How far have they come? Prominent alumnae speak about their evolving role at the 12th Distinguished Alumni Forum.

These days, what men can do, women can do too, and sometimes, even better!

The 12th Distinguished Alumni Forum, titled "Women's Roles in Today's Society", shed light on how far women have come, the greater opportunities presented to them and how the world is more accepting of women in power. Participants heard from prominent female NTU alumni and staff, as they shared their views on their own evolving roles.

Chaired by Ms Tan Su Yuen, Director of Corporate Communications, NTU, the forum had panelists Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon (Commerce/1971), Minister of State for Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports; Ms Diana Ser (WKWSCI/2002), Founder and Director, Diana Ser Communications; and Associate Professor Valerie Du Toit-Low, Associate Dean, Nanyang Business School.

Special guest Mr Anthony Teo, Secretary to the University, said in his welcome address: "Women have travelled great distances and (scaled) great heights. We see the role of women, expanding greatly. What we see now is a lot more in terms of influence, conversation and dynamics. The role of women has to do with the nature of a civil society – the way we engage each other and the way we discuss."

Work-life harmony
In her keynote address, Mrs Yu-Foo spoke about the achievements women have made in Singapore, in the areas of education, the workforce and politics. She highlighted that at a recent Global Summit of Women held in Chile, which she attended to share on Singapore's "Many Helping Hands" approach in the promotion of work-life measures, Singapore was voted 3rd among 19 participating countries.

"Our 3P approach involving the public, private and people sectors was judged on three criteria – impact, innovation and policy sustainability. The critical success factor was the concerted and seamless partnership between the government, businesses, voluntary welfare and non-governmental organisations," she noted.

During the panel discussion, there was much dialogue about work-life harmony, a notion which some might find elusive still. Sharing her views, Ms Diana Ser mentioned that sometimes the word "balance" puts pressure on working women with families. "It's like imagining myself in my high heels, on a see-saw plank, and juggling a few balls in the air, and the plank is moving up and down. And the whole time I am keeping my eyes on the balls so that they don't drop while I balance the see-saw. It's tough," she said.

"But, gradually I realised that rather than aiming for work-life balance, I aim for the perfectly imbalanced. I make the choice to spend more time with my family than with my career. I know that there will be sacrifices in my career. But in my heart, I am at peace," she added.

Who's the boss?
Participants also discussed eagerly on issues such as female leadership and the role of women alongside their male partners and spouses. Associate Professor Valerie Du Toit-Low shared: "There might not be much of a difference between female and male leaders. Most of the women leaders I have encountered prefer a participative style by asking questions and gathering feedback and forming answers."

"These days, there are women who are more successful than their spouses. It takes a very confident man not be intimidated. If you are the more successful partner, there is nothing to be ashamed about. But never belittle your partner, and always let him have his say as well. The woman has to be understanding and both of you have to value each other. It's about respecting the roles both of you have to play," she observed.

On what she learnt, Ms Patricia Ang, said: "We always think work-life balance is 50/50, yet as Diana Ser shared with the audience, it was for her, 70% family and 30% work. I think it is important to know your values and goals and what you want to attain at the end of the day. It was a session I enjoyed, especially the sharing by the prominent panelists." Ms Ang was one of nearly 280 participants at the forum and an alumna from Wee Kim Wee's School of Communication and Information, Class of 2007.

The forum was held on 5 June at the NTU Alumni Club at one-north.



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