The Future is Female: Recent Episodes
Future is Female
On this episode of #TheFutureIsFemale Melisa Idris speaks to one of the world's leading anatomists and forensic anthropologists, Professor Dame Sue Black, Baroness Black of Strome and President of St John’s College at Oxford University. She was the lead anthropologist for the British Forensic Team's work in the war crimes investigations in Kosovo, and one of the first forensic scientists to travel to Thailand following the Indian Ocean tsunami to provide assistance in identifying the dead.
In Malaysian politics, we often focus on the number of women elected as Members of Parliament. However, being appointed to Cabinet is just as crucial. And having more women in Cabinet doesn't automatically mean a fair share of power. How do we strive for better gender equality in Cabinet representation and portfolio distribution? On this episode of #TheFutureIsFemale Melisa Idris speaks to Maha Balakrishnan, parliamentary and institutional development specialist.
On this episode of #TheFutureIsFemale Melisa Idris explores the strategies and stories of empowerment behind accessible mental wellness. She speaks to Madiha Fuad, Founder & CEO of PlusVibes, a social enterprise seeking to reshape the landscape of mental health support in Malaysia. For her work in healthtech, Madiha was named as one of 2022’s ‘Women of the Future: 50 Rising Stars in ESG’.
For 25 years, the L’Oréal Foundation and UNESCO have been working together to empower and promote women in science through the ‘For Women in Science’ programme. Malaysia has been part of the programme for the last 18 years, during which over RM1.5 million in research grants have been awarded to more than 51 women scientists in recognition of their achievement in science. On this episode of #TheFutureIs Female Melisa Idris speaks to this year’s Malaysian beneficiaries: Dr Acga Cheng from UM, Dr Che Azurahanim Che Abdullah from UPM, and Dr Elena Azizan from UKM.
On this episode of #TheFutureIsFemale Melisa Idris speaks to Yuki Aizawa, Women in Tech®️ Global Movement, APAC Director and Country Director of the Malaysia Chapter, about supporting women in STEAM fields from the classroom to the boardroom.
Melisa Idris speaks to writer, playwright, and translator, Adriana Nordin Manan, about her philosophy approach to translation, using language to bridge the gap between cultures. She also shares her creative process as a playwright and her personal journey from page to stage of her first full-length play 'Fault Lines'.
On this episode of #TheFutureIsFemale Melisa Idris speaks to Datuk Ami Moris, Chair of 30% Club Malaysia and Advisor of Business & Sustainability for MAYBANK, and Dr Sumitra Nair, Senior Director & Head of Sustainability at Telekom Malaysia.
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. To my mind, I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man.” On this episode of #TheFutureIsFemale Melisa Idris speaks to Choong Koon Yean, President of IAPWA Penang, and Asther Lau, President of the Animal Kindness Coalition about humanely managing stray animal populations through Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage (TNRM) efforts.
The Asli Co. is a social enterprise that aims to provide opportunities to Orang Asli mothers to earn a sustainable income from home and help keep their children in school. On this episode of #TheFutureIsFemale Melisa Idris speaks to Lim Xin Yu, one of the co-founders of The Asli Co. about the benefits of corporates and communities supporting social enterprises and the impact they can make.
Safe Sport is an initiative by the International Olympic Committee, with August 8th dedicated as International Safe Sport Day. On this episode of The Future Is Female #TFIF Melisa Idris speaks to former national gymnast Sarina Sundara Rajah, Founding President of Safe Sport Malaysia, about the importance of #SafeSport, how to identify abuse and intervene as a bystander.
On this episode of #TheFutureIsFemale Melisa Idris explores how gender roles, stereotypes, and societal expectations shape the prospects of women in political parties, and the urgent need for change. She speaks to Dr Ummu Atiyah Ahmad Zakuan, Associate Professor at UUM and advocate for gender equality, about strategies to create a more inclusive and equal political landscape.
On this episode of #TheFutureIsFemale Melisa Idris speaks to Suraya Zainudin, Financial Activist and founder of the personal finance website RinggitOhRinggit.com. She’s also the author of the recently published book: ‘Bergaji & Pokai’ which aims to provide practical advice to building a stress-free life through realistic money management.
Women are significantly more financially impacted by life events such as death, divorce, illness, and retirement. How do we mitigate this gendered financial vulnerability? On this episode of #TheFutureIsFemale Melisa Idris speaks to Rejina Rahim and Sherry Sheriff, co-founders of Wahine Capital, a fintech startup with a focus on women’s financial empowerment.
On this episode of #TheFutureIsFemale Melisa Idris speaks to freelance sign language interpreter Lucy Lim about the important role of sign language interpreters and the need to ensure communication accessibility and equal access to information for all.
On this episode of #TheFutureIsFemale, Melisa Idris speaks to Dr Jeyanny Vijayanathan, soil scientist at Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) and global health scientist Dr Lim Shiang Cheng about the barriers women in STEM face in pursuing postgraduate studies, and what can be done to address these barriers and encourage more women to continue their learning.
On this episode of #TheFutureIsFemale, Melisa Idris speaks to ethnomusicologist Dr Clare Chan Suet Ching about working with the Mah Meri community to preserve their indigenous songs, and efforts to build cultural resilience with the younger Mah Meri generation. Dr Clare Chan is associate professor of Ethnomusicology at the Music Department of the Faculty of Human Ecology at Universiti Putra Malaysia.
The Women's Centre for Change (WCC) Penang has long focused the issue of sexual abuse against children and its prevention—with its roots in crisis support, now branching into capacity building and policy advocacy. On #TheFutureIsFemale, we ask our guest about the challenges and triumphs of running a women and child rights NGO.
Melisa Idris speaks to Dr Indra Selvarajah about medical music therapy. She is the Founding President of the Malaysian Music Therapy Association, Vice president of the Malaysian Society for Music & Medicine, and Chair of the Global Crises Intervention Commission for the World Federation of Music Therapy.
Melisa Idris speaks to Lily Fu, gerontologist, first-time film-maker, and founder of SeniorsAloud, which is an online community for seniors. She’s also the VP of the University of the Third Age for KL & Selangor.
Melisa Idris speaks to Christine Chin, Chairperson of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Selangor (SPCA Selangor) about responsible pet ownership and animal rescue, and what is needed to create a caring and compassionate community that lives in harmony with all animals.
Many couples struggle with infertility in silence, hiding their struggle from friends and family. How do we break this cycle of silence and shame? Melisa Idris speaks to Irene Kwan, CEO of TMC Fertility & Women’s Specialist Centre about the psychological impact of infertility and normalising conversations about fertility treatment and preservation.
Melisa Idris speaks to Mediha Mahmood, Executive Director of the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Content Forum (CMCF) about ensuring ethical and equitable representation and treatment of women, children and PWDs in advertising and online media.
Stepmothers have often been portrayed as ‘evil’ in fairytales and popular culture. Hoping to change this narrative for toddlers, Yuri Schneider wrote a children’s book telling the story of Ian, a boy who splits his time between two homes and calling two women his ‘mom’. Melisa Idris speaks to Yuri Schneider, author of ‘Two Homes, One Family’ about bringing more awareness about blended families.
Melisa Idris speaks to filmmaker and content creator, Nanthini Ganesan, about telling female-centric stories through film and the representation of women both on and off the screens.
To commemorate the International Day of the Girl, Melisa Idris speaks to Jasmin Lim, Child Protection Officer for World Vision Malaysia.
Melisa Idris speaks to Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Siti Zuraina Abdul Majid, Malaysia’s first professionally-trained archaeologist, who, in 1991, discovered the 11,000-year-old Perak Man-the oldest human skeleton discovered in Malaysia. Professor Siti Zuraina was recently accorded the 2022 Merdeka Award for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement. The Merdeka Awards recognises individuals and organisations whose works have not only contributed to the country's growth, but have also inspired greatness among Malaysians.
Melisa Idris speaks to Yap Yann Fang, Founder & CEO of Beauty & Co, a beauty and wellness co-working space. They discuss the evolution of the bursary services industry and how to make it more inclusive and responsible.
Melisa Idris speaks to Mastura M. Rashid, Vice President of Impact Malaysia, about empowering young people to bring meaningful and lasting change in their communities, and to be informed citizens fully engaged in the democratic process.
Many parents find they have few options when it comes to childcare-often limited by cost, proximity, operating hours, etc. In a bid to provide parents with more choices, Kiddocare was founded in 2018 with the aim of connecting parents with trained child-carers. Melisa Idris speaks to Muhaini Mahmud, co-founder of Kiddocare about how the on-demand babysitting platform is creating a win-win situation for women.
Organisations can no longer opt-out from integrating sustainability and ESG principles into their strategies — it has gone from being a functional requirement to a commercial imperative. Melisa Idris speaks to ESG & sustainability advocate, Ahila Ganesan, Founder of Future LinQ. She is also the Special Advisor to the London-based ESG Foundation.They also discuss Ahila’s work in sustainable urbanism as Senior Director of Strategy & Development for Think City, and how to build inclusive, future-proof cities.
Malaysia has made it mandatory for all Public Listed Companies on Bursa Malaysia to have at least one woman director by January next year, with the goal of achieving a minimum of 30% Gender Balance at all senior decision-making tables across Malaysia, including Boards and c-Suite. Melisa Idris speaks to Christina Foo, Independent Director and Fellow with the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia about supporting women so they can translate their professional skills and experience into leadership and board-level roles.
Every day 3,000 tonnes of edible food is thrown away in Malaysia - enough to feed 10 million people daily. The Lost Food Project helps to rescue an average of 10 tonnes of food per week from going to landfills. Melisa Idris speaks to Suzanne Mooney, founder of The Lost Food Project to better understand the scale of food waste and the role we each can play in addressing this issue. Suzanne Mooney is also a recipient of the 2020 Merdeka Award for Outstanding Contribution to the People of Malaysia.
Non-executive workers make up 75% of Malaysia's workforce but they are sorely underserved in the recruitment process. Melisa Idris speaks to Joelle Pang, General Manager of FastJobs Malaysia, about its role in helping to connect entry-level and non-executive job-seekers to prospective employers.
Melisa Idris speaks to the only Malaysian to make history as a 5-time gold winner at the World Masters Swimming Championships, Cindy Ong.
In an age of fast fashion and mass production, the value of artisanship has become vastly under-appreciated, putting craft legacies at risk. The dream of preserving heritage crafts for generations to come was precisely why the Dia Guild was founded -- a platform where Southeast Asian labels and craft could be introduced to, and appreciated by, a global market. Melisa Idris speaks to one of the co-founders of Dia, Aisha Hassan.
On most of those ‘important days’ in our life, flowers are usually around -- weddings and anniversaries, births and deaths, Mothers’ Day and Valentine’s Day. Roses are red, but not very ‘green’. The truth is, there is an environmental cost with every bouquet of flowers. Melisa Idris speaks to Brenda James, Founder and Principal Florista of Nook Flowers, a boutique floral design firm doing its best to champion sustainability in floristry.
As we enter the third year of living and working during a pandemic, navigating the changes in workplace dynamics and values hasn’t seemed to get any easier. Melisa Idris speaks to organisational psychologist Hetal Doshi, CEO of O Psych, about ways to cope with, and adapt to, the changes occurring at the workplace, and within the workforce.
Malaysia’s first Women’s Tribunal, organised by the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) and Engender Consultancy, is set to take place online on the 27th and 28th of November. Melisa Idris speaks to co-conveners of Women’s Tribunal Malaysia 2021 Meera Samanther and Wathshlah Naidu about the virtual tribunal, and the importance of holding space for women to share stories of the violations and injustices they’ve experienced.
Screening and early detection of breast cancer remain a challenge in Malaysia, mainly due to a lack of awareness of symptoms and sociocultural barriers. The ‘Know Your Lemons’ campaign uses lemons as a stand-in for the breast — helping bypass communication barriers of literacy, taboo, embarrassment, and fear.
On ‘Thr Future Is Female’ Melisa Idris speaks to Corrine Ellsworth-Beaumont, CEO and Founder of Know Your Lemons, and Dr Nur Aishah Mohd Taib, Consultant Breast Surgeon at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre, who are both on a mission to educate every woman about breast cancer symptoms.
According to UNICEF, younger children are more likely to be abused by a family member or caregiver. How can we help equip our children with education and empowerment over their body safety, consent and personal boundaries? Parenting platform Makchic has published a children’s book titled: ‘What If?’ in hopes of generating greater awareness about child sexual abuse prevention in Malaysia. Melisa Idris speaks to Makchic’s Managing Editor, Kimberly Lee & CEO, Najmin Tajudin, to learn about the story behind the book.
Melisa Idris speaks to documentary & sports photographer Annice Lyn, who co-founded Women Photographers Malaysia, which is a collective that aims to develop an inclusive culture through visual storytelling. Annice shares her experiences in covering the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and working with Malaysian artist Red Hong Yi to shoot the cover of TIME magazine's 'Climate is Everything' April 2021 issue.
Certified dietitian & nutritionist, Adele Wong, founder of Nutrition Track, is passionate about translating complex nutrition science into ways that can help us make good evidence-based health and nutrition choices. Melisa Idris speaks to Adele about developing a healthy relationship with food, building good nutritional habits, and the changing nutritional needs of women throughout our life stages.
Melisa Idris speaks to Raudhah Nazran, CEO & Founder of the youth-focused social enterprise, Accelerate Global, about tackling youth unemployment by championing upskilling and entrepreneurship.
Melisa Idris speaks to Dr Siti Noraida Habibullah, founder of Little Steps, a charity organisation which hosts many humanitarian projects including Klinik Amal Muhajir, a clinic in Serdang that solely serves the needs of refugees in the area.
Melisa Idris speaks to Murni Wan Mohd Nor, hate speech researcher & Senior lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia about why hate speech is more than just hurt feelings and can bring real harm to communities. Hate speech may be taught but it can be unlearned, including learning to disagree with civility & respect.
Melisa Idris speaks to Wan Nadiah Wan Mohd Abdullah Yaakob, Group CEO of TMC Life Sciences & CEO of Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara about how she manages the complexities of hospital administration amidst a pandemic.
Melisa Idris speaks to Alina Amir, co-founder of Arus Academy, a local social enterprise that aims to equip Malaysian students with critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary for the digital age.
On this episode of The Future Is Female, Melisa Idris speaks to global entrepreneurial academic Professor Loredana Padurean, Associate Dean & Faculty Director for Action Learning at Asia School of Business, established in collaboration with MIT Sloan.
Melisa Idris speaks to author Mohana Gill about her passion advocating for wellness & longevity through food and nutritious eating. Mohana is the first Malaysian to be awarded 7 ‘Best in the World’ titles by Gourmand for her cookbooks.
On this episode of the #TheFutureIsFemale, Melisa Idris speaks to Datin Elya Lim Abdullah, one of the trustees at OrphanCare, about the NGO’s ethos that ‘no child should be denied family life because of circumstances’. They discuss deinstitutionalisation, which is the process of transitioning children raised in orphanages and children’s homes into families and community-based care.
Melisa Idris speaks to Chan Yoke-Fun, Head of the Department of Medical Microbiology at Universiti Malaya's Faculty of Medicine. Yoke-Fun is the winner of the 2020 ASEAN-US Science Prize for Women – an award that honours the discovery and application of scientific knowledge by women in Southeast Asia. Her research focuses on developing a vaccine to combat a virus that causes Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease and brain infection diseases in children.
How do we transform workplaces into safe and inclusive spaces, particularly for women? Melisa Idris speaks to Emellia Shariff, Managing Partner at Speak Up Malaysia, a consultancy that helps organisations change toxic environments, focusing on addressing sexual harassment, bullying and whistleblowing in the workplace.
Asians makeup almost half of the world’s cancer cases but we are in less than 10% of cancer research. On this episode of The Future Is Female, Melisa Idris speaks to Dr Teo Soo Hwang, Chief Scientific Officer at Cancer Research Malaysia, and Dr Ho Weang Kee, Associate Professor, School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia, about a ground-breaking genetic study on the risk of breast cancer in Asian populations.
Melisa Idris speaks to YB Nurul Izzah Anwar, PKR Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh, about the highs and lows of being a three-term legislator and how to win over sceptical stakeholders through evidence-based policy.
Melisa Idris speaks to Sabera Shaik, Founder & Artistic Director of Masakini Theatre Company, about moving performance arts to a virtual stage and how to create immersive storytelling to an online audience.
Melisa Idris speaks to Sivananthi Thanenthiran, Executive Director of ARROW, which recently launched the Gender Equality Initiative in Malaysia, aiming to work with policymakers and civil society organisations to improve the lives of women, girls, and marginalised groups in Malaysia.
Melisa Idris speaks to Deborah Henry, Miss Malaysia World 2007 and Miss Universe Malaysia 2011, co-founder of Fugee, a non-profit which champions for the right of refugees to build a meaningful life through equality and access.
Melisa Idris speaks to Meriza Mustapha, co-founder of Maideasy, an online platform to hire part-time cleaners. They discuss gender equality in care work in households and Maideasy's mission to bring dignity to cleaning work.
Melisa Idris speaks to President of the Malaysian Council For Rehabilitation, Datin Paduka Khatijah Sulaiman, and its Honorary Treasurer, Rose Ng, about the international Abilympics competition. The Abilympics is an international 'Olympics of Abilities', in which qualified People With Disabilities (PWD) from around the world pit their skills in vocational, leisure and ICT abilities. Datin Paduka Khatijah and Rose are chairperson and vice chairperson of the Abilympics Malaysia Committee, respectively.
Melisa Idris speaks to YB Hannah Yeoh, former Deputy Minister of Women, Family & Community Development and MP of Segambut, about dealing with the fallout from the sudden change of government, the successes achieved 20 months in the role, and the challenges she’s faced as a woman in politics in Malaysia.
Pinkcollar Employment Agency aims to help migrant domestic workers in Malaysia gain access to better and safer job opportunities here, through ethical sourcing and hiring practices for workers and employers. Melisa Idris speaks to the co-founders of Pinkcollar, Zenna Law, Elaine Sim and Sophia Jamal, about their efforts to make the entire recruitment process online, transparent and accessible, while ensuring successful matching of workers and employers.
Cervical cancer is currently the third most common cancer in Malaysia, and the third leading cause of death among Malaysian women. Will Malaysia be able to effectively eliminate cervical cancer? In conjunction with Cervical Health Awareness Month in January, Melisa Idris speaks to Professor Dr. Woo Yin Ling, Faculty of Medicine in Universiti Malaya, about the ROSE (Removing Obstacles to Cervical Screening) programme, which uses a self-administered HPV test with quick results, and mobile technology to ensure follow-ups.
Melisa Idris speaks to Nurainie Haziqah Shafii, President of Girl2Leader, an organisation dedicated to developing strong leadership skills in girls and young women. They discuss the constructive changes that can be done as a culture, or a society, to improve things for women to become leaders in the political and corporate spheres.
Melisa Idris speaks to Dr Anjhula Bais, a Director of Amnesty International, the first from Malaysia to be appointment to the board. They discuss how the climate crisis is the biggest threat to human rights and its impact on mental health, seen through the rise in cases of eco-anxiety.
Melisa Idris speaks to Tiwin Aji, a Brunei-based writer and media personality who gained popularity with her video blog, "Winnie on Wednesday", where she tackles social issues with humour and sass. They discuss Tiwin's radio programme "T-Time" on Progresif Radio, a show that uses celebrity news as a way to deconstruct and challenge celebrity culture and social media narratives.
Melisa Idris speaks to Khazanah Research Institute’s Director Of Research, Christopher Choong, and KRI Research Associate, Nazihah Muhamad Noor, about their recent report: ‘Time to Care: Gender Inequality, Unpaid Care Work and Time Use Survey’. They discuss the value of unpaid care work, and the existence of a “double burden” for working women.
The World Giving Index 2018 ranked Malaysia as the 13th most charitable country in the world. Melisa Idris speaks to Cheryl Low, CEO of SimplyGiving.com, a crowdfunding platform for social causes in Asia, about Malaysia's quiet generosity and the launch of MYGiving - a week of kindness to encourage charitable action.
Melisa Idris speaks to Anita Yusof, the first Muslim woman to ride solo around the world. Anita shares her story of her year-long Global Dream Ride - her motivation to travel and lessons learnt along the way. She also talks about the challenges of travelling as a woman, and how it can be made safer for fellow female travellers.
Melisa Idris speaks to two first-time female filmmakers - Azreen Madzlan, director of 'Demi Paymitra' and Minxi Chua, director of 'Bila Kami Bersatu' - about the importance of telling social justice stories and getting the narrative right.