Reflections of Strength

While travelling across Malaysia, we were always met with warm smiles from the locals. This was quite touching, and left a lasting impression towards the overall experience of that place, and it surely reflects a country’s strength.

We were pleasantly amazed observing the presence of women across every establishment. It really is a reflection of a nation’s strength when we see women actively participating across various job roles. Right from our arrival at KL, we came across women officers stamping our passports at the immigration. Having women tellers in the supermarkets, women servers across restaurants and cafes, and almost all ticketing counters (Bus / Metro / Cable Car / Cruises) were led exclusively by women.

We witnessed women conductors in the buses, both intracity and intercity, who would manage the large volumes of passengers with a smile and confidence. It is very humbling to see the women workforce being both the face and the backbone of businesses. Looking pristine while handling laborious jobs with such grace and charm, including operating live food trucks selling Speso and Kopi.  

It was indeed a surprise when we were picked up by a female Grab driver in the evening hours. Driving a large SUV, she skilfully navigated through the lanes and traffic like a perfectionist. Having women cab drivers take up rides at night is probably unimaginable from where we come from.

Any nation’s success is heavily skewed when we have an equitable women’s participation. I admire the level of safety, the healthy atmosphere, the encouragement and the opportunity given to females for them to have independence and lead their lives with dignity. They are definitely taking the country forward by contributing to its productivity. Their polite behaviour leaves a positive impression on the tourists as well.

Back home, I have seen very good participation of women in the North-East and the Southern Indian states. Unfortunately, in Northern and Central India, the cultural environment has not been so kind to match these participation levels across genders. I cannot fail to draw this comparison after witnessing firsthand what true empowerment is for society as a whole, and what truly is a reflection of strength – an unconditional, safe, and equal opportunity for women across all sectors.

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