KUCHING: Women must continue to be up-skilled and empowered to elevate their voices and their leadership positions in society.
This is to enable them to contribute more effectively to the advancements of their communities and to the society in general, said Area President for South East Asia & the Far East, Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW) Norjanah Razali.
Norjanah who is also a member of Angkatan Zaman Mansang Sarawak (AZAM Sarawak) board of directors, said while Sarawak is not lacking in capable women, much remains to be done to motivate them to share their views and to attain high level decision-making positions in society.
She was closing a talk programme on elevating women’s voices and leadership roles organised by AZAM in collaboration with the United States (US) Embassy Kuala Lumpur here yesterday.
At the event, the Cultural Affairs Officer of the US Embassy Kuala Lumpur Katherine Diop said promoting women empowerment around the world is very important especially on elevating women’s roles in leadership and particularly women’s voices.
“I am looking forward to the exchange of ideas and talking about the ongoing role of women’s leadership not only in Malaysia but around the world,” she added
A total of 70 participants attended the talks presented by two award winning speakers; Izzy Chan, a documentary filmmaker focusing on cultural and social trends, and Carolyn Jones, a photographer and filmmaker who specialises in telling stories that shed light on issues of global concern with particular emphasis on those affecting women.
The participants included members of various women’s associations, businesswomen, academicians, government officers, the media, community leaders, professional women and members of AZAM.
Also present at the event was deputy chairman of AZAM, Datuk Norhyati Ismail, who is also state chairman of Sarawak Federation of Women’s Institutes (SFWI).
The Ministry of Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Sarawak, ACWW South East Asia & Far East, SFWI and TVS also supported the half-day programme.
