Women in Arbitration (“WIA”) was launched by HKIAC in February 2018. The initiative is committed to the promotion and success of female practitioners in international arbitration and related practice areas in China. WIA provides a forum for members to consider and discuss current topics, grow networks and business relationships, and develop the next generation of leading female practitioners. The launch of WIA is one of the several important steps HKIAC takes to improve women’s representation in the field of arbitration. Since its launch, WIA has been conducting several events in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai. Among them, we would like to highlight two signature programmes under the auspices of WIA committees: 1. WE GROW Mentorship and Coaching Programme” (“WeGrow”) 2021 The Programme aims to help female professionals in the field of international arbitration develop their careers. It matches junior practitioners (age up to 35 years old or <10 years of experience in the field) with a more experienced practitioner to offer advice and guidance on building a career in the field. Through the matching, we hope to shape the expertise of female practitioners in the field, share individual career experiences, and further build the network of WIA members. 2. Survey on the Diversity of Arbitrator Appointment in the Chinese Cultural Context ("Survey") 2020 The Survey aims to understand the status of female arbitrator appointments in Mainland China. We hope to publish a report on the current issues of gender diversity in Mainland China arbitration institutions, and by integrating with Chinese culture, explore future opportunities in the best practice of arbitration. We are pleased to announce that up till September 2021, a total of 15 arbitration institutions and 282 personal questionnaires in Mainland have participated in this Survey.
