With this International Women's Day focusing on the theme of #InspireInclusion, we’re proud to share the stories of five Amazon women leaders from Singapore who are driving inclusivity in their own fields, and empowering others to do the same.
These inspirational females are leading the way when it comes to walking the talk of inclusion.
With this International Women's Day focusing on the theme of #InspireInclusion, we’re proud to share the stories of five Amazon women leaders from Singapore who are driving inclusivity in their own fields, and empowering others to do the same.
-
1Lily Jang, AWS: “Women’s inclusion is not just a women’s topic."
On top of her day job as a Senior Storage Specialist for Asia-Pacific and Japan at Amazon Web Services (AWS), Lily Jang leads the Singapore chapter of the Women@Amazon affinity group, which promotes gender diversity, inclusion and women empowerment.
For Jang, women’s inclusion is about building a stronger and more equitable community of allies to drive more powerful impact. This is why Women@Amazon is open to anyone in the company—not only women, as she’s sometimes asked. Since its inception, Women@Amazon has raised funds for underprivileged women in Singapore, supported Pride Month activities, and conducted internal activities to drive awareness about men’s health.
-
2Rachel Tang, APAC Accounting: “I live life on my terms, not by society’s or anyone’s expectations.”
Newly relocated from China to Singapore, Rachel Tang is a Director of Accounting for APAC and leads a team of 65 members across the region. She shares that she sometimes feels she’s been judged by society for being career-driven, in particular because she doesn’t have children—which is why she's passionate about championing individual fulfilment and celebrating the diversity of paths that makes everyone unique.
Pointing out that persistent gender role biases can limit women’s choices and opportunities, she says: “Let's celebrate women’s diverse choices and aspirations at work and in life, so they can all reach their full potential.”
-
3Shermaine Chan, Fulfilment Centre Area Management: “My age is not a reflection of my capabilities.”
As one of the youngest area managers at Amazon Singapore’s fulfilment centre, Shermaine Chan has been defying expectations since Day 1. Joining Amazon immediately after earning a chemical engineering degree, she leads a team of more experienced colleagues, winning them over with her professionalism and commitment.
Some may say that logistics isn't for women, but Chan enjoys breaking stereotypes. “Facing new challenges is what drives me, and I’m excited for what the future holds.”
-
4Phway Pann, AWS: “Don’t be the one that tells yourself ‘no’.”
Weightlifter Phway Pann is no stranger to pushing boundaries. She’s the first woman to lead Independent Software Vendor Partnerships for the Asia-Pacific and Japan Public Sector at AWS. Despite joining AWS without a tech background, she found mentors who believed in her potential, driving her to pay it forward by guiding early career women and advocating for unbiased hiring at Amazon.
Outside of work, Pann supports her husband who runs a restaurant in Bali which mostly hires women through flexible contracts to accommodate their family commitments while giving them work security.
This year’s International Women’s Day particularly resonates with Pann, who is a first-time mother of a four-month old baby girl. Her message to women: “Be confident, seize opportunities. And dream without limits.”
-
5Shze Min Yah, International Public Policy: “Potential has no gender...”
As a manager for International Public Policy, Shze Min Yah often handles sensitive and complex topics such as product safety and product recalls, intellectual property, and scams for Amazon in Singapore and Southeast Asia.
Beyond work, Yah, who is a single mother of two who’s also supporting her ageing parents, leads a busy life. Taking pride in working with colleagues who don't judge her capabilities based on her gender or personal commitments, she says: “Potential has no gender and talented individuals shouldn’t be held back by constraints beyond their control.”
Inclusive career programs that empower women
With a workforce as diverse as the communities we serve, Amazon is committed to ensuring that every employee has an equal chance to thrive and contribute, regardless of their gender or background.
“At Amazon, fostering inclusivity in the workplace is a strategic and intentional effort. That's why we have a number of career programs available to women and other underrepresented groups to help them grow and thrive,” says Maggie Ma, Senior Human Resources Business Partner, Amazon Singapore.
Through the Women in Leadership Program, Amazon proactively provides women leaders with the necessary skills to navigate workplace challenges. This program includes modules such as communication skills, networking skills, advocacy skills, career conversations, and building one’s leadership brand. It uses experiential learning methodologies such as instructional videos with debriefings, group learning, role playing, reflection, learning from leaders, and learning through peer feedback.
To expand opportunities for cultivating connections that enhance career growth at Amazon, the Power of 10 initiative provides women employees with a platform for networking and peer learning, actively boosting their visibility with senior leadership.
“Amazon employees also shared with us that they want the flexibility to manage life events,” says Ma. “This is why we introduced the Ramp Back program, which offers parents eight consecutive weeks of flexibility and partial work hours after the birth or adoption of a child as they readjust to work schedules.
"Most importantly, this enables Amazonian mothers to progress in their careers while balancing their professional and personal lives.”
Learn more about our employees’ stories on our Instagram page.
