IWD, or International Women’s Day, is celebrated on March 8 to honour women’s accomplishments and support women’s rights. It is recognised as a national holiday in several nations and has been supported by the UN since 1975.
The IWD theme this year is DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality and it strives to emphasise the significance of technology in bringing gender issues to light.
In honour of International Women’s Day, we showcase some of our own women warriors to honour their remarkable efforts and accomplishments, as well as to highlight the contributions that women make.
Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh
Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh, one of the most well-known actress from Malaysia outside of the country. She gained notoriety when, at age 21, she was crowned Miss Malaysia and worked with Jackie Chan on a watch ad. Yeoh gained fame in Hong Kong before moving to Hollywood. The actress won the 2023 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award for Outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role, being the first Asian woman to do so. She also made history by being the first Asian woman to be nominated for best actress at the Academy Awards.
Heidy Quah
Heidy is one of the co-founders of Refuge For the Refugees (RFTR), a non-profit organisation that works to raise the living conditions of refugee children in Malaysia. She oversaw a team of volunteer instructors, contributed to the creation of structures and curricula, and built relationships with partner organisations. Heidy is the sole representative from Malaysia to receive the Young Leader Award in 2017 from The Queen.
Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza
Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza, beloved Malaysian icon and one of the most honoured musicians of all time, must be included. Siti is arguably the most successful singer in Malaysia, having received more than 300 awards. She was one of the few Malaysian artistes invited to perform at the 1998 Commonwealth Games’ closing ceremony in front of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, as well as representatives of the Commonwealth. She was ranked as one of the singers with the most number of awards worldwide. On a list of 50 singers from across the world, Siti came in at number 27, surpassing well-known names like Selena Gomez, Jennifer Lopez and Celine Dion.
Pandelela Rinong Pamg
Pandelela has advanced greatly to become one of Malaysia’s top athletes since she first gained attention in the 2012 Summer Olympics, when she won a bronze medal, becoming the very first female athlete from Malaysia to win an Olympic medal. Four years later, she won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics. She then received recognition from her native state of Sarawak for both of her Olympic triumphs, being the first sportsperson to receive the Title Bintang Kenyalang and having the local swimming centre dedicated in her honour.
Yuna
Indie singer Yuna came from a musical household. She began performing sporadically across Malaysia and penning her own songs at the age of 14. She had some trouble getting signed to local record labels, and eventually founded her own independent label, Yuna Room Records while building a following on Myspace. Her perseverance led to a self-produced EP that finally made her a big star in Malaysia. Her unique sound drew the attention of a US-based management company, which helped her land a record deal with Fader Label in New York. Since then, she has been making Malaysia proud, releasing numerous studio albums and EPs in the US, while also returning to Malaysia several times to perform for her ever-loyal local fans.
Datin Vivy Yusof
Datin Vivy Yusof is the co-founder of the fashion line The dUCk Group and the e-commerce retailer FashionValet. She shares her ideas, interests, and life on her blog Proudduck, which has helped her build a large following and make the e-commerce apparel retailer she founded with her now-husband into one of Malaysia’s fastest-growing businesses. Her clothing line, dUCk, which began with scarves, has since grown to include accessories and other apparel. Today, the e-commerce retail business and fashion label has expanded to physical locations in significant shopping malls, with outlets in Singapore, Brunei, and Indonesia.
Tan Hooi Ling
Inspired by her own difficulty in getting a cab for her everyday commute, Tan Hooi Ling decided to work with her partner Anthony Tan to develop a concept that allows users to travel in luxury and safety. This eventually led to the birth of Grab, currently one of the top apps in Southeast Asia. From transportation, the app has grown to include a wide range of on-demand services, including purchasing meals, mobile payments, and delivery services. It proved to be a vital service during the recent Covid era, and the company appears poised to continue growing its business throughout the region and continuing to empower millions of people.