By Hana Mazhar
GOMBAK: 9 March 2017: “Confessions of Women”, an event held in Experimental Hall by the students, was a programme directed towards women empowerment and their potential for making a difference.
Organised by Al Salam Club in collaboration with Lifemakers Malaysia, the event gave a platform for women to parade their experiences and endeavours. By sharing different outlooks, the audience and the committee members felt uplifted.
The society as a whole sometimes declines discrimination of women, but in actuality, women face many challenges in trying to conform.
The opening speech was delivered by Prof. Dr. Rahmah Ahmad H. Osman, who is the Dean of Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences (KIRKHS), where she reminded the students not to give up on their dreams or not to lose their focus, as it is at this age that they should work hard turning their dreams into reality.
She prompted students not to forget their own selves when they get married, as “married women always make it their prime duty to look after their husbands and their infants”.
The event tried to highlight these social backdrops of gender equality. Women who are known to be powerful and passionate about everything they do, are yet somehow, reneged to certain situations, not wanting to share their voices in this male dominated world.
“The reasoning behind this renege could be their upbringing, their family backgrounds and their personal ventures,” Prof. Rahmah said.
The panelists included Assistant Professor of English Language Department, Siti Nuraishah, a social media personality, and Aisyah Shakirah who started as a small YouTuber and now hopes to inspire the youth.
The students from the university itself were active participants in many events and clubs.
The panelists were asked different questions, which involved differences of opinions and their answers were inclined to accentuate positive feedbacks.
The students also discovered “The Picha project” which is a social enterprise that is currently giving shelter to nine refugee families. They served different authentic meals prepared by the refugee families of various countries.
The makers of Picha project hoped to gain more help in supporting families disparaged all around Malaysia. The project goes by a slogan,“They are putting food on your table”; “You are putting food on theirs.”
The event was a success, and it was hoped that men and women support, understand and help each other.
Prof. Dr. Rahmah further stated, “We women are very passionate, we like to solve problems, we cannot leave them alone and that is why we are mothers.” Â ***