International Women's Day

To mark International Women's Day, we asked our female senior members of staff in the UK and Asia to choose one word that they feel represents #BalanceforBetter. Here's what they said.

Inspire

Woman’s intuitive mind and heart can make an impact at home or at work. 

As the saying goes ‘behind every great man, there’s a great woman’, let’s be inspired by the great woman in your life.
Do not take them for granted!

Jody Hoh - HR & Operations Manager (Singapore)

Rise

Rise to the opportunities that are presented. Show your passion, knowledge and skills in the areas we are strong in and be proud of it. Never be afraid to shine because of your gender as this will inspire others to do the same.

Tiffany Khor - Marketing Manager (Singapore)

Breathe

Apart from playing multiple roles as a daughter, sister, girlfriend, wife, mother, working class, it’s important to take a break at times, slow down, breathe, and face off to what life brings. Happy International Women’s Day to all the extraordinary women out there! It’s a day to celebrate, kick off your shoes, raise a toast to yourself and exhale…

Cindy Tan - Associate Director (Singapore)
 

Empowerment

It brings gender equality and allows for more diverse voices to be heard.

Fiona Mak - Director (Hong Kong)
 

Resilient

Never give up, no matter how great the challenge or how grim things look, grit your teeth and get to the end. Don’t let any ‘noise’ distract or pull you back.

Daisy Lam - Associate Director (Hong Kong)
 

Authenticity

Celebrating who we are in a positive light will, in return, emanate to the rest of the world.

Whether it be gender, age, beliefs or values, we should always stay true and be proud of who we are. So go forth and be AUTHENTIC!

Rhoda Rivera - Associate Director (Hong Kong) 
 

Influence

While paramount for women to be united, we need to be able to influence our male counterparts about the importance of women’s rights and of this day.

Leona Tjio - Associate Director (Hong Kong)
 

Respect

Respect each other.
Celebrate and respect females that go through motherhood and the tireless effort they contribute to the household.

Rachael Yeung - Associate Director (Hong Kong)
 

Change

#be bold for change. We need to keep challenging status quo and bias, forge women’s advancement, and celebrate women’s achievements.

Tracy Tam - Learning & Development Lead (Hong Kong)
 

Challenge

Don’t be afraid to challenge stereotypes.
Be brave to help create a gender-balanced world.

Bong Siew Yong - Director (Malaysia)
 

Success

Success comes from determination, commitment and hard work. Own it, celebrate it and encourage other women around you to do the same.

Jessica Kaur - Operations Manager (Malaysia)
 

Flexibility

A lack of flexibility is one of the main barriers that is currently preventing so many women from reaching the top levels of their careers.  I strongly believe that flexibility shouldn’t just be restricted to mothers. Employers need to offer both their male and female employees flexible working as standard to destigmatise those people who do work flexibly, retain this valuable female talent and ensure that everyone is given the opportunity to reach their potential at work and balance this with family commitments.

Sarah Lisneuf - Marketing Manager (UK)
 

Confidence

Women are judged by society in so many different ways – confident little girls are called ‘bossy’, as young women we are given so many unrealistic images in the media of what ‘perfect’ looks like and as we get older, the thought of ‘having it all’ in terms of family and career is often seen as unobtainable – be confident in your abilities, opinions (and your own skin!).

Lara Mitchard - Divisional Manager (UK)


Understanding

Until there is a full understanding of the challenges that women still face, right down to the day to day realities, we won’t be able to move forward to a more balanced future.

Julia Green - HR Manager (UK)
 

Encourage

I believe we need to Encourage women to reach their potential and fulfil their career aspirations and encourage men to be part of the discussions on how to assist more women in becoming leaders. 

Nicky Acuna Ocana - Managing Director (UK)