ASTANA (Kazakhstan), June 19 – Women should start overcoming psychological barriers and not to be consumed by societal views in order to become successful, said the Malaysian prime minister’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
In making the call, she said it was important for women especially in Asia not to be complacent and continue to stay within their comfort zones.
“They should be bold enough to venture forth to a higher degree of success. They must be creative enough to do away with the norms and think outside the box.
“At the same time, they must continue and equip themselves with the latest in relevant and critical skills as well as knowledge to ensure that they are competitive to take on challenges brought about by technology,” she said in her keynote address at the Kazakhstan-Malaysia Forum “Unleashing Women Entrepreneurship Potential” titled “Women: Breaking Barriers” here, today.
Also present were Malaysian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Datuk Ahmad Rasidi Hazizi; Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim, Advisor to the Kazakhstan President Gulshara Naushayevna and Kazakhstan Association of Businesswomen president Raushan Sarsembayeva.
Rosmah said women should also avoid comparing their success to men as it would form a stumbling block for their progress. Saying that the comparison was unnecessary, she said both genders were equipped with characteristics and skills that were varied but would eventually complement each other.
She added that while women continued to outspace men in educational achievements particularly at university level, they were not making much progress at the top levels as decision makers in public and private organisations.
However, the prime minister’s wife said women should not be discouraged by the current lack of women in top leadership positions.
“As we can see, a pervasive paradigm shift has begun to take place, giving women recognition and acknowledgment as major players in shaping the economy and social landscape of the community as well as the country,” she said.
In the business sector, Rosmah said women now formed one-third of all people involved in entrepreneurial activity worldwide and were becoming important drivers of economic growth with 40 to 50 per cent of business owned by women.
Rosmah pointed out that the encouraging gender ratio at entry-level positions in companies dropped as women progressed up the career ladder due to the lack of support services and flexible working arrangement.
“This situation is unfortunate because studies from various countries are confirming that gender diversity at the leadership level is a driving force for performance. Companies with a higher percentage of women in executive positions
can deliver organisational and financial performance,” she said. Rosmah said retaining and promoting women talents required across the board collaboration among the government, private sector, academia and other interest groups.
“No one can address talent issues on its own because it involves a variety of sectors ranging from education to the will and commitment of employers to enhance women’s talent, as well as government policies to drive gender equality and the mindset and attitudes for the job market,” she said.
– BERNAMA
