kuala lumpur: Malaysian companies need stronger institutional support to appoint more women to chief executive positions, said Grace Yap Mei Wan, independent director of Sungei Bagan Rubber Bhd (Malaya).
Yap called for better support systems to help women balance work and family life and ensure their progression to senior management positions.
“This is the argument I have made. Women often choose not to pursue or remain active in their careers once they have a family – they quit. I believe the solution lies in building a strong support system – an infrastructure of understanding and tolerance within organisations to enable women to be mothers, wives and good employees. Such measures will enable women to continue on their career path and progress to senior management and beyond,” she said during a panel session at CIC Capital Consultancy SDN Bhd’s My ESG Forum, organised in collaboration with University of Malaya today.
Yap noted that there are more and more women on corporate boards and in the C-suite, a trend he attributes to women staying in the workplace and getting promoted. “I think the fact that there are more and more women on boards and in the C-suite reflects the contributions that women have made in the workplace over the years,” he said.
But despite the growing number of women in chief sustainability officer (CSO) positions, Yap said she would like to see more women in CEO positions. “A lot of CSOs are women, but I think we need more women in CEO positions,” she said.
Yap highlighted the lack of female CEOs and called for more opportunities for women to take on senior executive roles.
Meanwhile, she suggested that the increase in and adoption of sustainability-related roles among women in the workplace is because women tend to be more passionate about sustainability issues.
“From an ESG perspective, it seems like we’re more likely to worry about the climate, want diversity and inclusion, and prioritize compliance with the law than to be overly concerned about costs. We’re focused on achieving the bottom line…
“I believe the drive for women towards sustainability is instinctual. It’s the compassion part of women, the empathy that we naturally have and strive to embody. That role suits us well,” she concluded.
