The [him] moderator applauds Grace for her leadership in the field of HIV/AIDS in Myanmar. And her bravery in consenting to an interview by the Myanmar Times.
More women stepping into leadership roles
Khin Myat
Myanmar Times
WHEN famous actress Daw Swe Zin Htaik quit show business seven years ago to begin working as a communications officer for Population Services International, she was looking for a way to prove she could make a difference.
“When I worked as an actress, I did it for my own interest and my scope was very narrow because I could only contribute to my family and my small environment,” she said. “But it’s different now because my present job is concerned with the whole population and I can contribute to the health of everyone in the country.”
“I prefer my current humanitarian work to acting because I love facing the challenges of the job,” said Daw Swe Zin Htaik, who directs and produces educational films for PSI, an international non-governmental organisation.
She is one of a growing number of women in Myanmar who are taking it upon themselves to step into more challenging leadership roles in all sectors, from education and health, to business and social welfare.
“In the past, parents asked women to be good followers, but now women are proving that they can be good leaders,” said Daw Swe Zin Htaik. “It doesn’t matter whether we are men or women; what’s important is that we try our best.”
She said succeeding in life requires good time management and setting a plan for the future.
For women in particular, it was important to keep learning and striving for self-improvement no matter how old you are, she said.
Entrepreneur Daw Khin Myint Myint was perhaps ahead of her time when she entered the business sector 40 years ago, but her track record has proven that women can succeed in areas traditionally dominated by men.
Her list of titles is impressive by any standard: president of the Myanmar Women Entrepreneurs’ Association; managing director of Aung Aung Enterprise Ltd; director of AA Electronics Ltd, AA Medical Products Ltd, and AA Pharmacy; and vice chairperson of Myint Myat Agrochemical Ltd.
“Since Myanmar embraced a market-oriented economic system in 1989, an increasing number of women have entered the business sector,” said Daw Khin Myint Myint. “We have seen that women can contribute to the economic development of our country.”
She said that to be successful in business, one had to be honest, maintain good relationships and understand the situation of the market.
“I always appreciate and follow the motto, ‘Honesty is the best policy’, and I have lived by this proverb my whole life,” Daw Khin Myint Myint said.
Women are also finding increasing success in the field of writing, as illustrated by Daw Than Myint Aung, an author who also works in the field of social welfare.
She won a National Literary Award in 2002 for her collection of short stories, The Mass Without Shape.
“In the past, only a few women worked as journalists and writers – Dagon Khin Khin Lay, Journel Kyaw Ma Ma Lay, Ludu Daw Ahmar, Daw Khin Myo Chit and San San Nwet (Thayawady),” Daw Than Myint Aung said.
“Today there are a number of women writers, which proves there are more talented women working,” she said.
Daw Than Myint Aung and other pioneers have worked hard to overcome the traditional perception that women should focus on domestic work and family affairs. With that boundary crossed, the number of women who take on leadership roles in all sectors of Myanmar society will only grow.
http://www.myanmar.com/myanmartimes/MyanmarTimes16-302/n015.htm
