Women still being kept behind

Chairman of Aegis Business Solutions Limited Angela Lee Loy says with the increasing number of women taking the reins in all sorts of industries, it is clear they have came a long way from where they once were, but ingrained prejudice against women continues to rear it ugly head.

She was speaking at a breakfast meeting on Friday on the theme, Entrepreneurship: A Female Perspective, at the TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Westmoorings.

She said although the fight against sexism in the business landscape is an external one, it is primarily a battle of the mind.

“To have our entrepreneurial ideas taken as seriously as those brought forward by men, it’s important to accept that we are simply unable to make converts of anyone who harbours sexist beliefs.”

Lee Loy said having a strategic mindset is important.

“Leverage all your tools in your favour without compromising your ethical stance.

Years ago, I often attended meetings with male colleagues as a ‘front’, not because I was nervous or didn’t know what I was doing, but because of the misogyny present in the industry.

“Knowing what I was often up against, I employed this tactic simply to get the attention of the person with whom I was meeting. Once I got there, it became properly apparent that I was the one with whom they’d come to do business and I will take it from there.”

She told other female business owners it is time to get their strategy off the ground, sell their goods and services, mentor their staff, network in their industry and reach out for advice.

She said as women entrepreneurs, or women in business who aim to launch entrepreneurial endeavours of their own, they should not cease to be activists and should never stop the fight against misogyny.

But Lee Loy said the passion should be channelled into moving towards further successes.