Female leaders honored International Women’s Day

In commemoration of the International Women’s Day on March 8, some female leaders at the helm of the top corporates in Macau came together yesterday, galvanizing other women worldwide with their management experience during the challenging Covid-19 era.
In yesterday’s panel discussion, themed “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a Covid-19 world,” four revered businesswomen called for a push for gender equality and encouraged females to be “brave, bold and calm” when faced with daunting issues amid Covid-19.
Hong Yan Wen, senior vice president of Human Resources Department at Sands China Ltd. was among the speakers. She said that the pandemic had created financial challenges for the group, the likes of which it “had never experienced before.”
“For Covid-19 situations, you have basically nothing for which you can plan ahead. Everything is ad-hoc. [It’s like you] make it and then move on and see what will happen,” Hong said, addressing the audience.
Christine Choi, president of the Architects Association Board of Directors and co-founder of JWCC Architecture echoed Hong’s remarks. She admitted that the ever-changing nature of the pandemic had prompted her to act and think fast, and be “mobile” by tapping into technology to solve everyday problems for her businesses.

Female leaders handled Covid-19 better 
At the height of the pandemic, a study — which examined 194 countries and was published in 2020 by the Centre for Economic Policy Research and the World Economic Forum — observed that countries and cities led by women had “systematically and significantly better” Covid-19 outcomes than others steered by their male counterparts.
The research weighed female-led economies against male-led economies with similar socio-demographic and economic characteristics, such as annual health expenditure per capita, tourist arrivals and gender equality, and found that female-led territories had relatively fewer Covid-19 cases and deaths.
For instance, Hong Kong fared better when compared to Singapore. The same pattern was also found pronounced when comparing Norway to Ireland, Taiwan to South Korea, and other similar comparisons.
Researchers suggested that the distinctive “interpersonally-oriented” leadership style adopted by women and their tendency to be comparatively more risk-averse than males played important roles to contribute to the difference.
The director and designer of the JML Property, Juliet Risdon, who was one of the guest speakers, shared her take on the study, saying that females, in general, are “compassionate and understanding” so that they can better cope with the stress during the crisis.
“We [females] wear so many hats on a daily basis,” which may lead to better handling of the life-changing pandemic, another speaker named Michele Ho, president and chief executive of the Golden Burger added.
Hong cited a particularly resonant experience of hers that female leaders have better communication skills when it comes to the promotion of mask-wearing. Female leaders centered the focus on the purpose of wearing-mask to not just protect oneself but also the health of others in the community. It was a stark contrast to the “task-oriented” leadership approach adopted by males, she added.
“We [females] give a purpose to what we do, instead of [seeing it as] tasks,” Hong added.
Choi, who prioritized her staff’s mental health and granted them a week off to take at the onset of the pandemic, is another exemplar of an empathetic female leader.

Equal opportunities for all
Eileen Stow, director and chief executive of Lord Stow’s Bakeries & Cafes and vice-chairman of the Britcham, also attended the event yesterday. She told the Times that she has striven for gender parity in her workplace, which, she thinks, has demonstrably advanced in Macau over these last few decades.
“What I brought to our company is the understanding of equality,” Stow stated, adding that she values equal opportunities for all regardless of gender.
“I don’t see men and women in my company. I just see qualified people – as in, they are able to do the job. And [embracing] equal pay too, no employee is paid less because they are a woman.”
Yesterday’s event was co-hosted by the British and Australian Chambers of Commerce in Macau, namely the BritCham and AustCham.
The International Women’s Day has been observed on March 8 every year since the early 1900s. It celebrates women’s achievements and raises global awareness about female equality. The theme for 2021 is “Choose to Challenge.”
The proceeds of the Women in Leadership panel will be donated to Good Shepherd Sisters to support their work uplifting the welfare of women and girls, especially those marginalised by society.