Sister Act

his month, the eight Tatler titles across Asia unite to shine a light on the remarkable women shaping the economic and political landscape in our region. Our editorial tribute starts on page 134 with the feature Power Women and continues at hongkongtatler.com with an inspiring who’s who of more than 80 female high-fliers from Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan. Whether managing investment banks, inventing apps, creating fashion labels, spearheading healthcare initiatives or taking leading roles in government, each of these

CMYKwomen is an impressive innovator achieving great success in her field.

While our story is testament to how far women have come, it is also a reminder of how far they still have to go. For example, how is it possible that in the same year “feminism” was named word of the year by the American dictionary Merriam-webster, one of our Power Women was named “Man of the Year” by a business group in Manila. Let’s hope the recipient, Teresita Sy-coson, convinces the Management Association of the Philippines to present future female awardees with a W and an O in front of their title as well as a trophy.

And while we congratulate the fantastic Marjorie Yang from Esquel Group for being the first woman to be appointed to represent Hong Kong at the APEC Business Advisory Council, we can’t help but wonder why it has taken so long— after all, the council has been in existence for 22 years and, of its 21 members, Hong Kong was the last to appoint a woman to the role.

Ambitious women like Majorie are certainly smashing through the glass ceiling but according to the Women’s Foundation, there’s still a long fight ahead. The Hong Kong non-profit organisation reports that women in the city earn 22 per cent less than men—a pay gap that is wider than it was a decade ago. And women occupy a far lower proportion of positions on company boards and in corporate management than in the UK, US, Australia and other advanced economies. Hopefully Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s first female chief executive, will lead the charge against gender inequality in the city and pave the way for the next generation of female leaders.

Young women in Hong Kong in search of an inspiring role model need look no further than our cover star, Pansy Ho. Striding out from the shadow of her famous father, Macau mogul and casino king Stanley Ho, the billionaire businesswoman is making her own mark with the newly opened MGM Cotai, a groundbreaking resort project centred around her passion for art. Read features editor Marianna Cerini’s interview with the gamechanging magnate on page 126.

—Jakki Phillips Editor-in-chief