The morning panel discussion, “Real Talk: Women Lawyers Conquering Challenges (The Sequel)”, on 27 February, saw strong participation from female lawyers, as well as a notable number of male lawyers.
The session was moderated by Gmeleen Tomboc, a senior vice president and deputy chief commercial officer at a Singapore-based renewable energy company. She was joined by panellists Renu Menon, the director at Drew & Napier in Singapore, Quyen Hoang, a partner at LNT & Partners in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, and Erika Paulino, a partner at MVGS Law Firm in Pasig City in the Philippines.
The discussion covered the ingrained sense of guilt many women carry and the need to let go of it. The panellists also addressed imposter syndrome and its impact on women’s professional lives and career trajectories.
They encouraged women to speak up, emphasising that their voice matters and that stress should be managed healthily through delegation, adaptation and recalibration.
On the question, “Can women have it all?”, the panellists agreed that they can, but “all” does not mean the same for everyone.
The session saw positive audience engagement, with attendees sharing their own experiences of guilt, imposter syndrome, overwhelming moments and adjusting to different phases of their lives.
