By Lorens Hosana
A lot of women in Indonesia are familiar with a term emansipasi wanita or “female empowerment”. As a new era is ushered by more women voicing out for equal rights, the term encompasses many of their concerns: young girls’ education, women’s role in the household, women’s treatment in the workplace.
"Feminism just means equal opportunity regardless of your gender." (Tiffany, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne, Class of 2015)
Our panellists (clockwise from the top left): Tiffany Priosoetanto, Jasmine Hong, Yuni Sumawijaya, Sharon Koharjo, Glenys Kirana, Amanda Ng, Calista Atmadja
The Event
On September 21st, 2019, Origo hosted its first collaboration event with Generation Girl, a non-profit which aims to empower young girls to venture into STEM classes in Indonesia. The event consisted of two panel discussions focused on the importance of education, and the role it plays in our professional decisions. Featuring an all-female panel group in their early careers, our high school audience gained some insight into what it’s like for a young woman to navigate through college and work, especially in male-dominated fields.
We invited our panellists to share how they decided on their majors and specifically, why they had chosen the US as a college destination. Some wanted to step out of their comfort zone or broaden their perspectives by being in a diverse community, and others wanted to explore a more interdisciplinary field or immerse themselves in the US’ culture of innovation. Some of the panellists had taken unconventional classes – the art of creativity, mummies, jazz, and Hollywood movies – outside their core programs, which inspired both laughter and curiosity in our audience.
We discussed the obstacles faced by women in the workplace, and the necessity of having grit and a growth mindset in overcome these challenges, and more importantly, in taking ownership of our careers. As women, we need to redefine society’s idea of what it means to be a true “career woman” – to turn stereotypical “weaknesses” into strengths.
"As women, we are more emotionally aware, which people often view as sensitive. But actually, using emotional awareness as a strength, you can be the glue to bring a community together." (Glenys Kirana, Claremont McKenna College, Class of 2016)
For more pictures on the event, check out this link to our Facebook Page
To see some video footage check out our Youtube Channel!
Stay tuned for more Origo events!
