Sec 4 SIA LA Portfolio
# Self-initiated Reading-and-Reflection (R&R) Exercise
Issue
Companies should offer flexible working conditions to women.
Significant ideas from readings
One of Singapore’s most powerful women, Ms Chua Sock Koong, has revealed how she once felt the sting of workplace sexism. Due to her gender, she was mistaken as the most junior person at a business meeting. The mistake was realised quickly, and someone else prepared the drinks instead.
Working women are certainly better off now, said Ms Chua.
In fact, she believes it is “not impossible” that Singapore may see a woman prime minister “one day” – previously almost unthinkable.
Businesses, however, need to do more to help women maximise their potential, said Ms Chua, named by CNN’s Fortune Magazine as the 15th most powerful female executive in global business last year.
In the global war for talent,** she warned, no organisation can afford to ignore “half the population”. For businesses, this means a meritocratic, “gender-blind**” appraisal system. Companies also need to recognise that women have to juggle many roles – from manager to mother to wife and daughter.
They should have flexible working conditions to allow them to fulfil all these roles as long as it does not hurt their work, she said.
SingTel has tried to do this. For instance, it allows staff to work from home and has also set up onsite childcare facilities.
It even gives mothers five days of family leave per year per child for urgent family matters. These were all measures that Ms Chua had an instrumental role in implementing. While she did not say how successful these measures had been, she noted that 40 per cent of SingTel’s senior management is female. This, for a company in the notoriously male-dominated telecoms industry, is something she is “very proud of”.
While companies need to do their part, this does not give women a free pass to slack, she said.
The future is bright for women who work hard, she said.
Women should also recognise that they may need to prioritise what they want to do at different stages of life, she said. Ms Chua herself quit her previous job, which required frequent overseas travel, to join SingTel, then primarily focused on the Singapore market, so that she could spend more time with her two daughters.
Finally, women should not be too proud to ask bosses, colleagues or family for help. She had benefited from such help, she said.
Unifem board member Karen Ho, who attended the event, agreed with Ms Chua’s remarks.
In Singapore, said Ms Ho, women enjoy a “good baseline”, thanks to equal access to education. While genuine equality is still some way off, she said, “even men have to prioritise… Nobody can have it all”.
Ms Sarah Mavrinac, who runs a non-profit education centre for migrant women, added that women, too, were guilty of stereotyping.
“The presumption of women in subservient roles exists in both men and women’s minds.”
My opinion on the issue
Ms Chua Sock Koong suggests companies to recognize women’s multiple roles in life and offer “flexible working conditions”. I agree with her. Career and family are both important to women. Yet under urgent family matters, for example, when nobody is looking after their sick children at home, women may lose concentration in offices, due to their natural tenderness. Under such circumstance, women tend to work less efficiently and productively if forced to stay in offices. This instance not only causes a loss to companies, but also makes women fail to fulfill their obligations either as employees or mothers. Nevertheless, offering flexible working conditions, such as allowing women to work from home for urgent family matters, rescues women from the above dilemma. Women may return to work more cheerfully and lightheartedly when knowing their beloved ones are well looked after. Thus they may work more devoted and contribute more to companies in the end. Furthermore, such policies make companies sound more humane and sensitive. As a result, more potential capable female employees may be attracted to these companies. Companies will progress faster with the contribution from both male and female talent. I guess this partially explains why 40 per cent of SingTel’s senior management is female.
References:
· Chua Hian Hou, “In war for talent, turning a blind eye to gender is key.” _The Straits Times. _H19. 11 Mar 2008. 16 Mar 2008 <http://newslink.asiaone.com/user/OrderArticleRequest.action?order=&_sourcePage=%2FWEB-INF%2Fjsp%2Fuser%2Fsearch_type_result.jsp&month=03&year=2008&date=11&docLanguage=en&documentId=nica_ST_2008_8312121>.