(From left) Panellists Dalvin, Choy, Vimala and Chia speaking at the ‘Women in Business: Leading with Compassion’ forum in Kuala Lumpur.
PROMINENT women gathered at a forum to discuss leadership and obstacles that women continue to face.
The Rosli Dahlan Saravana Partnership (RDS) in collaboration with the National Association of Women Entrepreneurs (Nawem) organised the “Women in Business: Leading with Compassion” forum at Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur.
The event was held to mark International Women’s Day and attended by Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Deputy Minister Senator Saraswathy Kandasami.
It was aimed at promoting equity and compassionate leadership in the business world.
RDS partner Saravana Kumar said that in the past, women were not treated equally but they had come a long way.
“There are many capable women leaders in Malaysia.
“This month, we remember the sacrifices women have made and the success they have attained.”
Saraswathy said every day should be celebrated as Women’s Day as they still faced significant challenges in every field.
“One obstacle is the gender gap at the workplace as women are not getting the same pay as men.”
She noted that women in leadership positions had demonstrated empathy by implementing flexible policies to accommodate the needs of their staff.
“As we celebrate International Women’s Day, let’s break down barriers and show that women can lead with compassion and (attain their) potential,” Saraswathy said.
The forum was moderated by RDS partner for dispute resolution practice Syafinaz Vani.
Panellists included industry leaders such as BASF (Malaysia) managing director Vimala Arumugam, Machinery and Engineering Industries Federation vice-president Datin Lorela Chia, Masteron Group of Companies director Choy Yuin Yi and Maybank Investment Bank and Group Global Banking legal regional head Dalvin Kaur.
Chia said challenges and opportunities were two sides of the same coin.
“Women are always seen as weak. Embracing the weakness is a actually a strength that brings you to where you are today,” said Chia.
Choy said the biggest challenge she faced was lack of confidence.
“I had trouble trusting myself when I had to move from taking instructions to giving instructions.
“I had to look at the bigger picture to boost my confidence.”
