Our perceptions of gender roles are deeply ingrained, shaping our views of traditionally male and female-dominated professions over centuries. However, the modern era has sparked a vital discourse about the essence of womanhood, challenging stereotypes and fuelling the drive for gender equality. This momentum propels women to shatter the glass ceiling—an invisible yet formidable barrier erected to stifle their advancement and uphold outdated conventions.

In today's corporate realm, the clamour for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) reverberates louder than ever. Recognising and leveraging the unique talents and perspectives of every individual isn't just morally imperative; it's a strategic necessity. Embracing diversity fuels the kind of innovation that propels businesses forward while positively impacting society at large. It's increasingly evident that dismantling preconceived notions is pivotal in fostering collaboration, enhancing engagement, and boosting productivity both within and beyond the confines of the workplace.

Also read: Progress for Women in Singapore? Boardrooms up, CEO seats down

This month, as we dedicate time to commemorate and acknowledge the substantial contributions of women globally, I am particularly pleased to observe promising advancements towards narrowing the gender disparity. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2023, the global gender gap score stood at 68.4 percent at the end of last year, having recovered to the 2020 level. Considering the many challenges that have been posed in recent years, this is excellent news. However, the report has only tracked a modest 4.1 percent advancement since 2006, which means that at the current rate of progress, it will take an estimated 131 years for the global gender gap to close.

Passion from personal experiences

I joined the workforce nearly three decades ago in my native Indonesia—a unique and wonderful land with a rich cultural history that is somehow prone to bias, underrepresentation, and marginalisation. I began my career as a minority—a female management trainee in a male-dominated role within a male-dominated industry—and these early experiences truly helped shape my passion for diversity, as well as my approach to leadership, equity, and inclusion.

Southeast Asia sees high-performing women often being overlooked, and accounts for only one in 50 women in the C-suite, as reported by McKinsey & Co.’s Women in the Workplace 2023 report. The report painted a slightly better picture in the U.S., where women represent roughly one in four C-suite leaders—but women of colour just one in 16.

A business no-brainer

Women make up half the world’s brain power and university graduates, and influence 60-70 percent of the consumer in the market, so tapping into this rich talent pool to better respond to consumer needs is a business no-brainer. Research shows that companies that lack diverse perspectives may not perform as well—while those that embrace gender representation are often found to be more creative, innovative, and profitable. 

Ultimately, what gets measured gets managed. While it is important to avoid falling into the trap of simply chasing numbers, it is equally important to know where we stand, and where we aspire to go. Measuring the impact of our initiatives will allow us to keep identifying and addressing weaknesses, helping us to build workplaces that are truly and sustainably diverse, equitable, and inclusive. In 2022 we achieved our aim of having at least 40 percent of management roles filled by women, and it is our aspiration for at least 20 percent of senior roles to be held by Asian talent globally by 2025.

Taking it one action at a time

Businesses have the unique opportunity to be more than just a workplace, thanks to the diverse skills and perspectives of their employees. Senior leaders play an especially important role in helping to build equitable and inclusive organisations that are reflective of the world’s diversity. To be successful, we need several things: 

Top-down commitment: The CEO and all other C-suite leaders should be actively involved in DEI initiatives and volunteer as executive champions to guide the activities of various employee resource groups.

Measurable goals and impactful policies: Setting measurable goals, creating policies that give women equal opportunity to grow, and holding ourselves accountable are all critical to propel future growth.

Work/life balance: We must find meaningful ways to dispel common gender roles and encourage women who are parents and caregivers to stay at work by addressing common work/life balance issues.

Educate all levels in the organisation: Building an equitable and inclusive culture into our leadership and learning curriculum. We must ensure different voices are heard, building psychological safety, and understanding how bias may impact the decisions and views of others.

Advance discourse: Businesses must also contribute to exploring key DEI topics, establishing best practices, and joining the dialogue so that they—and others—are better positioned to track their progress and identify opportunities for improvement. For example, in 2024, we are planning to launch an exploration specifically into effective and timely ways to measure and improve equity in the workplace. 

Improving women’s access to education, increasing their economic participation, and achieving gender parity in leadership are key levers for addressing inequity in households, businesses, and societies. Collective and bold action by private and public sector leaders will be instrumental in accelerating progress toward gender parity—promoting innovation, building resilience, and igniting growth.