Celebrating Diversity And Women’s Empowerment

APU International Women’s Week was packed with events and activities, such as seminars and workshops themed ‘DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality’.

In conjunction with International Women’s Day 2023 (IWD) on 8th March 2023, we Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) celebrated for an entire week to honour the resilience, strength of our staff and students, while also looking forward to a brighter more equal future.

A week full of events and activities from 6th to 10th March 2023, featuring seminars, workshops and an exhibition under the theme ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’, with female speakers from various industries coming together to honour this occasion and champion women’s achievements.

Inspiring speakers from the School of Accounting and Finance (SoAF): Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chong Lee Lee, Ms Ng Hui Chen, Ms Cheryll Lim Chiew Lian, and Ms Kavitha Arunasalam discussed how to promote inclusivity for women in the Accounting Technology industry.

Prof. Ts. Dr. Murali Raman’s second session concentrated on the realities of being a working parent, as well as how to manage expectations and challenges in the digital world while raising children.

Notable women in prominent positions also shared their insights; Women in Leading Tech Strategies by Head and Senior Vice President of Strategy and Policy, MDEC Dr. Sumitra Nair, as well as a STEM workshop on Obstacle Avoidance with Boe-Bot by Ts. Vickneswari Durairajah from the School of Engineering (SoE).

In addition, Dr. K. Chitra, Principal Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science College for Women, and Dr. Latha Parameswaran, Director-Computational Science, PSGR Krishnammal College for Women, both from India, provided participants with a deeper understanding of the Digital Gender Divide from a research perspective.

At the same time, Maybank Berhad. delivered the inaugural address, titled: The Role of Technology in Shaping the Future of Work for Gender Equality by Dr. Shameem Farouk, Executive Vice President Maybank Group Malaysia.

During the session, an online game was played, which gave three of our students a chance to intern with Maybank. Our three students Tam Jun Jie, Nafha Nasrullah, and Muhammad Luqman Hakim Abd Rahim secured 12-week internships with Maybank via an online game activity conducted during the session.

Other related topics include the value of mindfulness and the marvels of women. This event will be graced by female industry titans from various disciplines, who will come together to acknowledge the power of women in shaping the world.

At the same time, a special online session was also held by APU’s strategic partner from De Montfort University (DMU) which featured speakers from United Kingdom (UK), Malaysia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Senegal and Kazakhstan.

Among those who spoke were DMU Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Simon Oldroyd, Head of DMU Dubai Prof. MichaelGallimore, Associate Dean International (Education, Sustainability & EDI) Dr Manjeet Ridon, DMU Dubai Certified Digital Marketing Professional Dr. Fatima Beena, DMU Dubai Senior Lecturer Dr Charu Banga, DMU Kazakhstan Ms Sakina Zafar, DMU UAE Social Entrepreneur & UN Women Mentor Ms Ayesha Khan, APU Head of Digital Learning Hub Prof. Dr. Abtar Kaur, APU Senior Lecturer Ms Meera Eeswaran and special guest speaker from Peace Advocate Ms Dorothy Akende.

Senior women leaders from both the private and public sectors, as well as UN Women partners, emphasised the critical role universities can play in women’s education, while also demonstrating the importance of women’s leadership.

The spotlight was on the amazing women who are driving change and making an impact in their fields on Day 4 of APU’s International Women’s Week.

A series of talks on Equity and Equality, Women in Engineering, and Space Technologies Influencing Gender Equalities, as we honour our achievements and strive for a more equitable future.

Day 5, the final day, was dedicated to wellness. Women frequently experience stress and anxiety on a daily basis, as a result of juggling multiple roles and obligations, as well as navigating systemic inequalities and societal pressures, all of which have an impact on both their mental and physical well-being.

While APU celebrates women’s accomplishments and resilience around the world, let us also commit to tackling the underlying causes of stress and anxiety in women and creating a more supportive and equitable world for all.

All events were led by an entire team of women who will continue to thrive towards continuing efforts in women empowerment activities moving forward.

Kudos to our thriving group of Women of APU consisting of Prof. Dr. Abtar Kaur, Ms Meera Eeswaran, Ms Janet Lee Pei, Ms Elvi Boon Yoke Chin, Ms Adeline Chiang Chi Yie, Ms Nichole Ow Pui May, Ms Saranjit Kaur, Dr. Nur Lalua Rashidah Mohd Rahsiad, Ms Nadiah Suki, Ms Kavitha Arunasalam, Dr. Intan Farahana Kamsin, Ms Subaashnii Suppramaniam, Ms Ng Hui Chen, Ms Gaithri Gunasagran, Ms Cheryll Lim, Ts. Dr. Janitha Kularajasingam, Ms Nur Azyyati Ahmad, Ms Jasminder Kaur Harbindar Jeet Singh, Ms Michele Shivaanii Sundra Raj, Ms Analisa Hamdan, Ms Cynthia Mala Paul Dorairaj, Dr. Dhamayanthi Arumugam, Ms Vinorra Shaker, Ms Nur Ailie Sofyaiana Serasa, Ts. Vickneswari Durairajah, Assoc. Prof. Wong Bee Suan, Ms Aisyamariam Abdul Uzza and Ms Ophelia June Anak Sahak.

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