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In 2025, 45.5% of the bank’s board members were women, compared with 23% in 2016, while 50% of the management team comprised women.
Building an inclusive culture remains central to the business strategy at Standard Chartered, according to its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Impact Report 2025, which outlines progress in leadership diversity while highlighting ongoing gender pay gaps across several markets.
In the report’s introduction, the bank notes that fostering inclusion enables employees to "bring their best selves to work" and contribute diverse perspectives that support innovation, opportunity identification, and execution of the organisation’s broader purpose of driving commerce and prosperity.
In 2025, the bank focused on three priority areas to strengthen inclusion across the organisation: developing a more diverse talent pipeline, equipping leaders to sponsor and advocate for diverse talent, and refreshing its colleague-led communities to strengthen engagement, belonging, and commercial impact.
Women’s representation continues to rise
Advancing gender equality remains a key priority for the bank, which has been a signatory to the Women in Finance Charter since 2016.
As of December 2025, women represented 33% of senior leadership globally, an increase of eight percentage points since the bank signed the charter. To support continued progress, Standard Chartered has extended its target timeline, aiming for 35% women in senior leadership by the end of 2028.
Across the organisation, women are represented at multiple levels of leadership and governance. In 2025, 45.5% of the bank’s board members were women, compared with 23% in 2016, while 50% of the management team comprised women. Women also made up 45.1% of the global workforce.
The bank noted that increasing women’s representation in senior and higher-paid roles will require sustained effort and structural change, particularly through stronger leadership pipelines and career progression opportunities.
Analysing gender pay gaps
The bank's annual gender pay gap analysis, which it has been publishing since 2017, covers the UK and three of its global hubs: Hong Kong, Singapore, and the UAE.
The analysis compares the average pay of men and women regardless of role, using the UK government’s methodology. According to the bank, these insights help identify representation gaps across job levels and guide action plans to strengthen diversity in higher-paid roles.
Per the review, the mean hourly pay gap in 2025 stood at:
- 31% in the UAE (2024: 29%)
- 26% in Singapore (2024: 27%)
- 23% in the UK (2024: 24%)
- 18% in Hong Kong (2024: 21%)
Meanwhile, the bonus pay gap in the year was reported at:
- 45% in the UAE (2024: 44%)
- 44% in the UK (2024: 43%)
- 27% in Hong Kong (2024: 25%)
- 26% in Singapore (2024: 29%)
Per the report, the adjusted pay gap as a percentage of the average for men is as follows:
- UK: 3% (2024: 1%)
- Hong Kong: 0% (2024: 4%)
- Singapore: 1% (2024: -2%)
- UAE: -2% (2024: -2%)
The report noted that these gaps largely reflect the distribution of men and women across different levels and roles, rather than differences in pay for the same work.
In addressing potential disparities, Standard Chartered said it conducts checks during hiring and annual pay and performance reviews to identify and correct differences for employees doing the same or equivalent work.
Speaking to HRO on the bank’s overall approach, Seetal Bhatti, Global Head of HR for Technology & Operations, Standard Chartered, expressed pride at driving the bank's "focus on strengthening the representation of women in leadership and addressing the gender pay gap."
She added: "By reinforcing merit-based decisions with inclusive hiring and development practices, we are systematically removing barriers to women’s progress and creating a stronger, more impactful organisation to serve our clients’ needs."
Supporting women beyond the workplace
The report also highlights initiatives aimed at advancing gender equality among clients and communities.
One example is the Standard Chartered Women’s International Network (SC WIN), launched in 2022 to support women-led small and medium-sized enterprises through funding, expertise, and networking opportunities.
As of December 2025, the bank had extended more than US$540mn in financing to women-led businesses, moving towards its goal of US$1bn in financing for women entrepreneurs by 2028.
The programme is currently active in seven markets: Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Kenya, and includes initiatives such as the SC WIN Now & Next Challenge, which supports women-led SMEs through mentorship, accelerator programmes, and funding opportunities.
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