The Future is Female

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.