Yesterday, The MEGA Woman Club brought together a dynamic group of successful and empowered women across different fields to culminate International Women’s Month. The event featured engaging activities and a thought-provoking discussion about the role of women in society as employees, caregivers, and leaders in their respective industries.
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In the panel discussion from the morning event, speakers Savina Chow, Singaporean fashion influencer and founder of Blunies; Mili Kale, co-founder of Moom Health, an enterprise that focuses on common women’s health issues; Korina Sanchez-Roxas, one of the leading broadcast journalists and television anchors in the Philippines; and Grace Vera Cruz, Head of Regional Corporate Strategy at Grab, with author, artist, and host Stephanie Zubiri, explored the steps women are taking as leaders across the region.
The Barriers in the Workplace
Overcoming unconscious bias remains one of the biggest challenges a woman has to overcome. Sometimes, it is women who perpetuate it to themselves. Vera Cruz highlighted how these ingrained biases—often unintentional—can hold a woman back. She admitted that it took some time for her to remove these biases from her system and to build her confidence and assertiveness.
“I can only confidently say that I don’t care so much about what other people think when I reached the age of 40,” Vera Cruz said earnestly. Growing up, she consciously taught herself to be more assertive, a key trait that propelled her career.
For veteran broadcast journalist Sanchez-Roxas, leadership isn’t about one’s personal success but how one can change the landscape for the future generations of women. She recalled a time when she called out her senior for being inappropriate at the workplace.
“Did anybody tell me to do that? Talk to me or show me that kind of example? No, it’s just how you see yourself,” Sanchez, 19 at the time, emphasized. “The climb that I did for over 30 years in the broadcast industry is really just something innate, something that I feel I did for myself.”
“We have come to an age wherein we reap the benefits of what our forefathers from a hundred years ago had already fought for. So if we still insist on holding onto that stigma, then a big part of that is our own fault.”
– Korina Sanchez-Roxas, Filipino broadcast journalist and television anchor
These are just some of the barriers these industry leaders have faced—and will continue to break—for future generations of young women. At the end of the day, these leaders are women, and there are many perceptions that they need to overcome.
Changing the Perception of Women
Challenging societal expectations has been a defining journey for many female leaders, especially as they are shifting the landscape of their own industries. Chow felt that her lack of a formal education or a university degree put her at a disadvantage, which affected her confidence and took a heavy toll on her mental health.
It took years for the Singaporean fashion influencer to build her confidence and overcome the stigma. “With time, experience, learning to be self-confident, and really knowing and being authentic with myself really helped me. It’s beautiful. It really does start with the self,” she pondered.
“There’s nothing wrong with not having a university education. I can go learn other things and I’m not letting that define me.”
– Savina Chow, Singaporean fashion influencer and founder of Blunies
Meanwhile, Kale shed light on the unseen responsibilities of being a woman—balancing a career while managing the societal expectations of being caregivers. Women also self-impose this responsibility of being great contributors to their homes while also excelling in their careers.
“Nobody has forced these responsibilities upon women, but I do think that whether it’s your nurture, nature or whatever it may be, women just naturally kind of take on these responsibilities,” Kale added. “That’s always something that is at the back of my mind: how can I still be, maybe not the breadwinner, but be contributing significantly to my family in a financial manner, run a company, be a mom, and be a daughter? That dichotomy is very apparent.”
Despite these challenges, female leaders will always go above and beyond to be seen, to be heard, and to be taken into consideration. And all it takes is one quality a leader must have.
A Leader’s Most Important Quality
“Embrace your strengths,” Vera Cruz fervently shared. Every one of us has weaknesses, and many dwell on these, but to her, true leadership comes from maximizing our strengths. It is also a leader’s job to encourage others to lean into their strengths while working on their weaknesses.
“Using your strengths to progress in your career is actually more important than fixing your weaknesses.”
– Grace Vera Cruz, Grab’s Head of Regional Corporate Strategy
When a woman is involved, there will always be a challenge, and each hurdle a woman overcomes is a step towards change. Women across Asia aren’t just breaking barriers, but they are reshaping industries, challenging societal norms, and paving the way for the future generation of women.
Photographed by GRANT BABIA AND ANGELOU LUQUE
Special thanks to PANDORA, MYRA, LUXE BEAUTY AND WELLNESS, and GRAB
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