Women in charge

STEFANIE THIO Joint managing director of TSMP Law Corporation

Singapore is probably one of the most gender-equal places in the world. We have equal opportunities in education, so no career door has ever been closed to me, and I've never bumped my head against a glass ceiling.

I also owe my ability to successfully juggle a family and a demanding career to my housekeeper, who made sure that my household and family are well cared for.

Singapore's economic success has been built on the efforts, not just of our people, but of our many foreign domestic workers. We need to be grateful for that.

Singapore has all the right infrastructure to support women's rights, but our software needs to be reprogrammed so that women don't labour under the heavy expectation that they can pursue their careers only if they are still the primary caregiver and primary housekeeper.

To be truly equal, we need the fathers to play a more integral and integrated role in the family. Only then will women be free to pursue their goals.

YEAH LEE CHING Executive director of ValueMax Group Limited

The equal opportunities in education given to women have allowed for growing acceptance of female leadership, as women become increasingly viewed as creative influencers in communities and in the corporate world.

However, even in this technologically advanced and progressive age, the voices of women in the most influential discussions are still greatly under-represented worldwide.

Emerging from a demure and submissive image, the 21st century woman is a more confident person with the inner fortitude to assume greater roles. The world will benefit from having better gender equality at the helm.

VIOLET LIM Chief executive officer and Co-founder of Lunch Actually

I benefited from equal access to education. My tertiary education has exposed me to both hardware, that is, academic knowledge, and "heart-ware" - the myriad of cultures and perspectives. All of these experiences shaped me into who I am today.

As female leaders, we might feel we need to act more like men - more aggressive, more corporate. And when we do that, we are criticised for being too hard, not likeable, or not compassionate. It seems like we can never win.

My dream is for women to craft our own brand of leadership. Rather than just taking on masculine traits, we should play to our strengths - as listening communicators, compassionate relationship builders and flexible and adaptive leaders.

My dream is when our daughters take on senior roles, they will no longer be criticised for their voice, hair or choice of clothes. Instead, they will be evaluated based on who they are and what they can do.

TINA TAN Chief executive officer of Hock Lam Beef

For thousands of years, women were seen as baby-making machines, especially in Asia. As technology advances and the importance of education is promoted, we have seen changes in the treatment, respect, position and attention given to women today.

Being a career-minded person myself, I am extremely inspired by women who dare to speak up for others, make a difference in others' lives and bring out the best in others. Education and technology have greatly changed lives in developed countries, and I am blessed to be part of this great change.

Women are the ones with more adapting, accommodating, wise and compassionate attributes. Even with the unequal treatment and demeaning status given to us for centuries, we have still excelled and never stopped striving.

I hope proper education will be introduced to all parts of the world without ostracising girls. I hope women will be able to contribute an equal share of opinions, and that more people will treat women equally at home and at work.

VOO CHOON LING Group financial controller of Woodlands Transport Holdings

Gender-equality awareness has risen in Singapore. Many organisations and platforms are opening up to give more opportunities and recognition to women, and welcome us to sit in their organisations and boardrooms. This has benefited me and other women in recent years.

Selflessness and a willingness to make sacrifices for family have been part of the built-in DNA for women. Yet, we too need support to achieve our goals.

We would like to see more recognition and support for women, and better family and work-life balance, to further liberalise our maternal and intellectual contributions.

CHELSEA WAN Frog-o-logist of Jurong Frog Farm

One change I have seen is the increased access to higher education and the ability to make life choices based on one's interests, and not due to societal expectations.

On top of that, another significant change is the acknowledgement of the challenges faced by working mothers, with fair-employment practices adopted by many companies. These help to relieve stigma and biases against them.

When my son was born in 2015, I experienced first-hand the mental and physical struggle of working mothers. It is extremely challenging as women tend to assess our own performance more stringently. We put a lot more pressure on ourselves, striving to excel in every area of commitment.

My hope would be that men will truly appreciate the work that women do at home, and when it comes to the workplace, engage them more, to optimise their productivity and creativity and to truly move forward together to achieve a fair representation of the sexes.

SHANN SOK Group chief executive officer of Kingsland Development

Wifehood and motherhood were once considered the only significant female professions, and women lacked educational and career opportunities to pursue and create the lives they wanted.

However, there have been changes and re-evaluations of women's role in society today. Modern women have the ability and the choice to pursue the lives they desire and the businesses they want to own and create, to have and to balance a family and career, and to chase and make their dreams a reality.

In the past, all this was not possible nor accepted because of traditional mindsets and customs that women are inferior and should be bound to fulfill their domestic duties.

These changes have benefited me as a woman today, as a mother, wife, and business owner, all at the same time. I hope to see the global elimination of violence towards women, and in countries where women have very little rights and dignity, more empowerment and equal opportunities like education, legal rights and career options.

I hope all women can thrive and contribute to the world and economies together as citizens of Earth.

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