Cyntax Health Projects, the 1st female healthcare professional led contract research organization, has been selected as the 1st runner up in the Gender-Responsive. Marketplace category at the 2024 Regional Asia-Pacific Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Awards ceremony on December 3rd in a hybrid ceremony. The 2024 WEPs Awards is part of the new initiative ‘UN Women Gender Action Lab: Innovation and Impact for Gender Equality in Asia-Pacific,’ supported by the Government of Australia. The awards recognized innovations in the private sector that promote gender equality in seven categories: Leadership Commitment, Gender-Inclusive Workplace, Gender-Responsive Marketplace, Community Engagement and Partnerships, Transparency and Reporting, Innovative Financing and SME Champions. The Gender-Responsive Marketplace category of the WEPs Awards recognized corporations for embracing a gender-lens throughout their value-chains from sourcing to disposal. This includes championing supplier diversity, gender-inclusive distribution and selling and gender responsive marketing and advertising. As well as supporting women entrepreneurs through capacity development or market access opportunities, implementing progressive programs and/or policies to incentivize procurement from women-owned businesses or other gender-responsive companies. The Women’s Empowerment Principle (WEPs) is a joint initiative of UN Women and the UN Global Compact aimed at empowering women to participate fully in economic life across all sectors and outlines seven steps for businesses to achieve that in the workplace, marketplace and community. To date, more than 10,000 companies around the world are signatories to the WEPs, and the Asia-Pacific alone has more than 2,700 signatories. 

For more information on the WEPs, visit https://www.weps.org/.

This accolade celebrates the organization’s transformative initiative, Fempure, which advocates for the inclusion and promotion of menstrual health in Pakistan. Fempure exemplifies gender-lens innovation by empowering women across its value chain—from sourcing to distribution. The initiative provides sustainable menstrual hygiene products while creating economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs. Through advocacy campaigns, capacity-building workshops, and collaborative partnerships, Fempure is breaking taboos and addressing period poverty, ensuring menstrual health is prioritized in workplaces and communities nationwide. The WEPs Awards honour organizations that champion gender equity through initiatives like supplier diversity, inclusive distribution, and gender-responsive marketing. Cyntax Health Projects’ recognition underscores its commitment to fostering inclusive business ecosystems and supporting women entrepreneurs to access and thrive in the marketplace.