Cover The roundtable event was held in conjunction with International Women's Day at Park90 at Conrad Singapore Orchard
The roundtable event was held in conjunction with International Women's Day at Park90 at Conrad Singapore Orchard
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VisionSave, a philanthropic initiative for eye research and development, teamed up with Gen.T to gather startup founders, healthcare professionals and business executives to discuss women’s health and gender biases at work
Most Singaporeans do not think twice about our access to healthcare—and that can be seen as a privilege in comparison to the realities in some other countries.
In many societies, your gender may have an added impact on your ability to attain quality health services. According to a 2021 study by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), nearly half of the women in 57 developing countries do not have the right to make their own decisions on healthcare and sexual consent.
This was one of the three main topics discussed during a roundtable event organised by VisionSave and supported by Gen.T, in conjunction with International Women’s Day. VisionSave is an initiative set up by the Singapore National Eye Centre (Snec) and Singapore Eye Research Institute to raise funds for eye care research, treatment and delivery.
Above Yee Hui Chia, Ho Ching Lin
Yee Hui Chia, Ho Ching Lin
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Moderators, Marcus Ang, who is a senior consultant at Snec and 2018 Gen.T honouree, and Gen.T’s Chong Seow Wei, also navigated the conversation into two other issues that many women face in terms of their careers: the first being access to opportunities to work in certain fields, and the second being access to top leadership positions.
During this time, some guests raised that for greater equality, shifts in both traditional societal expectations of women and how women see themselves are needed. “You have to perceive yourself as equally deserving and equally capable,” said Ho Ching Lin, the chair of VisionSave and a senior consultant at Snec.
Also discussed was whether companies should implement gender diversity quotas, which are numerical requirements for hiring and promoting members of a particular gender group. To this, one guest believed that such quotas can improve gender equality in the workplace if they are based on realistic metrics, such as the gender proportion of an industry’s talent pool.
Held at the exclusive wine bar Park90 Conrad, the roundtable was complemented by a “tasting in the dark”, which gave guests an experience of what it would be like to have low to no vision. A cheese platter was served along with three exquisite wines: first, the Frederic Savart Bulle de Rose Premier Cru Brut Rose, followed by a 2017 Rhy Mt Pajaro Vineyard Chardonnay, and finally a 2017 Nervi Gattinara.
Anna Tan, Marcus Ang, Tina Wong
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Chong Seow Wei is a regional senior editor covering business, innovation, impact and people. Based in Singapore, she oversees content for Gen.T, Tatler’s platform for promising entrepreneurs and new-generation leaders, and its Power & Purpose vertical.
