Tan (seated centre) and Liew (seated second left) join the participants in a photo-call.
KUCHING: Womenwill, a Google initiative that empowers future women leaders across the globe, has made its presence in Sarikei – thanks to Google Business Group (GBG) Sarawak.
It was unveiled during a recent event at Sarikei Innovation Centre (SiC), which was held in connection with International Women’s Day 2019.
The session gathered more than 30 women from various age groups and backgrounds.
Adding more significance to the first Womenwill event in Sarikei was the participation of division’s first woman Resident, Felicia Tan Ya Hua.
Guest speakers for the introductory Womenwill in Sarikei included RJ Machine Solution Sdn Bhd co-founder and chief executive Christine Jamie Vincent Eddy, Aquavermiponic founder Amelia Lim, and HR Trading owner Hasheenaberri Mohamed Attaullah.
According to Tan, the workshop was an eye-opener for the all-women participants, who were inspired and encouraged by the women speakers from different backgrounds as they shared their personal ups and downs in their journey of growing their businesses
“It’s a pleasant and a very good workshop for the ladies. There should be more events like this,” she said.
Womenwill lead of GBG Sarawak, Clara Liew, described Womenwill as very much about recognising the experiences that women shared, and about helping women develop awareness of strategies and approaches to address and overcome the limiting systematic and personal barriers.
She regarded Womenwill as the provider of digital skills-training to help women gain digital literacy, which would bring new opportunities for them and their communities.
Citing Japan as an example, she said the country is carrying out the ‘HappyBackToWork’ campaign, which serves to raise awareness of inclusive workplace particularly for women returning to the workforce after childbirth.
“As for our local community, the confidence gap between men and women in the workplace is still very prominent. There are many factors that form us. Whether we realise it or not, they impact the way we present ourselves in our professions.
“This is normal for everyone, but knowing why we are the way we are will help us resist and override negative drivers of behaviour. Fear of conflicts, fear of rejections, fear of being called ‘bossy’, or the need for validation, these may ring a bell for most women. Women are more self-critical in general and very often, they underestimate their abilities. We want to start by helping them recognise these fears that are holding them back, followed by instilling confidence in them to overcome the modesty norms and to own up to their greatness,” she said.
As such, Liew was hopeful that with many great role models sharing their experiences at the event, this would show the participants that successful leadership is not ‘gender-based’.
In this regard, she said Womenwill by GBG Sarawak would want to invite more passionate women to join the network of support.
Companies, associations, or any local community in Sarawak that are interested in the event are welcome to write to Liew via [email protected], or follow Google Business Group (GBG) Sarawak on Facebook, for them to stay updated with Womenwill activities in Sarawak.