On Thursday, April 25th, I joined an event hosted by the Indonesian Professionals Association Singapore at The Indonesian Embassy.
The event “Championing Unity in Diversity” marked the celebration of Kartini Day, observed on April 21st, akin to the extension of International Women’s Day, which falls in March.
This event featured a panel discussion with three women leaders: Hastin Dumadi, Minister Counsellor Economic Department at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Singapore, Ima Abdulrahim, known as former Director of Public Policy of SEA at Meta and her role at The Habibie Center, and Gita Sjahrir, Entrepreneur and Head of Investment at BNI Ventures.
Three takeaways from the event:
- Ensuring equal pay for equal work for women still needs to be pushed. Access to credit and financial services still has a gap compared with men.
- Promoting a culture of respect, equality, and inclusivity to challenge harmful stereotypes towards women.
- Empowering women for the roles they deserve will bring more opportunities and advance equality for women in strategic positions.
The dialogue was productive, with active participation from the audience. I hope it will motivate and change mindsets, at the minimum for those who attended. And I hope that IPA will organize similar events in the future!