AMID persistent challenges to women’s place in society, efforts to elevate their voices must continue.
That is the firm belief of three female academics in leadership positions at Taylor’s University.
Dr Praveena Nair Sivasankaran, who leads climate and sustainability initiatives, said women’s voices are central to effective sustainability work.
“Women tend to perceive environmental stress more relationally, recognising its effects on behaviour, emotional regulation, caregiving capacity and safety long before these impacts show up as formal metrics,” she noted.
An advocate of inclusive leadership, Praveena designs engagement processes that are accessible for women, ensuring they have equal opportunities to speak and influence decisions.
This advocacy is echoed by Prof Dr Rozainee Khairudin, a psychologist specialising in cognitive decline.
“Women, whether as caregivers, researchers or changemakers, deserve support to thrive and achieve a high quality of life.
“In my role, I am committed to leveraging my expertise to drive positive change, ensuring communities receive the guidance and opportunities they need to flourish,” she said.
She advised young women to “pursue ambitions with courage but also protect your well-being”.
“True leadership and impact come not just from hard work, but also from sustaining yourself, nurturing your mind, and seeking support from family, mentors and communities,” she added.
Meanwhile, Prof Dr Chong Li Choo, who promotes healthy eating and nutrition through community projects, said women can contribute strongly to solving challenges such as food waste, nutrition and sustainability by bringing care, connection and holistic thinking into food and nutrition security innovation, complementing technical and industrial approaches.
“What touches me most is seeing my students succeed. It affirms that I am on the right path and that the effort we put into teaching, mentoring and guiding them truly matters,” she shared.
Read on for the change these women leaders are championing through their advocacy work.
Climate resilience
After years of observing how heat quietly eroded human functioning, Praveena was moved to act.
She started her “Cooling the Heat, Healing the Mind” project to examine the impact of extreme heat on mental health while evaluating cooling strategies.
Grounded in the belief that climate resilience must include the human nervous system, not just infrastructure, her defining moment came when she was invited as a panellist at a mental health forum organised by the Malaysian police force.
“Listening to uniformed personnel speak about operating under constant heat, long hours, public scrutiny and high emotional demand was deeply impactful. What stood out was how endurance is often treated as a professional requirement, while the psychological toll of heat and stress remains largely unspoken,” she recalled.
That experience reinforced her belief that climate stress extends far beyond physical exhaustion, shaping judgement, emotional regulation and safety.
Together with students from The Design School, she proposed wearable cooling designs and monitoring concepts after working directly with outdoor vendors to understand how heat affects focus, mood and work performance.
“When sustainability is designed around human capacity and dignity, especially for those most exposed to climate stress, it becomes something that genuinely improves lives rather than just meeting targets,” she shared.
Praveena noted growing clarity and maturity in women’s climate leadership – women asking better questions, thinking in longer timeframes, and refusing to separate technical competence from human well-being.
“Most importantly, I see women leading with steadiness rather than urgency, and with clarity rather than noise. In a world facing complex climate challenges, that kind of leadership is not just hopeful. It is necessary.”
Cognitive support
When Prof Rozainee’s late mother suffered a stroke, the physical effects were visible, but it was the quiet shifts in memory, identity and connection that left the deepest impression.
Yet there were also moments – sparked by music, a remembered story or a shared laugh – when recognition flickered back to life.
“That experience strengthened my resolve to pursue interventions that are not only scientifically grounded but also humane and dignifying,” she shared.
She subsequently kickstarted her project “ArtsProud: An Intervention Study Using Artistic Methods to Reduce Cognitive Decline in Normal Elderly and Individuals with Dementia”.
The project builds on the original ArtsProud initiative, co-founded by Peny Chan and Jeth Leang as a social enterprise dedicated to reimagining eldercare through arts-based engagement.
Prof Rozainee and her research team’s study strengthens that foundation with formal research, measurement and evidence-building to demonstrate that arts-based interventions can reduce cognitive decline.
“I deeply believe that interventions can and should also be grounded in behavioural science and brain plasticity. Structured cognitive, social, emotional and sensory engagement, such as through music, movement, storytelling and art, can activate neural networks without requiring pharmacological intervention,” she said.
Yet championing a creative, non-medical model has not always been easy. In a landscape where measurable biomedical outcomes are prioritised, arts-based interventions can be dismissed as “soft” or supplementary.
Part of her work has therefore involved demonstrating that creativity and science are not opposite but partners.
As a woman in academia, Prof Rozainee is aware of the subtle expectations placed on women – that empathy may be seen as softness, and softness as weakness.
She said her journey has shown her the opposite: that in ageing and dementia care, empathy is strength, listening builds trust, compassion fosters collaboration, and relational awareness deepens impact.
Through her project, she hopes not only to empower older adults, but also women, supporting their cognitive wellness and overall quality of life.
Food innovation
An initiative that is close to Prof Chong’s heart is Nourish-U, a project built on the belief that every child deserves access to good, nourishing food to support growth, learning and overall development.
Together with her team and community partners, she helps design balanced, healthier meals for schools, meal providers and food banks.
“For me, Nourish-U is not only about providing food; it is also about building capability. We focus on knowledge transfer by guiding schools, caregivers and communities on simple ways to plan meals using basic macronutrient categories so they can prepare nourishing food within limited budgets. When people have this knowledge, the impact becomes sustainable and can continue to grow,” she explained.
Prof Chong’s interest in food security and nutrition sustainability began with her observation that obesity and malnutrition often coexist, especially in countries like Malaysia.
This curiosity was further shaped during her postgraduate studies, where she developed high-fibre noodles from underutilised plantain and other agricultural by-products.
“That early experience shaped how I see my role today. I may not change the whole system overnight, but I try to contribute in small, practical ways that can add up over time,” she said.
Prof Chong’s contributions to sustainable food innovation have earned her recognition, including the President’s Award by the Research Chefs Association in 2020 and the Food Innovation Educator Award 2025 from Impact Circle Malaysia.
Another key part of her academic career is student mentorship, particularly nurturing young female talents.
She noted that female students are often diligent, yet tend to be harder on themselves.
“Sometimes, a small push of confidence can change how a young woman sees herself.
“I hope my journey can show other women that it is possible to build a meaningful career in science, education and innovation while staying true to your values and passion,” she said.
