INSIGHTS
International Women's Day: Lisa Wang
It's been a ride more thrilling than a haka at a rugby match, with a few more surprises than finding a decent flat white in Singapore.
Navigating Cultures and Continents: A Journey Towards Gender Equality
Navigating the choppy waters of gender equality across continents, I've had my fair share of adventures - from China to New Zealand, Australia, and now Singapore, my journey's been less about collecting stamps in my passport and more about cracking the code on diversity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and leadership.
From the Great Wall to Kiwi Shores
Being the only child in my family, growing up in China was filled with parent’s expectations and endless extra curriculums. All of which became a blessing if I were to recount the experience, I received adequate education and was driven to achieve. But I do remember celebrating International Women’s Day back then in my family, which meant my mother and I could “take the day off”.
I went to New Zealand to pursue tertiary education, little did I know at that time, what a path it has set me on when I picked computer science as my major. If you ever wonder why there were limited female representation in STEM fields, I was one of the only two females in one of the final papers. The lack of female student uptakes in STEM related subjects, might be the first hurdle to get across.
That said, the New Zealand years also gave me a chance to witness the power female leadership like Helen Clark, Jacinda Ardern, some countries struggle to see one female prime minister in all history, and I experienced two!
The Australian Chapter and Beyond
Crossing the ditch to Australia to pursue a career opportunity, I dove into the vibrant travel tech scene by working in one of the biggest travel tech companies. I started to pick up more knowledge around how travel tech works- from operational tools to online solutions, consolidator tools, to digital payments—and the learning curve was steep yet rewarding. I got to know brilliant businesses, lovely colleagues, experienced welcoming culture, and a more gender aware culture.
However, contrary to my impression about felt Australia being a progressive in country in acknowledging gender gap, the numbers tell another story. Lack of female representation in senior or high-paid positions resulted a pay gap as large as over 40% in certain industries.
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency report points out the glaring difference in pay parity, women representation at offices, and much more. Despite a legislation, still much work remains to be done. It can be addressed by initiating more programmes on gender inclusion, and implementing policies that are designed to enable equality.
Singapore: A New Perspective
My reverse culture shock kicked in when I arrived in Singapore a few years ago. My casual small chat of “How is your day” at the grocery store check-out counter was greeted by stares.
But, at workplace, Singapore values and implements a culture of equal participation and equal opportunities, especially at FCM Travel Asia. FCM encourages gender diversity and inclusion. equal participation.
But still, you may find women who are not assertive or hesitate to raise a valid work request (or question) to male leaders. This stems from cultural experiences where male dominance is deeply rooted.
Understanding Asian culture, my advice to women is not to hold back their voices. They should be confident to express themselves in the workplace. Male leaders should also encourage equal participation from their female colleagues.
As compared to other countries, Singapore can still empower and lift women in the workplace.
A Global Call to Action
Amongst the four countries I have lived and worked in, you can rank them with different equality or pay gap rankings, but there is still a long way to go to close gender gap in all of those countries, whether it comes in the form of pay gap, opportunity gap, participation in STEM subjects’ gap or even just general understanding of gender gap.
As we mark International Women's Day, it's time to champion the cause for women in STEM and leadership with passion and gusto. Let's be the mentors who guide with wisdom, the leaders who inspire with actions, and the community that supports with heart.
Let’s tackle the gender gap with a can-do attitude, ensuring the next wave of women can soar as high as possible, without ever doubting their right to fly
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