On International Women’s Day, CKGSB hosted a special-edition webinar of the Women in Leadership Forum on “Fostering Gender Equality in Leadership Roles”.
Broadcast in partnership with Asia House, the webinar convened 5 global opinion leaders — including Su Cheng Harris-Simpson, Founder of SCHSAsia and the Women Empowerment Council and Fernando Vallina, Co-Chair of the Women Empowerment Council — to shed light on empowering women in decision-making roles.
The panel discussed their views on where we are with gender equality and whether it is under threat in light of the pandemic. While women have made consistent gains in education attainment and the workplace in the last 50 years, the pandemic is threatening to reverse this progress. Furthermore, although women have demonstrated exceptional leadership during the COVID-19 crisis, men still outnumber women in high-ranking positions by large margins. So what role does gender play in leadership?
Su Cheng Harris-Simpson encouraged people to “move away from gendered definitions of leadership and focus on what differentiates a good leader from a great leader.” She listed qualities like inclusiveness, empathy, people-focus, integrity, transparency, communication, and decisiveness as some of the leadership characteristics that we should all aspire to.
Fernando Vallina stated that he sees “gender traits and characteristic differences as rapidly fading.” “Today, you have companies that work on a much more democratic style, there is a premium on softer skills, empathy, ability to build relations that motivate your employees and obviously leaders today use these skills more than in the past as companies have evolved,” he said.
The speakers also shared practical tips, honest advice and company best practices for advancing women in the workforce, particularly in leadership roles.
“Double standards and lack of role models are some of the key challenges for women in the workplace,” explained Vallina. “Call out the double standards,” he advised. “Play the game – build alliances, talk to people before a decision is made to make sure they understand your points, and ensure you gather votes in advance. It’s called being effective and having a strategy.” He also encouraged women to openly communicate their goals. “Make sure you tell the company and your supervisor what your ambitions are and make sure you get a reasonable calibration of what the views of the company are on your capabilities. Ask for people’s perception on your strengths and weaknesses, and then focus on your strengths.”
Harris-Simpson urged women to “Go for it!” She explained, “You have nothing to lose. You will never know unless you try. Know your superpowers. Share your thoughts and voice your opinions.”
Click here for full coverage of the event and clips of the webinar.