James Kon
The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) through the Community Development Department (JAPEM) yesterday hosted the Wanita Weekend: Women Empowered Conference and the #YouGoGirl Marketplace at Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Complex.
Held in collaboration with Community for Brunei to mark International Women’s Day, Datin Nurhayana Janis binti Abdullah, wife of the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, launched the event.
More than 60 guests attended the opening ceremony, including female clients of JAPEM, students from higher education institutions, female employees in the public and private sectors, and representatives from non-government organisations (NGOs) .
Permanent Secretary (Community and Culture) at the MCYS Hajah Nor Ashikin binti Haji Johari, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Community) at the MCYS Saidah binti Haji Wahid, and Acting Director of Social Services Hajah Noridah binti Haji Abdul Hamid were also present.
The one-day event focussed on the objective of empowering women through the sharing of inspirational stories by working mothers, as well as providing awareness on women’s need to have a work-life balance.
Among the highlights were an art therapy workshop which taught the participants to use expressionism as a healthy outlet; and a women empowerment session hosted by the ASEAN Youth Advocates Network (AYAN) Brunei, featuring Australian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Tiffany McDonald as the keynote speaker.
The session included Aimee Ramli from Digital Innovation and Growth; Shinny Chia from Blue Raincoat Collective; Shazrina Shazali from Fuel’d; and Fatin Muzini from DaRE (Darussalam Enterprise) and React Impak.
Participants also engaged in a UN Women Chat Circle workshop which aimed to link and support women, young female entrepreneurs and female community leaders through experience-sharing and skill-building sessions.
Datin Nurhayana Janis also visited the YouGoGirl Marketplace, to meet and interact with female entrepreneurs, including vendors from Community for Brunei.