“It’s necessary that all woman supports one another in leadership roles; until we do, true success remains elusive,” said Datuk Suraya Yaacob, Political Secretary to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Institutional Reformasi.
Suraya also said, “Becoming a woman leader isn’t easy; I’ve served as a wakil rakyat for 20 years.
“The expectations placed on women leaders are far beyond. It’s necessary that all woman supports one another in leadership roles; until we do, true success remains elusive.
“Gender equality demands acceptance without bias or prejudice. Thus, recognizing and addressing weaknesses, which are often overlooked, is essential for progress in our world.”
Suraya viewpoint emphasized how important it is for women leaders to stand together and be empowered. This reinforces the common knowledge that it takes cooperation and collaboration amongst women to overcome societal expectations and biases.
In celebration of International Women’s Day (8 March), IIUMSU held a program called, “Girls and Coffee Talk” that focused on women’s resilience and leadership, on 23 April at IIUM Gombak. The attendees engaged in candid discussions and shared insights on a variety of topics aimed at empowering female students.
There were three speakers, President of Harmoni IIUM, Najwa Farid; President of EMSS 23/24, Humairah Kamaruzzaman, and Former ADUN of Sungai Tiang and Political Secretary to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Institutional Reformasi, YBhg Dato’ Suraya Yaacob. They discussed their experiences as female leaders, focusing on women’s leadership and resilience.
The programme’s objective was to inspire and motivate other women to pursue leadership roles and discuss the challenges and obstacles faced by women in leadership positions.
In the talk, Najwa highlighted that being a leader is challenging as it entails addressing various aspects, including fulfilling the needs of people, achieving program objectives, and highlighting program accomplishments. One of the main difficulties lies in maintaining and handling situations, especially when faced with diverse challenges and expectations.
It was emphasized that while leadership presents numerous challenges, it also offers opportunities for personal growth and empowerment, underscoring the value of perseverance and determination in overcoming the challenges of leadership positions.
Furthermore, Humairah highlighted a quote by America Ferrera in the “Barbie” movie that is related to women being leaders, “You have to be the boss, but you can’t be mean.
“You have to lead, but you can’t squash other people’s ideas. You’re supposed to love being a mother, but don’t talk about your kids all the damn time.
“You have to be a career woman, but also always be looking out for other people. You have to answer for men’s bad behavior, which is insane, but if you point that out, you’re accused of complaining.
“You’re supposed to stay pretty for men, but not so pretty that you tempt them too much.”
The moral of the story here is that as woman leaders, we need to stop doing things for others and start doing them for ourselves.
By constantly trying to please everyone, we will never succeed. It is crucial to prioritize what is important for ourselves and the people we care about.
Knowing that we have done our best is sufficient; there is no need to compromise our values to satisfy others. – IIUM TODAY/BACALAHMALAYSIA.MY
