What Workplaces Can Do To Empower Women In Singapore

What Workplaces Can Do To Empower Women In Singapore

The corporate world is currently witnessing an increase in women taking up senior leadership roles. While women now play a larger role in the general workforce in Singapore, women sitting in the boardroom and at the higher rungs of the corporate ladder are still few (only a mere 11% of firms have a female CEO or Managing Director). 

In recent years, there have been more significant efforts to create awareness and conversations surrounding women empowerment, especially during International Women’s Day. However, more can be done to amplify the message surrounding this pertinent matter throughout the year! 

Women empowerment can only happen when the strengths and skills that women bring to the workforce are accepted, used, and benefited from. Many, including businesses, have a vital role to play in this endeavour. In an effort to elevate women in the workforce and spark shifts of empowerment, here are three suggestions that businesses can explore.

Suggestion #1: Create opportunities to amplify the voices of women

Unique and innovative ideas have never been limited to a specific gender. Nevertheless, many women, particularly those working in male-dominated industries, are afraid to speak up, worried that their voices will be drowned out. It is a concern that Ms Anisa Hassan, an entrepreneur and founder of Date High Flyers Luxury Matchmaking – a matchmaking agency – knows all too well.  

At a Silicon Valley start-up boot camp and an investor pitching event in Asia, Ms Anisa noticed there were disproportionately more male entrepreneurs and investors than their female counterparts.

“There were close to 40 male start-up founders and 3 female founders vying for a round of investment. There were also 10 male investors and 1 female investor at the table. After the pitching rounds, the male founders and investors huddled for more talks with beers in their hands while the female founders were left out of the inner circle conversations,” emphasised Ms Anisa.

In the end, many of the investors decided to go ahead with other money-making male-led ventures despite Ms Anisa’s close follow-ups and detailed presentations. The lack of support for women-led ventures is further evidenced by the following CrunchBase figures, reflecting an overall decrease in venture capital funding for women-led start-ups – falling from 2.8% in 2019 to 2.3% in 2020.

It is not a surprise that Ms Anisa’s subsequent successes in her business venture left investors rueing the days they turned down her ideas. Reflecting on this account, whenever a female employee has a great idea, ensure she gets heard by giving her a platform to express the thoughts in her mind. This idea might just be what the organisation needs to elevate itself to the next level. 

The cause of women empowerment can be achieved when there are opportunities to amplify the voices of women. Ensure everyone in the company, especially female employees, are afforded the chance to engage with the senior management – for example, through the organisation’s town hall sessions. Another positive example is to provide opportunities for women to exchange their thoughts and ideas with members of the workplace and actively execute them

Suggestion #2: Provide women with training and mentoring

When employees have a strong mentor-mentee relationship, they will be more confident in their ability to thrive and succeed in their profession. Our Aspiration research discovered that women can be empowered to succeed in their careers by interacting with strong female role models.

These employees – especially those just starting their careers – can benefit from firm guidance to help define their career paths and strive for leadership roles. Meanwhile, mentorship programmes and workshops led by women entrepreneurs can help guide fellow aspiring women business owners on how to develop their small-scale businesses.

Unfortunately, female role models are lacking in male-dominated industries, particularly those in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. This fact was recognised by Ms Shirin Hamid, Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), who studied computer science at university. 

“Being in a male-dominated industry was actually the norm for me because that was how it was when I was in college. What motivated me to stay is passion and the recognition that the world is shifting, with the importance of technology,” expressed Ms Shirin.

To address such disparity and contribute to the cause of women empowerment, providing women with training and mentoring is necessary. This can be effectively done with a leadership pipeline. The programme should be a team effort rather than open to only a few groups and departments in order to take advantage of cross-departmental mentorship and collaboration. 

It is also a great idea to assign mentors based on complementary skills rather than just personality. It is through such pairings that each woman can develop her individual talents in the workplace, making them more valuable and effective employees and, eventually, leaders. 

Suggestion #3: Establish a safe and open working environment

Women empowerment is not just about having strong female role models. It is also about maintaining a safe and open work environment where female employees can feel comfortable and thrive. It is imperative to establish open communication in your workplace by setting and defining clear guidelines for what type of communication and behaviour are permitted, as well as enforcing them consistently. 

Additionally, all employees will need to receive periodic training and have the resources to report any work harassment. A transparent reporting process that is comfortable for all will be useful. These measures can help create a safe and supportive environment for women to thrive in their careers. 

Empowering women in the workforce

Women empowerment is more than a buzzword or about fulfilling a diversity quota. Indeed, women leaders can help elevate numerous organisations in Singapore. Multiple studies have shown that an increased number of women in senior management have the potential to increase financial profitability. Nonetheless, women empowerment in the workforce must begin somewhere, and that somewhere may be your organisation. 

AT PPIS RED, we strive to be a source of support to Muslim women in an ever-changing social landscape. We aim to represent Muslim women’s voices and advance their aspirations. To learn more about how you can empower Muslim women in your workplace, do not hesitate to contact us today or visit us at www.ppis.sg/red.