Women Special - Breaking Down Disparities

Women continue to sustain the quest to make a mark in the workplace and balance their personal life. Pandemic or not, woman power has not diminished one bit, and it shows in their exemplary achievements in India and the rest of the world. On the occasion of Women’s Day, BioSpectrum Asia salutes 20 inspiring leaders of the life sciences industry in the APAC region, for motivating others around them, breaking the glass ceiling and paving their own paths in 2021. These 20 women are powerhouses in their respective fields, inspiring not just their employees and the people around them, but other women and the next generation of women leaders.

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Women’s representation has improved across all levels of the corporate pipeline in 2020 and 2021, despite COVID-19. This is an encouraging sign and worth celebrating after an incredibly difficult time across the globe. As a result of which, the theme for International Women’s Day, on March 8, 2022, is- ‘Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow’, recognising the contribution of women and girls around the world to build a more sustainable future for all. According to the ‘Women in the Workplace 2021’ report by McKinsey, women are rising to the moment as stronger leaders and taking on the extra work that comes with stress and exhaustion. Compared with men at the same level, women are doing more to support their teams and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Compared with men in similar positions, women managers are taking more consistent actions to promote employee well-being including checking-in on their team members, helping them manage their workloads, and providing support for team members who are dealing with burnout or navigating work-life challenges. Over the past 18 months, companies have embraced flexibility. More than three-quarters of senior HR leaders say that allowing employees to work flexible hours is one of the most effective ways out to improve employee well-being. However, many companies seem to have overlooked something very crucial - that without clear boundaries, flexible work can quickly turn into ‘always on’ work, which is affecting a lot of women lately. Maybe even leading them to leave their jobs, since they are unable to devote enough time for family.

Closing gender gap in APAC