Articles
Diversity & Inclusion
The Stress of Exclusion
“I had to work 150% harder than my peers as I climbed the proverbial corporate ladder. But I would still come home and cry as I could not show weakness at work. I told myself that if I worked harder than everyone else then I would be acknowledged and visible. But the...
5 Common Reasons Why D&I Programs Fail
Diversity and Inclusions efforts have gained momentum over the last few years, but 2020 saw an unprecedented acceleration in initiatives in the wake of highly publicized cases of racial injustice. Many would call the events of the last year a social and racial justice...
Beyond The Diversity Business Case
Companies will not reap the benefits from diversity unless they build a culture that insists on equality. It’s time for a new way of thinking.
Racism
The Unseen Race
“But not you, right?” I was in the midst of a passionate discussion with a male colleague about gender equality in the workplace. Yes, we need to hire women! We need to draft policies that better accommodate our female talent, flexible working, extended paid maternity...
Whiteness
It was a casual post play date chat with fellow parents from my children’s school. Somehow the conversation turned towards the representation of teachers of color in our school. I am mindful of “containing” myself in social situations when it comes to topics about...
The “Tokenisation” of Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle’s interview divided the world. In its aftermath, a troubling, but all too familiar narrative emerged. Meghan Markle is a liar. Where is the proof of these allegations? Meghan and Harry are privileged, what exactly is the problem? Whether she intended to...
Gender Equality
What’s Really holding women back?
“Life is not fair, get used to it” Bill Gates “11 Rules you will never learn in school” The under- representation of women in the workplace and the difficulty faced by women to progress economically and professionally is a consistent and pervasive problem. When we ask...
Stop telling women to just “Lean In”
I stumbled upon the Lean In brand of corporate feminism some years ago while I was on a leadership development program at a well-known global firm. The author of the book, Sheryl Sandberg, was talking to our cohort online, emphatically calling out the need for women...
The Problem with Feminism
We were all huddled over coffees, energetically expressing our frustration with the parking lot traffic during school drop off. My occasional morning coffee with the school mums was my little guilty pleasure, not unlike my sometimes sneaky KUWTK reality TV binge. It...
Toxic Masculinity
Boys- Don’t- Cry
We need the support of men to advocate for gender equality, but a culture that supports toxic masculinity suppresses the voices of well-meaning allies We must upend the toxic masculine stereotypes which create harmful cultures — and which inevitably silences the...