Reclaiming Our Voices
and redefining what leadership means
Watching the news unfolding over the last month plus, I feel a heaviness in my heart and a growing sense of frustration and disbelief.
On this eve of International Women's Day, I find myself reflecting on the progress we’ve made over the years and on the voices that are now being deliberately erased—again. It’s happening in boardrooms, in research labs, in policy discussions, in hiring decisions.
The silencing isn’t new, but the ways in which it’s happening today demand our urgent attention.
Coordinated Erasure
Across the U.S., there is a systematic pushback against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. These policies, which were meant to level the playing field for historically marginalized groups—including women—are being dismantled under the guise of neutrality.
Some recent examples that made the news:
Georgetown Law was recently warned by a U.S. Attorney’s Office that its DEI efforts could cost students job placements.
Target, after years of DEI commitments, has quietly rolled back programs under pressure from external groups.
BlackRock, one of the world’s largest asset managers, rebranded its DEI goals as a broader ‘talent and culture’ initiative—language that suggests inclusion is no longer a priority.
Women found themselves and their accomplishments erased from mention in the websites of reputed scientific agencies, with sources at NASA quoting this was a ‘drop everything and reprioritize your day’ request.
What does it mean when institutions claim that diversity efforts are no longer needed? It means a return to the status quo, where power is held by the few, loyalty is traded for privilege and meritocracy only exists as a smoke screen.
Inequity by design.
While these may seem like localized battles that should remain confined within U.S borders, they are anything but. Because when multinational corporations headquartered in the U.S. shift their stance on DEI, the effects ripple across global workplaces.
Policies change.
Hiring practices shift.
Representation shrinks.
And for women in leadership, the glass ceiling thickens once again. The rollback of years of progress has been swift, punitive and brutal.
An Asian Perspective on Gender Equity
While much of the recent conversation on DEI rollbacks is focused on the U.S., gender inequity remains a deeply entrenched issue across Asia.
The picture is complex:
South Korea: Ranks lowest among OECD countries in The Economist’s Glass Ceiling Index, reflecting the stark reality that despite women’s advancements in education, representation in leadership remains dismally low.
Japan: Continues to struggle with gender parity in executive leadership, with deeply ingrained societal norms limiting women’s professional mobility.
Taiwan: Has emerged as a leader in gender equity efforts, with high levels of women’s participation in the workforce as well as legislative and political spaces. Taiwan has made significant efforts to reduce period poverty through providing free menstrual products and recognizing women’s health as a fundamental right.
India: Despite legislative efforts like the Companies Act, 2013, which mandates at least one female director on the boards of certain companies, women's representation remains limited. Women hold just 17% of board seats in India and accounted for only 21.8 per cent of top leadership roles in 2023. Additionally, female labor force participation is around 23%, significantly lower than the global average, with safety concerns and societal norms contributing to this disparity.
Singapore: Women constitute 42% of the workforce; however, a significant portion occupy lower-level and lower-salary positions. While there has been progress, women still hold only 20.8% of board seats in companies on the S&P/TSX 60 index, and challenges persist in achieving gender parity in leadership roles with only 11.9% female CEOs.
These disparities highlight the importance of context.
The challenges women face in claiming space and voice are not universal—they are shaped by history, culture, and political will. But there is one common thread:
Progress is never guaranteed. It must be defended, again and again.
Why I’m Reclaiming My Voice Now
The erosion of DEI efforts, the rollback of policies that created space for more diverse leadership, the resurgence of narratives that tell us we have already arrived—all of this tells me one thing: this is not the time to be silent.
I’ve been silenced before.
I have experienced that intense suffocation of having my efforts be taken for granted, have value squeezed out of me and be denied the opportunity to have my voice heard. And I have felt defeated by the realization, through conversations, that this is not a unique experience for many women in the workplace.
The gap between what many leaders say and what they do is stark, pointing to a moral crisis of leadership.
As I write this post today, I notice the high level of discomfort and distress I am feeling in my body to claim my space and express these views. There’s a part of me that feels like there are enough voices out there already who are speaking out and making so much sense, and I have nothing new to add.
But another part of me feels outraged to the core - women make up half the world, so why is it so egregious that we ask to take up half the space?
It’s about our right to exist,
our right to be heard,
our right to opportunities,
our right to agency and
our right to be valued fairly for our contributions.
And none of these rights come at the cost of anyone else’s right to exist, be heard, access opportunities, have agency or be valued fairly for their efforts. That is the fundamental basis of equity - creating a level playing field for ALL, not replacing one form of privilege-based access for another.
So, I am making a choice today.
To reclaim my voice. To hold space for conversations that matter. To engage in the discussions that shape the future of leadership—not just for me, but for my daughter & son, so they may live in a more equitable world, and for the generations who come after us.
Over the next few months, I will be sharing reflections on leadership that transcends power and position—leadership that is regenerative, conscious, and deeply human. Because if we don’t define the leadership we need, someone else will do it for us.
If this resonates with you, I invite you to engage.
To reflect.
To ask: Whose voices get heard? Whose leadership gets remembered? And what happens when we reclaim the space we were always meant to take?
