Women’s stories
Get a group of successful and inspirational women together, and not only will it spur business deals but also self-confidence.
IT WAS not part of the programme.
At The Global Summit of Women 2013 Women: Creating New Economies, about 1,100 ladies were constantly shushed as they kept up a vibrant chatter during sessions.
At lunch and dinner, two Kuwaiti sisters, fencing champions dressed head-to-toe in Chanel, were so busy networking and tweeting that they didn’t have time to eat.
And, at the final evening’s Royal Dinner at Istana Negara hosted by Her Majesty The Raja Permaisuri Agong, a multinational group of women, moved by the music, took to the floor – much to the consternation of the Malaysians in attendance. It was Thabi Mtshali’s seventh summit. As South Africa’s deputy director for gender and women empowerment in the Department of Trade and Industry, she learns continuously at each of these summits. With the government encouraging women to participate in all sectors, it’s no surprise that her fellow female delegates ranged from entrepreneurs to IT industry pioneers. Her purpose in attending? “What we want to see is deals being made between countries that will benefit women.”
One such deal was inked the morning after Myagri Group MD Hayati Taib’s presentation, “Creating Enterprises Responsive to Community and the Environment”. A letter of intent was signed by the East African Community (EAC) that consists of Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya and four other partners to further the development of green waste conversion into fertiliser in South Africa.
“Since then, we have been very busy online, figuring out the road map forward in this collaboration. It’s nice for once to have a project full of women. It’s definitely different for me,” Hayati said.
This is the second summit for Hayati. She heads the fully-fledged microbial-based company that promotes Green Biosciences, technologies and solutions for the agricultural and environmental sectors. She thinks networking events such as this gather women from all countries to accelerate potential collaboration – as this summit proves.
Hayati was particularly inspired by PepsiCo’s Indira Nooyi and Sarah Casanova, the Canadian MD of McDonald’s in Malaysia and Singapore.
“They showed how passionately they loved their jobs, taking great pride in their achievements.”
Although the journey has not been easy, they have proved that it is possible. The Malaysian MD added, tellingly: “The Summit has been a great, indirect counselling session for me, personally.”
A summit first-timer, Fabulous Fruit founder and director Giselda Gabriel Felix, found the conference very relevant for women like her. She set up an organic vegetarian cafe to encourage Malaysians to eat more healthily and to promote the benefits of eating locallyproduced pure food products. And her ubiquitous fru-t-pop popsicles are now all the rage.
“It was amazing for me to learn from all these other women. Some of the speakers’ stories were really powerful,” she pointed out.
Among other inspiring stories were an Icelandic woman involved in a similar business. Now they are sharing knowledge, and she’s exploring the possibilities of importing her counterpart’s products. Another was a possible mentor, a KPMG partner from Canada, who was very open with her advice.
“Where else can you get all these women in the same room? The positive energy that emanated from the conference reinforced the fact that everything is possible,” said Felix who was also proud of the Malaysians who presented, as well as those who attended – all powerhouses in their own right.
Similarly, Noor Ain Mohd Salim, final-year IT student at UIA, found the whole event illuminating. It was her first summit experience, too. She was completely won over by Amanda Nasim, Malaysian founder and director of Tutti Frutti UK.
Amanda, who spoke at the Youth Forum: Executive Leadership, sparked an interest in Noor Ain, who had never even been interested in business before.
“At 21, she’s four years younger than me. So, why not? Maybe it’s time for me to try something creative,” she said.
Added her friend, UIA Law graduate Siti Hajar Ayob: “There are not many opportunities for young people to try and fail. Here, we heard so many stories of women who eventually succeeded. This adds to our confidence.”
Where else can you get all these women in the same room? The positive energy that emanated from the conference reinforced the fact that everything is possible. — GiselDa Gabriel felix, founDer anD Director of fabulous fruit
The Global Summit of Women is in its 23rd year. Kuala Lumpur was their biggest summit ever, attracting more women from over 70 countries, including government leaders, CEOs, corporate executives and businesswomen. Topics were related to the demands of the new economy, with a focus on sustainable skills, changing landscapes and new values. Covering the spectrum, from green enterprises to crowd-sourcing, this summit was never short on motivation.
While political and business leaders presented effectively with remarkable facts, figures, future plans and policies, it was the women with the most heartfelt stories who stood out. The big picture is perfect for an overall view, but it’s the little endeavours that make the more compelling narratives.
While the conference format, bazaar stalls and endless formalities may discourage some people, the summit’s role in inspiring current entrepreneurs and the next generation waiting in the wings is undeniable.
When women talk and listen to one another, they not only start to spur and sustain business, they sustain themselves. It’s not in the official programme, but that’s where the real programme begins.