Women in Business Event Go back »
2013-05-28 | Beijing
The event started with the discussion of de Saint Sauveur’s book A Women’s World, A Better World? The author interviewed 100 women from 32 countries to find out what they believe needs to change in order to succeed in careers that would equal what men have achieved. The panellists discussed their own career trajectories, the choices they made along the way, and the support that they received from their partners, mentors and role models. The constant goal of a balance between work and life was discussed, and the panellists suggested that women’s expectations of themselves need to change – men aren’t perfect in their careers or personal lives, so it is unfair for society to hold women up to an impossible standard of achieving professional and parenting perfection.
The panel covered a diverse range of topics, but the topic that solicited the most interest from both panellists and the audience was the self-sabotaging scenario in which women hold themselves back because they feel they have to be twice as capable as a man in order to be hired. When assessing their ability to do a job, many women won’t apply because they base their qualifications on what they cannot do, whereas men look at what they can do. Women need greater confidence to realise that learning on the job is always a possibility. A greater support network of mentors, partners at home, and even government policy would help to correct the imbalance of women and men in the workplace, but the main barrier to women’s advancement is often their own self-confidence.
To close the discussion, each panellist was asked to succinctly state what she believed was necessary to create a better world for women. All panellists agreed that equality was necessary, and that it means that both men and women have the same opportunities and access to education and work. Woodland added that women should remember to have fun and try to enjoy what they do every day in order to contribute to these efforts.
