Gathering to celebrate women
The WOW-Women do Wonders campaign put women in the limelight.
THE WOW! Fiesta was held for the third time over the weekend, and did what it set out to do – to celebrate women empowerment, entertain, educate and encourage entrepreneurship... and of course, shopping.
People came early to fill up the MBO cinema hall at the Starling Mall in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, not to catch the latest blockbuster, but to listen to talks and discussions.
Visitors made their way to the exhibition hall early in the morning and stayed till late in the evening. The hall was buzzing with activity as visitors weaved through over 100 stalls to check out the goodies up for grabs. There was something for everyone, ranging from cosmetics, food, clothing, accessories to home decor. There were also booths offering services like health check-ups, free skin analysis and yoga classes.
Participants liked the workshops held throughout the weekend, and even enjoyed a stand-up comedy performance by women.
Children weren’t left out as we made sure there were plenty of activities to keep them entertained.
The WOW! Fiesta is the highlight of The Star Media Group’s WOW– Women do Wonders campaign to celebrate women.
Fund manager Allan Chow, 65 and his wife Vicky Yap, 64, said they came to the Fiesta to gain more knowledge on financial planning and investment. They gained some valuable insights on online investments at the Bursa Malaysia booth.
“Investing is important regardless of gender. It’s good that Bursa Malaysia has set up a booth to enlighten visitors about the various types of investments,” said Chow.
Siti Salmah Abu Bakar, 30, was a happy shopper at the bazaar.
“A bazaar like this helps budding entrepreneurs step forward and showcase their talents,” said the marketing executive who came to the Fiesta with her two sisters.
Go forth boldly
The WOW! Fiesta also gave the public the chance to listen to inspiring women.
Trailblazing women entrepreneurs openly shared their insights and experiences on building successful businesses. They included La Juiceria’s founder and managing director Anabelle Co-Martinent, celebrity presenter Wong Chui Ling, Accidental Bakers’ founder Ee-Lyn Tan and Mimpikita’s founder Nurul Afidah Zulkifli.
Author Freda Liu was also there to talk about unconscious bias and encourage women to “bloom, flourish, magnify”.
A theme that ran through the talks was how women can break free from gender stereotyping and build a label-free culture.
The talks were enlightening for student Vanessa Adina Toyad Ho, 21, who was keen to learn the nuts and bolts of running a business.
“I am really inspired by ambitious women who are willing to break down barriers and create something of their own.
“I’ve learnt that women should be daring and never be afraid to voice out our thoughts. It helps women find a more meaningful purpose in life,” says Toyad, who read about the WOW! Fiesta on The
Star’s mobile app.
The health talks by ParkCity Medical Centre’s doctors were also popular.
Consultant breast and oncoplastic surgeon Dr Tan Gie Hooi gave an engaging talk on the need for women to be breast aware so that they can detect and treat cancer early. She also gave a detailed explanation of how to do self-exam-
ination, listing down signs to look out for. Most importantly, she urged women to not be afraid to be screened as the chances of surviving breast cancer are high if treated early.
Consultant obstetrician and gynecologist Dr Jaspal Singh Sachdev’s talked about Screening Preconceptions and Beyond which focused on cervical cancer and the importance of pap-smear screening.
“Most of the time, women seek treatment in advanced stages of cervical cancer. The mortality rates are high especially among these women. My advice is to go for regular health screening and seek treatment as soon as possible,” said Dr Jaspal.
University student Khairunnisa Noor Ismail, 20, was among the hundreds of people who attended the educational health talks.
“The breast cancer talk by Dr Tan was most informative, as my aunt has been battling cancer. I also enjoyed the talk, What No One In
Business Ever Tells You, which focused on the speaker’s struggles and secret to their success. I enjoyed Wong Chui Ling’s investment talk as I learnt ways of making positive investments,” said undergraduate Khairunnisa.
There were also a talk on body dysmorphia by Linora Low, zero waste by Aurora Tin and mental health in young women by Bridging Gaps.
One of the most anticipated workshop was the self-defense one by former Malaysian mixed martial arts queen Ann “Athena” Osman. She taught 40 women some moves to fight off attackers. Other highlights included a yoga session by the Malaysian Yoga Society, a mini terrarium workshop by and Ficus & Jar’s, as well as zumba workout session by Azila Aziz.
Ramsay Sime Darby Health Care and Bursa Malaysia were the main sponsors of The Star’s WOW! Fiesta 2019.
Canon is the official imaging partner for the event. Official venue sponsors are The Starling Mall and MBO Cinemas.