#InternationalWomenDay2022 x Chao, the Co-Founder of PWRHOUSE

Gung Jewellery is Challenging the Gender Bias

Gender bias continues to be a problem around the world. These biases and stereotyping have led to preconceptions being formed, limiting possibilities for women, and sowing the seeds of inequity, all to the disadvantage of our society.

This is the right time to take a moment to reflect on how far we've come and to consider what else we can do to help women's voices be heard.

In conjunction with the International Women’s Day 2022 with the theme of “Breaking the Bias”. We have invited a few of exciting personalities that we find very inspirational with women's empowerment, to represent Gung Jewellery to talk about their experiences & issues they’ve encountered in their workplace about gender stereotypes.

These ladies are confident, empowered, fun & always inspirational. Let’s get fascinated & inspired by them!

We are glad to have Chao, the co-founder of PWRHOUSE onboard with us to share with us about her interesting stories & gender bias experiences encountered at her workplace!

Herringbone Flat Bold Gold Chain Necklace, Bold Boyfriend Paperclip, Gold Mask Chain/Necklace  & Starry Hoop Gold Earrings worn by Chao

1. Hi Chao, could you briefly introduce yourself?
Hi! My friends call me Chao and I’m one of the co-founders of PWRHOUSE Fitness Studio where I am also a spin instructor ⚡ ️After starting PWRHOUSE, I wanted to help other entrepreneurs pursue their passion, so I recently joined a venture capital firm evaluating early-stage start-ups.
 

2. Tell us anything about your work, the fun & boring parts, anything that you’d like to tell share with us.
It’s been quite a challenge trying to juggle my day job while still managing the studio and instructing part-time. Some days are so overwhelming and tiring but I believe the most important thing is finding meaning in your work. It’s definitely easier said than done and it’s taken me a few tries to get to where I am now, so I am extremely grateful for being able to do what I love. Of course, it’s also really important to ask for help when needed and luckily, I have an amazing support system around me.
 

3. Have you ever experienced any struggles or problems at work that is related to gender stereotypes?
Unfortunately, yes. Throughout my career, I’ve been overlooked for certain projects because I am a “girl” and it’s more of a “boys world”. It’s also all the other day-to-day things like when I’m having a bad day and a male colleague remarked “oh you’re going through THAT time of the month”; when a female manager is strict and is called a bossy bitch; when a female colleague announced that she is pregnant, and the management started planning her replacement. Women are often chastised for speaking up or speaking too loudly but then we are overlooked for promotions and positions because we didn’t demand enough - it’s a lose-lose situation.
 

4. Nowadays, what do you think about the mindset that people have should be changed in terms of gender equality?
I think the hardest mindset to change about people is the implicit gender bias ingrained in us because we are unaware that we have it at times, myself included. E.g., when people say things like “women are bad drivers”, “girls should be soft spoken” and “who is taking care of your children when you work?”. There’s also a big problem with gender representation. When you look at the senior management or director composition of most companies in Malaysia, it’s mostly men. And as much as we ask women to break through the glass ceiling, maybe we also need to start asking, why do women have to work twice as hard whereas men can just saunter through life?
 

5. Our goal is to reach more people to get the ideas of how gender stereotyping could affect people negatively. How do you think that this campaign would help to the society?
I hope this campaign can help to kickstart difficult conversations surrounding gender equality because awareness is the first step to correction. More men need to acknowledge that there is a gender bias and gender pay gap because like I mentioned previously, it’s mostly men in these positions of change and power. And it’s not easy but I hope this will also inspire more women to speak up against these stereotypes and correct their friends, family, colleagues. To facilitate this conversation, we organise exclusive themed classes every March at PWRHOUSE, featuring female-only playlists to highlight women empowerment. It’s not much but it’s a start!