Event | IFLR Asia Women in Business Law Forum 2017 | Hong Kong

It was my pleasure to be a panelist at the IFLR Asia Woman in Business Law Forum on April 27, 2017.  Our panel had a lively and frank discussion about the challenges that face women as they move up the corporate ladder, and generated some great discussion about why diversity and inclusion initiatives aimed at creating gender equality in the workplace don’t always succeed.  Our panel unanimously agreed that initiatives aimed at supporting women in the workplace are unlikely to succeed without the active sponsorship of senior management.

Somewhat disheartening was the almost exclusively female participant profile of the attendees at the conference.  Although the conference sparked some great debate, gender equality will never be achieved by a one-way discussion.  My personal view, in line with Anne Marie Slaughter’s argument, is that gender equality is unlikely to ever be achieved unless employers ‘revalue family values’.

Women face some unique challenges as they seek to combine having a family with their workplace responsibilities.  However, many of the challenges facing women in the workplace also face men.  The demands of modern working life for people in the professional services are unprecedented.  The consequences of working long hours under intense pressure, frequent international travel, and being available to clients 24-7 are beginning to show through increased levels of stress-related illness, suicides, and substance abuse.  Thus the idea of a creating a more flexible work environment shouldn’t be framed as a benefit for just women, but also men, and indeed society as a whole.