforce.
Such groups give employees opportunities to exchange experiences, develop connections, and build relationships beyond their immediate teams.
They also complement formal HR policies by encouraging employees to take an active role in shaping workplace culture.
UN Women recognition highlights the role of practical workplace policies
Unilever Philippines received first runner-up recognition in the Gender-Inclusive Workplace category at the 2026 UN Women Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards.
The Women's Empowerment Principles Awards recognize private-sector initiatives that advance gender equality and women's empowerment in the workplace, marketplace, and community.
For companies, the recognition places attention on the importance of moving beyond broad diversity commitments toward policies and practices that employees can experience in their daily working lives.
Unilever Philippines' Care, Identity, and Community framework brings together several aspects of that effort, from parental support and LGBTQ+ inclusion to employee participation and belonging.
Looking ahead to 100 years in the Philippines
Unilever Philippines is preparing to mark its centennial in 2027, commemorating 100 years of operations and presence in the country.
Its local portfolio includes familiar household brands such as Dove, Knorr, Surf, and Rexona.
As the company approaches this milestone, it says it will continue pursuing initiatives focused on social and environmental impact, innovation, sustainability, and purpose-led growth.
Its latest recognition at the UN Women Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards adds another dimension to that commitment: building an organization where inclusion is reflected not only in corporate values but also in the policies and support available to its people.