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Article from Straits Times Forum, 31 December 2013 |
Home  Programs Principal Coaches NeXT Media Giving Back
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I refer to your Editorial “More Women for Singapore boardrooms”.
There is another perspective that needs to be considered – the willingness and availability of women leaders to be a board member. Like it or not, the expectations of society still has a part to play in the corporate world. Much as women are increasingly the main bread-maker in the family, there is still an expectation that they shoulder a larger portion of the family’s needs –and minding the growing-up children is one of them. There is also the challenges associated with taking care of the ageing in the family. This responsibility is again parked under the ‘wife’s’. Time then becomes a rare commodity. So long as society’s expectations are not tweaked, it would be difficult for suitably qualified female leaders to find time to contribute at the board level. There is no silver bullet. At the end of the day, there are probably two key motivators for board members – sharing of expertise, and financial rewards. For women who are board-member material, both may not be compelling-enough reasons to accept the invitation.
Paul Heng
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