The very existence of "women's issues" is itself a problem.

On International Women's Day, I was interviewed by Harvard Business Review Lab. Below is the transcript. At the end of this article, you can watch a video I recorded, discussing the history and current situation surrounding International Women's Day.

HBRC: Many media outlets have labeled you as a "mother of three." Are you concerned that people might focus too much on this label and overlook your role as an independent professional woman?

Of course, this does not mean that such labels themselves are without issues, because people rarely consider the identity of men in the workplace within the family context. For example, many men also have two or three children, but we almost never hear someone label a man as "a father of three children." Why are such labels only applied to women? This in itself is a problem.

Behind this label, there actually lie many ingrained perceptions, assumptions, and expectations about women, which are what truly deserve more of our attention and exploration. For example, UN Women defines work in two categories: paid work and unpaid work. Unpaid work refers to a large amount of domestic labor, including but not limited to caring for children and the elderly, as well as household chores. According to data from UN Women, globally, women undertake an average of three times more unpaid work than men. In China, this figure is even higher than the global average. This means that women not only bear three times more work at home than men but also perform the same amount of work outside the home. Such demands on women are extremely unequal.

HBRC: In the unfair environment you mentioned, is it possible for women to find ways to achieve self-balance?

HBRC: You yourself are also a successful female manager. In your view, what is the core leadership of women? What is the source of leadership?

It is often said that men are braver and therefore have stronger leadership qualities than women. In reality, this is not the case. When it comes to courage, women not only have no disadvantage compared to men but actually hold a significant advantage, as women often possess greater psychological strength. However, overall, I believe that leadership is not a matter of opposition between men and women. We still need to transcend gender distinctions when considering this issue.

HBRC: You yourself are a successful female manager. In your view, can the phenomenon of fewer female leaders compared to men be attributed to an unfair environment and unrealistic expectations of women?

If we think from this perspective, we will find that many gender-related issues are actually quite absurd—it’s just that people have grown accustomed to them. If you turn on the news and watch scenes from various diplomatic occasions or international summits, you’ll notice that the participants are mostly middle-aged and elderly men, with very few women in sight. Yet, no one finds this unreasonable. However, if you saw a meeting where everyone was female, many people would find it strange instead.

I believe that when a society is unfair to women, the victims are not just women—everyone suffers. When women’s interests are harmed, it inevitably affects men as well. The earlier and more comprehensively a society recognizes the importance of gender equality and supports this group, the more people will benefit. However, realizing the problem is one thing; changing it is far more difficult. People often say, "This issue has existed for so long—what can we do?" But I believe many are still striving to drive such change. The first step toward solving the problem is to allow people to discuss it openly. Discussion is the prerequisite for change. Once discussions yield results, action may follow, gradually driving social progress—a very long and gradual process.

HBRC: In the face of various challenges in this uncertain era, how should one manage their anxiety?

When faced with such anxiety, how should we respond? The simplest approaches are two: detachment and submission—either avoiding it or obeying it completely. The essence of both methods is actually surrender, giving up the opportunity and power to change. However, almost all the wise individuals we observe have chosen a third path, which is to turn and face it directly. This requires the courage I mentioned earlier, as well as raising the level of self-awareness, viewing the problem from a higher perspective, and thereby gaining deeper management power.

HBRC: Is this kind of managerial power you mentioned something that can be learned? What changes do I need to make in myself to acquire this power?

People only truly change when they are forced to by difficult circumstances. One day, you may realize that your way of working or thinking is flawed, that others no longer listen to what you say, or that you can’t accomplish what you set out to do—only then are you compelled to change. Of course, this doesn’t mean we should always rely on being "forced" to change ourselves; it’s merely a starting point. Once you develop the habit of change and become more conscious of reflecting on yourself, you will begin to initiate changes proactively. It is the combined drive from both internal and external forces that ultimately leads to better outcomes.

HBRC: What advice would you give to young women in the workplace?

The second factor is whether we can be exposed to dimensions we previously lacked in our experiences. For example, you may be highly skilled in technical work, but a new job might require you to develop your ability to interact with people. Alternatively, you might prefer relatively independent work, but in a new dimension, you must collaborate more with others. Being able to see and engage with various dimensions of work is extremely important for young people. When these two factors are combined, they constitute the experience itself.

In addition to experience, we must also engage in regular reflection. Reflection is a crucial manifestation of human learning ability and serves as an important internal tool for our progress. By reflecting on our experiences, we can continuously improve—asking ourselves questions such as: Which mistakes were my fault? Why did I react that way? How can I approach the situation differently next time? Through reflection, we create new experiences... This cycle repeats, gradually enhancing our abilities and ultimately helping us achieve our ideal professional state.