International Women’s Day 2026: Women at Work — The Identities We Carry

Sponsored by Munich Re 

This year, we came together to honor the diverse and lived experiences of women through an intimate and deeply reflective fireside chat titled Women at Work: The Identities We Carry.

Held in collaboration with WiRE and generously sponsored by Munich Re, the annual event explored the many roles women hold — sometimes one at a time, but also often all at once.

It was acknowledged that we are not defined by a single role. We are professionals, and also caregivers, emerging leaders, mothers, partners, and more, and each of these identities shapes how we perceive and navigate both work and life.

Jane Teo (far left) and Tobias Frenz (far right) representing Munich Re Singapore, the event’s official sponsor, welcoming participants

The event opened with Jane Teo (Munich Re), who brought to the forefront an importance of recognizing overlapping identities and creating inclusive spaces for open, meaningful conversations.

She also highlighted the intention behind the color-coded identity stickers provided during registration, which was a simple but powerful tool meant to spark conversation during the networking segment that followed, and make invisible identities more visible.

Color coded identity stickers at the registration booth

Exploring the Identities We Carry: Fireside Chat

Moderated by Nimisha Tailor, Founder and Consultant at E-nomics, the fireside chat brought together three inspiring female leaders from different life stages and career journeys in this industry:

• Julia Ho - Business Manager, APMEA, Lloyd’s

• Priscilla Foo - Director & Head Marine Reinsurance Asia, Swiss Re

• Yvonne Tay - Head of Southeast Asia, Life & Health, SCOR

Their conversation was structured across three touchpoints, namely the Past, the Present, and the Future, providing the audience with a full reflection of evolving identities at the workplace.

From left to right: Nimisha Tailor, Julia Ho, Priscilla Foo, Yvonne Tay

Looking Back at the Past: Early Experiences & Growth

Yvonne sharing about her early career and the turning points

The panel began by revisiting their formative early career moments, which shaped not only their leadership but their ability to embrace the multiple identities they carry today.

As the discussion unfolded, many valuable reflections surfaced, and three emerging themes stood out:

1) Strength through adversity

2) Time management as a foundational skill

3) The power of confidence and visibility

Navigating the Present: Caregiving & Hybrid Work

The conversation then shifted to the present, exploring how caregiving continuously evolves across life stages and how hybrid work has changed the way women integrate their professional and personal roles.

Building on this, the panel also offered practical strategies to support wellbeing in everyday life:

• Practical principles for wellbeing, including recognizing achievements and maintaining balanced perspectives

• Practicing compartmentalization

• Using ‘two‑phone systems’ to draw clear boundaries between professional work and personal life

• Creating foundational structures while strengthening the ability to delegate

• Carving out small but intentional pockets of self-care

  
  

These reminders encouraged women to embrace imperfection and to prioritize themselves with confidence and compassion.

Priscilla added to the conversation with thoughtful advice on being aware of one’s priorities and organizing life around them to fulfil different responsibilities. 

Looking Ahead: the importance of Organizational Support

The final segment, shifted the conversation toward the future, inviting the panelists to reflect on what women may need from organizations, and how both formal and informal support structures must evolve. The speakers emphasized that genuine support extends beyond policies alone, as it requires acknowledging and responding to the emotional realities that women carry. One of the highlighted key parts of moving forward is learning to ‘be comfortable with the uncomfortable,’ acknowledging that growth and the support we need for it often happens in spaces that challenge us.

Julia, representing the young and emerging talent, who shared broader reflections on how expectations can influence both confidence and professional growth.

In addition, the speakers stressed other points such as:

• Transparent communication

• Recognizing priorities and bandwidth

• Continuous investment in female talent

• Recognition of transferable caregiving skills in the workplace

• Flexible, adaptive working frameworks

Together, their reflections painted a clear picture of the future: workplaces that honor vulnerability, encourage honest conversations, and provide the flexibility women need to navigate their multiple identities with confidence.

Towards the end of our session, we also had the opportunity for some Questions and Answers, as issues surrounding a discussion on guilt, self‑expectations, and the emotional weight many women feel, were brought up.

A powerful reminder also echoed throughout the room: ‘You are not alone.’

Pricilla pictured with Munich Re’s CEO, Tobias Frenz

Beyond the Panel: Building Connection and Community

The event concluded with a vibrant networking session, where identity stickers became natural conversation starters. Attendees engaged in open, heartfelt dialogue, demonstrating the importance of community, allyship, and shared lived experiences.

The spread of refreshments generously sponsored by Munich Re

Networking and Conversations that followed

Moving Forward Together

As we commemorate International Women’s Day 2026, may we continue uplifting women’s voices, making invisible identities visible, and building workplaces that honor and recognize the whole woman and the many identities we carry.

Proudly brought to you by The IWD 2026 Organizing Committee: Yen Yen Lai (SCOR), Krystal Lim (SCOR), Veema Ramsing (Munich Re), Winnie Tan (Swiss Re), Wenyi Chew (Swiss Re), and Jane Teo (Munich Re).

#IWD2026 #WiRE