From left to right: Phyllis Goh, Building Executive, Tampines 1/ Century Square, Jolene Ng, Leasing Executive, Tampines 1/ Century Square, Zhuang Hui Hong, Assistant Vice President, Contracts & Procurement  and Elsa Han, Assistant Manager, Investment & Asset Management.

International Women’s Day is about the collection action and shared ownership to celebrate women's achievements and reinforce a commitment to gender equality. Staff of Frasers Property Retail across its corporate office and 13 malls dressed up in purple in the week of 7 March in support of this meaningful day. 

With gradually relaxed safe management measures at the workplace, we took the opportunity to invite 4 female staff from different departments to come together for an outdoor challenge. Beyond breaking the ice, supporting each other through the obstacles and inspiring each other to achieve breakthroughs, they exhibited fostering an empathetic culture and being a robust support system for one another.

With the support of one another, the newly acquainted colleagues completed the obstacle course under 2 hours. In addition to coming together for a shared experience, they shared the knowledge that they have gained through their personal experiences with us, and how they are emboldened by the knowledge that they are not alone in facing issues.

Watch the full video here:

Read full transcript of the video below:

Hui Hong: It is good that we can finally come together to do some activity outside of work.

Jolene: I’m very scared but I will try to challenge myself today.

Phyllis: I think teamwork makes the dream work. That’s the phrase to summarise today’s programme. I went to the level 2 obstacle.

Jolene: The hardest one (laughs).

Hui Hong: Yes, it’s supposed to be the hardest.

Phyllis: The rope was very shaky and there was nothing I could hold on to. I’m very thankful for Hui Hong. She took the initiative to ask the staff for tips so that I can get through the obstacles. 

Jolene: Personally, it’s challenging for me because I have a fear of heights. But this whole experience, with the support of the team mates here, with them cheering for me and giving me tips on how to walk through the obstacle course, I’m glad that I did at least, not the whole thing, at least I managed to make the first step.

Elsa: It’s pretty similar to workplace in the sense that whenever you meet an obstacle, looking at the situation from a different angle can bring perspective to the table. So it can help to solve the problem in a way. 

Hui Hong: When I was up there, I feel like I’m doing it alone. But then you realise that there are people around you. Rather than sometimes feeling like you’re doing the work all by yourself, you can look around. Actually there are people there to support you, give you that encouragement, and also give you the knowledge that you may not have. 

Elsa: And I think the shared experience, it really brings us together and breaks the ice.

Hui Hong: I think after (experiencing) COVID for so long, it has been a long time since we have done any outdoor activities. So I’m really quite glad that we get to do something within work but also outside of work.

CAN YOU SHARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU FACED IN RECENT TIMES?

Hui Hong: I’m actually the secretary, the IT person for my kids, especially during the period when the kids had home-based learning. So that’s the time when we really struggled because we have our own work to complete, yet we have to take care of the children at home. Because I had a very young girl, at that point in time she was still in kindergarten. At every step, she will mess up the (computer) screen. But I think we have all been past that. I think that all the kids are better with IT and I, myself became better at it. 

Phyllis: Nearing the Chinese New Year period, she (my mother) was down with COVID. There was a lot of physical and emotional support that I had to render to her. She does depend on me a lot.

Jolene: For me, drawing the line while working from home, I think that is a struggle at the beginning. But after two years, I think everyone has adapted to the new normal. So I think, for now, things have been so much better as well in terms of being able to go out and catch a breather, or do some activities with your friends.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST TAKEAWAY FROM THE CHALLENGES YOU HAVE FACED?

Phyllis: I have learnt that I won’t be able to do everything at one go. I remind myself to slow down, and also the people around me tend to remind me that it’s already past work time so I have to leave the office and take a break.

Jolene: One of the biggest struggles that I have encountered during this COVID period is really the mental aspect. Anxiety, I think, is something that is quite common nowadays. Finding ways to help yourself when you’re feeling very stressed and cooped up at home while you’re working is very important. And to also have conversations with your friends or even your colleagues. 

Elsa: COVID has definitely brought my family closer together as we’re all working from home. So we have long talks together, we eat, we exercise, and we even rekindled some of our old hobbies like playing puzzle. So the pace of life is definitely slower and we get to appreciate life together.

IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO RALLY YOUR COLLEAGUES TOWARDS A CAUSE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Elsa: Going green and saving on plastic usage is very important. Right now, preparing a recyclable bag for grocery shopping is second nature already. But I’m still working to be more conscious of my purchases, especially (those) that come with plastic packaging. 

Hui Hong: At the end of the day, I’m still a working mother. At some point in time, we really need to do a stock take to make sure that we have work-life balance. Work may be very important, but we still need to make sure that we meet our personal goals in life also. 

All four of them: Happy International Women’s Day!

Guided by Frasers Property’s Purpose, we are working towards creating, inspiring and nurturing an inclusive culture that unlocks the power of diverse teams to drive the organisation forward. This means creating and fostering an empathetic culture that is open and inclusive, where differences are valued and respected, knowing that such diversity brings us closer to the communities we serve.

Happy International Women’s Day everyone!