Colleague Spotlight: #BreakTheBias this International Women’s Day

February 26, 2022

Let’s be honest – it’s not easy being a woman. Women bring creativity, life, and essential services to all levels of society, from our personal homes to the professional workplace, yet their achievements and contributions often go overlooked, unacknowledged, or even minimised. This International Women’s Day, we’re looking to #BreakTheBias – to build an inclusive world where diversity is understood, accepted, valued and celebrated.

At Gryphon Tea, we believe our diversity is our strength. Thus, this year, we’d love to shine the spotlight on the achievements of women around the world, starting with those on our team. To understand and celebrate the ladies in our team, we’ve sat them through a short interview to know a little more about them. Here’s what they have to say:

International Women’s Day is more than just a day, it’s an entire month full of celebration where I get to see women from all over the world showcase their work and achievements. It is a day to inspire and encourage all young women to be a little more ambitious and realise that there’s nothing that they can’t achieve if they work hard for it. Unfortunately, true gender equality doesn’t truly exist anywhere in the world (yet) and this day reminds us of the work that still needs to be done to grow the involvement of women at all levels all days of the year.

– June, General Manager

International Women’s Day to me would mean that it would be a day to acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of women in society, be it for social or economic purposes. Although we’re seeing more and more women becoming powerhouses in current times, I believe that it should be important to observe it with scrutiny as society’s mindset can still be rather backwards, especially for the older generations. For example, men seem to be more superior or have an edge over women in terms of power, knowledge and even economic status.

– Eunice, Corporate Business Development Manager

It’s remembering that women are empowered! We fight for women’s issues and make it better for all women out there. We can show our daughters that we can lead fulfilling lives by supporting causes we care about. After all, we wish to create a better place for our daughters.

– Cynthia, Relationship Manager

International Women’s Day calls for an opportunity to celebrate women for who they are and their achievements – a chance to embrace the things they are good at and for their contributions to the family and society to be recognised, even if they come from diverse backgrounds.

– Li Xing, Senior Marketing & Partnerships Executive

International Women’s Day is a special opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women in all areas. For all the big victories and even the small ones. It is great to have a day dedicated to all women’s challenges and successes, however I hope that this day won’t just be the highlight and that everyday we continue to support and celebrate women everyday.

– Nadia, Junior Creative Strategist

International Women’s Day is a day to acknowledge and honour women around the world for the contribution we made to the world. It is also a time to reflect on how far we’ve gone to support women’s rights and erase women’s discrimination. It is important to observe IWD as a way to raise awareness about women’s equality, to recognise and review what are the problems that still exist and what else can we do to achieve gender equality.

– Celine, E-Commerce Executive

That women are better multitaskers, so they have to take on the role of always being the better child, the better spouse, the better parent…

– June, General Manager

Personally, I feel that the issue women face at home today are the responsibilities that were projected onto women from the past. I.e. It’s a woman’s job to do the laundry/It’s a woman’s job to cook and clean. Till today, this stigma tends to resonate continuously and it gets passed on to younger generations.

– Eunice, Corporate Business Development Manager

Multi-tasking. Women have to take more roles as compared to men. We are mothers, daughters, wives and also need to work. Being able to fulfil the different roles we play and doing it well is very challenging.

– Cynthia, Relationship Manager

I feel time is never enough. There’s always more to be achieved “if I had more time” – to learn new skills, gain professional experience in the work field, to pick up a new hobby, go on a long holiday with loved ones, or be physically around our kids or parents. No matter if we are superwomen in our households or in the office, we’re always running against the clock for ourselves, our loved ones or the society.

– Li Xing, Senior Marketing & Partnerships Executive

The issue women our age face these days are the stereotypes created from generations before. As a kid and only had my father to care for me, I had to learn how to do my own laundry, was told to learn how to cook, clean the house or else I’d get told that I am a “useless girl”. My only hope is that this mentality would fade away eventually and gender equality would be more respected. Women are not only meant for the kitchen or the only one to care for their home.

– Nadia, Junior Creative Strategist

As a young working adult, I feel that the biggest issue we face nowadays is limited career choices, career progression and insufficient income. Educational opportunities are wide open to both sexes in the 21st century, and women can legally apply for practically any job available; but the barriers to career choices for women still exist. Some higher-paying sectors such as Information Technology and Engineering are mostly dominated by males. Even for the same role, men tend to progress faster and higher than women when it comes to career progression due to unconscious bias from the management. When it comes to a decision for a job promotion, men are more likely to be selected as well.

– Celine, E-Commerce Executive

A workplace that encourages diversity and inclusion will make employees feel valued and accepted. Plus, diversity gives the company access to a greater range of talent.

– June, General Manager

Diversity in the workplace is important as it opens up room for different perspectives. E.g. Women can be more emotional and hence decision making can be backed up by feelings, whereas men could be a little more logical and hence, reasonings vary. However, I feel that it is only true to a certain extent and it should not be a blanket depiction of the workplace. Men can be super emotional too. Like my husband… LOL

– Eunice, Corporate Business Development Manager

In the workplace, diversity means your staff consists of individuals who bring new perspectives and backgrounds to the table. A diverse and inclusive environment establishes a sense of belonging among employees. When employees feel more connected at work, they tend to work harder and smarter, producing higher and quality work. As a result, organisations that adopt D&I (Diversity and Inclusion) practices see huge gains in the form of business results, innovation and decision-making.

– Cynthia, Relationship Manager

Diversity brings variety to the table – a variety of backgrounds, experience, perspectives, characters, and talents, which allows for more room for growth and learning. It is key to ensure we get the most out of our workplace experience, and vital for us to understand different perspectives and develop as a person.

– Li Xing, Senior Marketing & Partnerships Executive

Diversity is something that’s of great importance in the workplace. Different cultures, religions, races, and gender can create unity. It is always interesting to learn from a different perspective because it helps one keep an open mind, and from there on it’s where you get to see the world in a bigger picture. You learn to respect one another, and that’s when you see growth in everyone.

– Nadia, Junior Creative Strategist

Having a diverse and multicultural workplace can encourage productivity and creativity. It allows room for exchanges of ideas regardless of gender. Respecting and valuing the skills and differences that each member brings into the workspace also encourages employees to voice out their opinions.

– Celine, E-Commerce Executive

To support, mentor, and applaud. To empower each other to be the best versions of ourselves.

– June, General Manager

It is definitely important for women to lift each other up as we kind of get one another. Having to lift one another up does not just mean being there emotionally, but being there physically in times of need matters a lot too. For example, helping my best friend carry or babysit her baby just for that 10 minutes while she takes a hot shower would mean a lot as there is comfort and trust.

– Eunice, Corporate Business Development Manager

We rise by lifting others. Do you remember the positive feeling you experienced the last time when somebody sent you encouraging messages or how you felt when you did something good for others? No matter how well you know that person, to receive an encouraging message or by helping others makes one feel great! It’s good to be good. People who care for others usually live longer.

– Cynthia, Relationship Manager

Having support from fellow females is extremely important. As females ourselves, it’s easier to relate and confide in one another as we would understand the types of struggles we tend to go through in different stages of our lives. It’s rather common that women nowadays wear multiple hats and have a handful of commitments from the household to the office – and all these are small, daily achievements that tend to be easily forgotten or pushed to the side. Hence, having any form of acknowledgement, encouragement or appreciation will give us the support to achieve much more.

– Li Xing, Senior Marketing & Partnerships Executive

Can’t lie that it feels good to have a support system and I am blessed to have girls around me that continuously support me. It’s the only reason I have not given up on so many things in life, so yes, it is very important for women to lift each other up. Therefore, cheering someone on, even if it’s a short message of encouragement, can change one’s life. Sometimes a little goes a long way.

– Nadia, Junior Creative Strategist

Women bring good qualities that adds value to the workplace. One of women’s great qualities is their ability to influence others, especially fellow women, with their inspiring leadership. In order not to be looked down on by others, women tend to be more hardworking to prove their ability to the world. Women are also effective communicators as they are more caring and better listeners. They tend to be more organised and meticulous with their work. The impressive works and achievements of women today can inspire fresh graduates and young women with their power of influence and encouragement. I see those successful women who are making impacts on the world as role models and I wish that I could be like them one day.

– Celine, E-Commerce Executive

While International Women’s Day creates an opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements while amplifying a call to action to everyone everywhere to do what they can to help build an inclusive world, we are all responsible for our own thoughts and actions individually – all day, every day. To make a fellow female’s day, give the gift of love and appreciation with our IWD exclusive sets – Morning Pick-Me-Up and Afternoon Indulgence, brought to you in collaboration with Zee & Elle. Support our cause to build an inclusive world with us as 10% of the proceeds from each set goes to supporting AWARE Singapore. What’s more, receive a Gryphon Tea Eco Tote Bag (worth $5) with every purchase of any set! Alternatively, you can head over to AWARE Singapore to find out how you can contribute to a society where there is true gender equality.

Let’s make it a point to #BreakTheBias by being a little more compassionate and showing more empathy. Let’s seek to first understand, then to be understood and together, help forge a more gender equal world on 8^th March and beyond.