International Women’s Day — Panel Voices
Aleph’s International Women’s Day 2022 was a blast. We held a virtual celebration for the women of Aleph — something different we had wanted to do for them this year; something unexpected and out of the ordinary. The virtual space could not contain the anticipation and excitement of the 333 attendees from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Australia.
Panellists made up of women of Aleph from different fields were specially invited to this space to discuss the importance of being aware of biases around us and what important actions we can take to eradicate it, or mitigate it. Our panellists of 5 extraordinary women come from different cultural backgrounds to remind us that it’s all about being intentional in our progress and our move forward.
Here are some excerpts from the session.
What Does IWD Mean for You?
“It should be celebrated every other day. It shouldn’t just be one special day. To me, it’s about supporting women in every single moment.” — Regina, UI/UX Designer, Malaysia
“This day could be a reminder for us to reflect our current worth and value because over time, we are all trying to develop ourselves into better people.” — Nenes, Project Manager, Indonesia
“It’s a special day to celebrate all the hard work that we’ve been doing. Every commitment that we make, we keep to it. So it’s a recognition for all the women.” — Shanaz, Operations Manager, Malaysia
“Breaking anything takes courage and strength and the same holds true for biases as well. Only then do I stay true to myself and embrace and honour myself as a woman.” — Sheena, Senior Account Manager, Singapore
“International Women’s Day is a representation of womanhood and motherhood. Joining Aleph inspired me to be the woman that I want to be, even during pregnancy, that I can work with all my heart and not be afraid of any biases.” — Zum, Managing Director, Vietnam
How Should We Move Forward As A Society?
“Fathers should have an equal treatment in getting the same number of days for parenting leave as mothers to take care of the kids.”— Shanaz, Operations Manager, Malaysia
“We tend to be perfectionists. We should be more vocal in support of women to say that it’s ok, you don’t have to be perfect. You can fail once or twice or several times. Just pick it up. We can support even a friend, who feels underachieved. So support is important.” — Regina, UI/UX Designer, Malaysia
“We should raise awareness about women empowering other women. It’s only women who can really understand other women. Because they have better perspectives and better understanding about how to care for and empower them.” — Nenes, Project Manager, Indonesia
“Maybe men will need to be certified to be fathers before they become a father. They must attend training classes. Men want to support and take care of their children, but sometimes they are clueless. So for men, make sure they are well equipped before they become a father.”— Zum, Managing Director, Vietnam
“Parents need to stop worrying about their daughters more than they worry about their sons. Parents need to allow their daughters to be ok to make mistakes, make decisions and then stand by them. It’s about breaking the bias, standing tall to what I actually believe in even if it means going against them for a certain thing.” — Sheena, Senior Account Manager, Singapore
We Hear You.
These were some valuable takeaways from the discussion. We are grateful to the panellists for sharing their thoughts and giving us realisation.
This is what women desire.
This is what society needs.
This is what inspires Aleph.
