“BEING a woman is special. Use that position not just for yourself, but to help other women and to make society better for everyone.”
This message to young women from IMU University professor of obstetrics and gynaecology and IMU Healthcare medical director Prof Dr Nazimah Idris (pic) has been her abiding principle.
Her work with vulnerable women in Malaysia and beyond has seen her achieve multiple milestones, from leadership roles at national and international levels to the United Kingdom’s Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists honorary fellowship.
She emphasised the need for a mindset change in the next generation of women.
Women, she said, must recognise their strengths, resist being boxed in by outdated narratives, and learn to use every available resource to contribute meaningfully to society while lifting one another up along the way.
“Believe you are capable, prepare yourself well and build strong support systems,” she advised.
Prof Dr Nazimah said in healthcare and education especially, inclusion shapes outcomes.
An advocate for community-based care, she has worked with refugees, displaced populations and underserved communities, often in unconventional settings.
These experiences, she said, were humbling reminders of what healthcare can and should be.
Malaysia, she noted, has made remarkable progress in maternal health, with strong antenatal, delivery and postnatal care coverage.
“We should be proud but we should also always be striving to do better,” she said in a press release.
For her, the next frontier is ensuring women enter pregnancy as healthy as possible, through better health literacy and stronger healthcare systems.
Barriers are falling, and while gaps remain, the future looks promising, she said.
