Aziz Idris
British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam John Virgoe co-hosted the Southeast Asia (SEA) Women of the Future Awards high tea at the Residence on Friday night, as a show of appreciation to the nation’s remarkable women.
Brunei’s Southeast Asia Women of the Future Ambassadors Pengiran Dr Noor Affizan binti Pengiran Haji Abdul Rahman and Supna Rania Karwanamurthi played co-hostesses.
The event encourages Brunei women to nominate a candidate for the SEA Women of the Future Awards.
With the Countess of Wessex as their Global Ambassador, other SEA Women of the Future alumni from Brunei include Amy Cheong, Najaa Halbi, Fatin binti Arifin, Siti Noraspadiyah binti Haji Mohd Sah and Aimi binti Ramlee.
The SEA Women of the Future Awards is a ceremony to showcase regional emerging leaders, who are the game-changers of tomorrow. They are celebrated for their ability to disrupt stereotypes and drive positive impactful change.
The Women of the Future programme, supported by the British government, encourages, motivates and provides role models to inspire and empower women, as it sets its sight on creating a global community of supportive and collaborative women.
Pengiran Dr Noor Affizan, who is the Associate Specialist at the Eye Centre of Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital and Deputy Medical Superintendent at Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah (PMMPMHAMB) Hospital in Tutong, said, “I’m so excited to be a part of this initiative and to shine a light on some of the amazing achievements of women in Brunei. The fact that there is such a diverse range of backgrounds will help young girls from across the country to believe in greater possibilities for themselves.”
The High Commissioner said, “The United Kingdom (UK) is a great champion of gender equality as part of our global goal to ensure that no one is left behind. A big part of that is to continuously promote opportunities for women to be recognised for the positive impact they have made in their community. I feel privileged to be able to meet many inspiring and vibrant Brunei women.”
Since its 2006 launch, the mission of the Women of the Future Awards has been to spotlight incredible female talent and to create a vibrant network of women who nurture, support and challenge each other in equal measure.
This mission has strengthened and positively impacted the female leadership pipeline all over the world. This year will mark the fourth Southeast Asia Women of the Future Awards and the search is now on for female leaders from the region across all professions and industries.
Many of the candidates shared that the Women of the Future Awards has been a life changing experience for them.
A total of 96 per cent of shortlisted candidates hold greater belief in their own strengths, and have gained fresh perspectives through exposure to individuals from different countries and industries. They also feel that the awards has brought better access to global networks.
The categories for the awards are: Arts & Culture, Business, Community & Public Service, Entrepreneur, Media & Communications, Professions, Property, Construction & Infrastructure, Science, Technology & Digital, Social Entrepreneur, and Mentor.
The link to nominate candidates for the Women of the Future Awards is now open until April 21 at www.awards.womenofthefuture.co.uk/seasia/nominate/.