YWLC’s International Women’s Day 2026 Celebrations: “Succeed in Solidarity”
- Young Women's Leadership Connection
- 39 minutes ago
- 7 min read
Succeed in Solidarity
On 7 March 2026, the Young Women’s Leadership Connection (YWLC) celebrated International Women’s Day under the theme “Succeed in Solidarity.”
Held in partnership with Procter & Gamble Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (P&G), the event brought together leaders, mentors, partners and members of the YWLC community for an afternoon of reflection, conversation and shared learning through a fireside chat with Minister Grace Fu, a dynamic panel discussion featuring senior women leaders across industries and a series of Reimagine Ateliers, which are smaller breakout conversations designed to explore the evolving realities of leadership, balance, transitions and equity.
Cecilia Tan (YWLC Mentor, and Vice President, Global Government Relations & Public Policy, P&G), opened the event by highlighting the P&G Singapore Innovation Center as a hub for collaboration and nurturing future leaders. She grounded the theme "Succeed in Solidarity" in the belief that success is a collective journey fuelled by mentorship, empathy, and mutual support. Drawing on her own personal experience, she emphasised that mentorship is a reciprocal process of growth, where mentors and mentees learn equally from one another as they rise together.
Following this, Casherine Goh, Chairperson of YWLC’s 9th Executive Committee (EXCO) ,reflected on the deeper meaning behind this year’s theme. She noted that women’s leadership journeys are rarely walked alone; they are shaped by ecosystems of mentorship, community and shared support.
As she shared with the audience:
“The journey of advancing women’s leadership is not one we walk alone. It thrives because of the ecosystem behind it - mentors who share their wisdom, partners who support the mission, and a community that lifts one another up.”
Her opening invitation to participants was both simple and powerful: How would you help another woman rise today? It was a question that would echo throughout the conversations that followed.The afternoon was a celebration not only of progress, but of the communities that make progress possible.
Fireside Chat with Minister Grace Fu
On Leadership, Resilience and the Future of Opportunity
One of the highlights of the event was a fireside conversation with Minister Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, moderated by Adreena Lau, Vice-Chairperson of YWLC’s 9th EXCO.
Minister Fu reflected on how global forces are reshaping the future of leadership and opportunity. She highlighted three powerful forces shaping the world today:
Political fragmentation and shifting global alliances;
Technological transformation, particularly the rise of artificial intelligence; and
Demographic change, including ageing populations and declining fertility rates
Together, these forces are transforming economies, labour markets and societies in profound ways. While diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have faced increasing scrutiny globally, Minister Fu emphasised that their importance remains undiminished.
On diversity, equity and inclusion, Minister Fu warned that progress is fragile. “Some people ask whether we are already ‘there’ for women… Inclusive systems and equal opportunities remain critical if societies are to thrive.” She added that Singapore emphasises equal opportunities rather than identical outcomes, enabling women to choose different combinations of career, family and personal barriers without structural barriers. Minister Fu also stressed shared responsibility in families and workplaces, noting that caregiving should not fall on women alone.
Looking ahead, Minister Fu emphasised that ‘resilience’ will be a defining leadership quality for the future.“The world is becoming more volatile and uncertain. Leaders must be ready to adapt, respond and make decisions in changing contexts.”
Beyond technical expertise, the future will demand human capabilities such as communication, negotiation, empathy and consensus-building, which are areas where women often excel.
Panel Discussion: Relate & Rise – In Her Shoes
Following the fireside chat, a panel discussion, moderated by Shin Mun Ng (YWLC Member), bringing together distinguished leaders across corporate, entrepreneurial and public-sector contexts:
Emily Tan (Country Director & CEO, Thales Singapore)
Harmin Kaur (Co-Founder, Women Venture Asia; Founder & CEO, STELLAIRE)
Nancy Mehrotra – Vice President, P&G
The panellists shared candid reflections on career growth, mentorship, entrepreneurship and leadership in male-dominated industries. Together, they shared honest reflections on career growth, mentorship, entrepreneurship and leadership in male-dominated fields.
Mentorship and the Power of Sponsorship
Nancy Mehrotra credited mentors and sponsors with pivotal moments in her career:
“Throughout my journey, it has been mentors who opened doors, who believed in me before I believed in myself. The theme of succeeding in solidarity truly comes alive through mentorship.”
She recalled how her manager sent her to represent Asia business at a global conference with just 18 months into her career.
Nancy outlined a career development framework that also resonated strongly with the audience through a ‘70-20-10’
70–20–10
70% mastery and excellence in one’s work
20% visibility and communication of achievements
10% confidence and willingness to take risks
While many women excel in the first category, she noted that the latter two often determine who ultimately advances: “If your accomplishments remain secret accomplishments, they will not help your career.” Confidence, even when imperfect, often becomes the difference between staying in place and stepping forward.
Networks and Opportunity
Emily Tan urged participants to build networks organically and beyond immediate teams. on the importance of building networks organically rather than treating mentorship as a formal exercise.
“Mentorship is really about connecting with people. Over time, relationships develop naturally, and those connections often stay with you throughout your career,” she said
Drawing on her experience in aerospace and defence, she advised women to resist self-limiting beliefs, building credibility in traditionally male-dominated industries such as aerospace and defence, her advice was direct:
“Be aware of the sticky floor syndrome. Don’t put barriers in your own mind. You are as capable as anyone else in the room.”
Entrepreneurship and Trade-Offs
Harmin Kaur spoke frankly about the trade-offs of entrepreneurship: leaving corporate stability requires resilience, clarity of purpose and tolerance for uncertainty. “Freedom comes at a cost. Every path we choose involves trade-offs, but the key is being intentional about those choices, ”she said. Noting additional barriers women founders face in accessing capital and networks. She urged founders to stay grounded in their values: “Your credibility will attract the right people and opportunities over time.”
What “Succeed in Solidarity” Means
In closing, the three inspiring leaders were asked to summarise their interpretation of the theme in one word:
Emily Tan: Support
Harmin Kaur: Access
Nancy Mehrotra: Confidence
Together, these words highlight what collective advancement truly encapsulates.
Reimagine Ateliers: Co-Creating the Future of Women’s Leadership
Participants then joined smaller Reimagine Atelier discussions designed to create a space for deeper reflection across four themes: Leadership, Balance, Transitions and Equity.
Leadership: Balancing Strength and Empathy
The Leadership Atelier session explored the tension between authoritative command and empathetic authenticity, challenging the notion that women must choose between being respected as leaders or remaining humanly connected. Participants agreed leadership is a polarity, not a binary, and effective leaders blend strategic thinking and decision-making with human-centred communication and relationship-building.
Participants noted leadership is not confined to titles, and identified emotional intelligence, vulnerability, authenticity and continuous learning through feedback as hallmarks of enduring leaders. The session concluded that leadership development is a lifelong journey requiring adaptability and the ability to balance strength with empathy.
Balance: Success Evolves Across Life Stages
In the Balance atelier, participants deconstructed the myth of "having it all", weighing the drive for professional impact against the necessity of rest and the strategic trade-offs required for long-term mental resilience.
Participants reflected on how life unfolds in different seasons, each requiring different priorities. Rather than striving for a fixed ideal of balance, participants emphasised the importance of making intentional choices, adapting to changing circumstances and defining success on one's own terms and personal values.
One reflection captured the spirit of the discussion simply and powerfully: A meaningful measure of success can sometimes simply be how joyful you feel.
Transitions: Growth and Risk Often Go Hand in Hand
The Transitions Atelier created space for honest conversations about career breaks, burnout, relocation, reinvention and the challenges of returning to the workforce. Participants shared experiences of leaving long-held roles, moving countries or taking time out to reassess priorities, questioning whether career gaps should be seen solely as risks or also as valuable forms of growth that society should better support.
The discussion noted that risk and growth are intertwined: transitions require letting go of rigid expectations about success. One metaphor resonated strongly with SCWO, planting a seed without expecting a specific outcome, reminding attendees that unexpected paths are not failures but different forms of growth. In periods without KPIs or formal roles, people can rediscover what matters and reshape their futures with greater clarity.
Equity: Reimagining Systems Together
The Equity atelier moved beyond the surface of representation to dissect the systemic architecture of inequality. The discussion centered on how societies and organizations must evolve to move past "diversity mandates" and toward an environment where advancement is truly authentic.
Participants imagined a future where domestic parity is the norm and caregiving responsibilities are shared equally. This dismantles the "double burden" often placed on women, where professional paths can be redesigned to accommodate non-linear journeys without penalising transitions. The conversations reinforced a clear message:that gender equity is not solely a women’s issue; It requires collective participation across society that begins long before the boardroom.
A Shared Commitment to the Future
Across the fireside chat, panel discussion and ateliers, one message remained constant: Women’s advancement cannot happen in isolation. Progress depends on supportive networks, inclusive systems, shared responsibility across genders and resilient leadership in an uncertain world. In a rapidly changing global landscape, solidarity is not simply a slogan. It is a strategy for building stronger communities and more inclusive futures. Solidarity is not just a slogan but a strategy for building stronger communities and more inclusive futures. “When women support women, empowerment multiplies,” as one participant put it.
YWLC extends its heartfelt thanks to Minister Grace Fu, our speakers, official Partner P&G and the entire YWLC community for making this celebration possible. Together, we continue to relate, rise and reimagine what leadership can look like, and what becomes possible when we truly succeed in solidarity.
Organising team: Shin Mun Ng, Thaveesha Thenuwara, Vanessa Lee, Dr. Natalie Alexandra Tse, Gwyneth Lim, Pearl Ng, Chin Kaijun, Jody Ong, Angela Li, Seow Yuxin, Lee Dayna