On April 7th, SCHSAsia supported and sponsored an International Women’s Day Luncheon hosted by the Australian Chamber of Commerce in China. The event was a celebration of the social, political, and economic achievements of women across the globe.
With over 300 attendees from the Australian, Chinese, and international communities in Beijing, the event successfully energized the conversation around actions needed to move towards gender equality in a post COVID-19 world. Guests had the opportunity to network and engage over a 3-course meal in the beautiful Grand Millennium Hotel.
Sue Kench, Global Chief Executive at King & Wood Mallesons provided an inspiring keynote address by sharing her journey towards becoming the first woman in Australia to lead a top tier law firm and the first Australian woman to lead a global law firm. Sue expressed her enthusiasm about the women in Australia who have since followed in her footsteps. She also offered practical advice on how to advance gender equity in the workplace and challenged everyone to question their assumptions, be more curious, and ask questions in order to bring about positive change.
The keynote address was followed by a captivating panel discussion featuring Su Cheng Harris Simpson (Founder of SCHSAsia and the Women Empowerment Council), Roberta Lipson (CEO New Frontier Health and Founder of United Family Healthcare) and Carol Li Rafferty (Managing Director at Yale Center Beijing and Co-Founder of Lean In China). They leveraged their combined decades of knowledge and experience to address the following vital questions relating to the history and progress of gender equality in the workplace in China:
What changes have occurred relating to gender equality in the workplace in China over the years?
What are the key challenges and opportunities for women in China today?
Should there be a gender-based approach to health crisis management and recovery? What actions should organizations and governments take to support women during and post COVID-19?
What advice would you give to aspiring women leaders? How, if at all, would this advice be unique to China in comparison to the West?
Reflecting on your own careers, what progress has been made towards gender equality and what work still needs to be done?
This event was also supported by the American Chamber of Commerce and the Center for China & Globalization and sponsored by Savills, Beanstalk International Bilingual School, and United Family Healthcare. Congratulations to the organizers, speakers, sponsors, and supporters for a fantastic event!