Today is International Women’s Day and the theme this year is Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”. We asked some of the nation’s leading entrepreneurs, small business owners and leaders to share their thoughts on the theme.

Achieving an equal future post-COVID

Cassandra Hili, Head Rule-Breaker of Millennium Communications

Now has never been more important to highlight how much of an impact women can make when it times of crisis. Whilst right now we are fighting a global pandemic, women have been fighting for years for equality in pay, recognition, education and so on. I hope in the future we are able to see a fair share in access to information and education, access to health services, jobs, pay, recognition in the media but also, the recognition that women played a part in the fight against COVID-19 and taking part in the recovery processes.

Kris Grant, CEO, ASPL Group

While the consequences of the pandemic were heart-breaking for women, one thing that the pandemic afforded us was the chance to have a more flexible way of working. Employers need to capitalise on the opportunity that remote work offers women, and find a way to make true flexible work available for all employees even when COVID-19 is behind us, to encourage women to pursue their careers.
True flexible work means a working environment where staff are encouraged to get the work done at the times that suit them best, and not ‘flexible work’ where the expectation is that staff are chained to their home office desks from nine to five. It also means educating the workforce on unconscious bias towards women in the workplace, as they continue to carry the majority of responsibilities of their households, caring for their children and keeping on top of housework, while also committing to their careers. It’s about calling out poor behaviours and valuing the contributions that diversity brings to every organisation.

International Women’s Day is an opportunity to reflect on what you can do individually, and as part of your workplace at any level, to help with the attitudinal change required to help us reach gender equality sooner rather than later.

Emille Mendoza, Owner and Founder of Boracay Skin

The COVID 19 pandemic has affected millions of people worldwide. Lockdowns and an increased level of risk to health safety have changed the way the world operates. COVID 19 has disproportionately affected women more than men and the simple reason is that they are female. Increased unpaid care work, women generally earning less than males and increased violence towards women are some of the examples of how the pandemic has affected women.

To ensure a greater recovery in the post-pandemic world, we must have equal representation of women in leadership and in decision making to help meet the needs of women. In turn, we can hope for a better chance of an equal future.

Elaine Yang, Founder, askbella

“The pandemic has created an unprecedented situation for women around the world. It’s devastating that women in the workforce have been more impacted than men, but the challenge COVID-19 has presented us with is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to grow. Talking to other female entrepreneurs gave me the courage to launch my startup, askbella, the Beauty Bot, in the middle of the pandemic, and that’s because they helped me to realise that women have the creativity and drive to change the world. So if you have an idea, don’t waste the opportunity to be a game-changer, even during a tough time. Create, humanise and innovate.

Jessica Williamson- Business Coach, Mentor and Speaker

My mission is to help women create their dream life by helping them unleash their potential not just professionally, but personally. Our world will never be the same after the effects of COVID-19, however, female leaders and owned businesses have played a huge part through their skills and knowledge in the lead of the response and recovery. I hope in the future, there is more acceptance and recognition of the different experiences, perspectives and skills female leaders can bring to the table, along with a pathway towards a Generation Equality where women’s leadership is no longer an exception but the new normal. Let’s uplift each other and create a new path, because every time you step up, get out of your comfort zone and chase your dreams… you are inspiring another woman to do the same!

Rachel Gately, Co-Founder of Trellis Data

I believe women were hit particularly hard by the pandemic. Juggling work and family is already a struggle, but I found working at home with the kids was a greater challenge and meant I was working late into the night. Thankfully it’s easier now with kids back in the classroom.

Additionally, the unconscious bias against those who work from home has reduced significantly through COVID-19. There is a wide acceptability that work still gets done at home in flexible hours. This is a huge progression for society and specifically women, who often could benefit from working from home with flexible hours while their children are young.

We’ve learned from COVID-19 that working environments need policies in place, and a culture to match, that enables parents of both genders to have work-life balance. This could mean working from home more regularly, or flexible hours in the office. The pitfall is less face to face time with management, but the adoption of Zoom and online meetings means the negative effects of this can be reduced.

Looking forward, this ‘new normal’ means career progression for women will be less challenging, and that we see more women in leadership in the future. –