Mercy Malaysia founder shares thoughts on being a woman in leadership


Photos By SAMUEL ONG
The work is clear, as is the target and what we want to achieve. As long as you achieve that, it doesn't matter where you're working from, says Dr Jemilah.

Humanitarian activist and doctor Tan Sri Datuk Dr Jemilah Mahmood has certainly accomplished a lot in her life. She is known, of course, for her role as founder of Mercy Malaysia in 1999 and for literally taking a bullet in her hip during a mission to deliver medical aid in Iraq. She is also known for her numerous other leadership roles, such as in the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (2016-2020) and World Humanitarian Summit at the United Nations in New York, among others.

But to Dr Jemilah, her journey is “far from complete”.

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