On Friday 11 March, in partnership with the Asian Women of Achievement Awards, Southbank Centre’s WOW (Women of the World) Festival hosted a panel discussion on Asian Women in the workplace.
Chaired by Jyoti Shah from the NHS Foundation Trust, the panel which included successful leaders from UBS Wealth Management, Leadership Academy for Asian Women (LAAW) and i-Probono, tapped into how for Asian Women “the ‘glass ceiling’ is more a concrete ceiling - one which cannot even be seen through.”
Asian women in workplaces are often labelled “over-achievers” simply for being there. Along with cultural stereotyping, some come from a culture where they are to “be seen but not heard” – a complete contrast to expectations held of what an ambitious employee should be like - extroverted.
This synergy makes it harder for women to firstly put themselves forward to progress but also for them to be recognised as capable to progress and produce quality work in more advanced roles. It results in an under-representation in senior positions – within UK’s higher education sector alone there are only 17 Black women professors.
Though overt prejudice still exists, it also exists through unconscious biases people hold on Asians and women, together and separately. Unconscious biases are difficult to combat as they are deep-rooted and part of a natural process human beings use to shape understanding of the world.
The panel explained that inside workplaces, Asian women are instrumental in creating change and should call inequality out when seen. It doesn’t have to be an act of hostility but can involve simply taking someone aside for a coffee and explaining the impact of these behaviours.
Other starting points include: finding an influential champion for equality, making sure the middle-managers are on-board, and introducing unconscious bias workshops to employees, especially recruitment staff. A multipoint collective strategy on recruitment and retention of diverse groups can also be implemented to create and maintain a healthy work environment where Asian women can thrive.
Asian women may seek resolve by compartmentalising culture and work into two different spaces which inevitably is a struggle as these are both parts of one identity. Amina Memon, founder of LAAW said the academy’s upcoming programme “Living Between Two Worlds” will support women holistically with this challenge so that they can break down barriers placed in front of them.
Shona Baijal said that it is not only those in our workplaces we need to educate but the generation after us especially young men: “We must also impart what we’ve learnt to our young boys”.
Asian women must also remember to surround themselves with a diverse supportive network, use their unique attributes and perspectives to their advantage, and then help inspire those who come after.
