Empowered Women Empower Women (Part 3)

Power For All Womankind is a virtual campaign that strives to fight and eradicate issues of injustice and inequality towards women. We have invited 30 real women of different ages, ethnicities, and social backgrounds to speak about life as a woman. Together, let’s understand and respect their amazing stories.

Minnie Chang



Minnie is a self-care coach. Burnout is one of the biggest symptoms that we see in this fast-paced world; most of which happens because we weight work life as more important than our personal lives. She’s a strong believer in self-care being a game changer to one’s well being hence is crucial to take proactive care for ourselves – emotionally, mentally, physically and relationally. She found that a struggle she has as a woman is navigating through our vulnerable nature. Though she eventually realized that it is because of her vulnerability, she is able to voice out and speak up for those who are struggling. She hopes one will always remember to take a breather. Slow down, take a step back and recognize how we are moving forward.

Shahliza binti Mat Yusof



Shahliza is a devoted single mother to 4 children. Her children are her pillar of strength. It has always been between her and her children hence her sole responsibility was to ensure they have a bright future ahead of them. Thus, her work and personal lives are very much intertwined as she works hard to ensure her children are well taken care of. She has been fortunate enough not to face any discrimination thus far however she finds it upsetting that such an issue is still around in our society. She believes that life is a learning process and hopes that one will always believe in themself.

Sugeeta Chandran



Sugeeta is a TV host and local actress. As a firm believer in doing what she loves, she finds that it’s much easier to balance things out that way. Learning to prioritize and plan ahead is key as this also gives her the time to unplug and give her mind and body some rest when needed. While she feels lucky to have not experienced gender discrimination professionally, she had been objectified as a women in the early days of her career; even from friends. Over time, she learnt to set boundaries and voice out whenever she feels something is wrong. She wants to set a reminder for one to never conform for the sake of society. Know one’s worth and live life however one wants to.

Sharifah Sofia



Sharifah is a full-time mother, actress and educator. With so many responsibilities, she knows that it’s tough to find the perfect balance. However, she finds that prioritizing is extremely important as everything would then fall into place naturally. Ever since she moved to Malaysia from the UK as a little girl and even up until now, she still faces discrimination. Growing up in such a discriminatory environment though, enabled her to learn how to let things pass and simply keep her head up. She believes that life is a journey and the learning will never end. Follow your heart and aim for the sky, for the sky has no limits.

Catherhea Potjanaporn



Catherhea is a photographer cum activist. You would probably have come across some of her amazing work which captures diversity hence bringing attention to the under-represented communities in Malaysia. Given the ongoing pandemic, she understands that it wouldn’t be realistic to expect people to have everything together. However, she stresses on the importance of being more forgiving towards ourselves. Take things one day at a time. While she had not faced discrimination, she hopes for women to be given more opportunity and visibility in what often appears to be an all-boys club in the industry. She hopes one will learn that failures and mistakes are only a redirection in life.

Hannah Patricia Lo



Hannah is a love and relationships coach. Rather than striving to find a balance in life, she prefers to find flow and be in tune with the natural rhythms of things. Listen to your body and thrive sustainably to avoid burnout. She believes there are periods where one is meant to be working hard for long hours and others where it’s time to slow down and rest. It’s important to learn what works best for you hence she has her own set of practices to help keep her grounded. She believes that discrimination often stems from the anger, pain and narrative surrounding it. Find the places where one would withhold love so our true power is centered in love and love alone. She also believes it’s important to break out of society’s mould to experience who one really is in life.

Musliani Muslimin



Musliani or more fondly known as Vivian is a plus-size body confident model. She believes that the key to a well-structured life is to never mix your personal life with work life. Focus on one thing at a time and always have a positive attitude towards life. She had always faced body-shaming, especially in job seeking as some people would judge her based on her appearance rather than her work and skillset. However, with perseverance and support from her loved ones, she chose to stand up and believe in herself. After all, there is only one of you.

Aminah binti Kassim



Aminah is a full-time mother to a special child and 2 other children. Back in the day when she was balancing her work life and parenthood, she always made it a priority to separate all her responsibilities. With a special child, she ensures to always make time for the extra care and love that he needs. Fortunately, she had always received support throughout her life of raising not only her special child but also 2 other children. However, she understands that being a woman in itself has its own set of challenges and setbacks thus believing in oneself is extremely important.

Rocyie Wong



Rocyie is a proud fighter and advocate of psoriasis. Having lived with psoriasis for 14 years now, she has a very realistic expectation towards the things she can do. Setting up boundaries between work and rest is key as stress is one of the triggers for her skin condition hence she has learnt the importance of saying “no” when needed. Media representation often has a specific standard so she struggled to find a role model in her younger years. Thankfully, since then she has gathered the confidence and courage to come out to the world. She believes that it’s important to worry less about what others think of you and instead focus on what you think about yourself. Self-empowerment and self-acceptance are key to life.

Nana Al Haleq



Nana is a certified wellness coach, TV host and fitness junkie. She believes that having unfailing positivity and an encouraging support system truly helped her grow and overcome challenges in life. The past year had taken a toll on her psychological and emotional wellbeing however she owes it entirely to her amazing team of great women who helped her grind through the difficult times. Be clear about what gives you meaning and work towards that. She finds it saddening that discrimination against women still happens anytime anywhere though she believes that it’s key to thrive in what you love doing. Believe in one’s own potential and passion and find strength from within for that is what leads you on the road to self-discovery.

We are immensely grateful to have 30 incredible women join us on this journey of empowerment. Here’s to all the strong, beautiful and courageous women out there. We see you, we understand you and we respect you. Remember that life isn’t a competition. Build and empower one another instead of tearing each other down. We are our own allies.