In Conversation
Front & Female's In Conversation column is a series of discussions between women who are making an impact in their respective regions and fields. The conversations cover a broad range of topics from female entrepreneurship and funding to inclusive design to empowering the elderly, and much more in between.
Collection
In Conversation: Nicole Yuen and Abir Abdul Rahim on challenging societal expectations of women in the workplace in Asia
Leadership
Nicole Yuen, founder of the Women’s Workplace Index, and Abir Abdul Rahim, co-founder of Lean In Malaysia, share the challenges they have faced on their professional journeys and highlight the role we all have to play in effecting change for working women
In Conversation: Amanda Chong and Joanna Bowers on the power of telling women's stories
Leadership
Director, producer and screenwriter Joanna Bowers and lawyer, poet and playwright Amanda Chong discuss centring women’s experiences, empowering women’s voices and the importance of diversity on the page, stage and screen—and behind the scenes
In Conversation: Lindsay Davis and Maaike Steinebach on femtech in Asia and the startups to watch
Leadership
The co-CEOs of FemTech Association Asia discuss Asia’s femtech landscape, the opportunity it presents for women entrepreneurs, and why it’s high time we normalise conversations around topics like menopause, menstruation and the vaginal microbiome
In Conversation: Phyllis Marwah and Alia Eyres on finding purpose, changing lives, and nurturing their mother-daughter relationship
Leadership
Phyllis Marwah and her daughter Alia Eyres are respectively co-founder and CEO of Mother’s Choice, the Hong Kong charity that supports children without families and pregnant teenagers. Ahead of Mother's Day, they discuss working together to provide second chances, their shared strengths and values, and the empowering role of gratitude
In Conversation: Master Ruth Lee and Dr Zara Chan on addressing women's health issues through a combination of TCM and western medicine
Leadership
Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner Master Ruth Lee and women’s healthcare doctor Zara Chan discuss the conditions they are increasingly treating in women, how western medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine can complement each other, and the changes they want to see in the women's health space
In Conversation: Judy Kan and Patricia Ho on the fight for women’s rights
Leadership
Judy Kan, executive director of Her Fund, and Patricia Ho, founder of Hong Kong Dignity Institute, both Front & Female Awards Hong Kong 2023 winners, discuss supporting women and girls, philanthropic challenges and opportunities, and how they want to shape the future
In Conversation: Bowie Lam and Siti Aishah Hassan Hasri on sex education and stigma
Leadership
Bowie Lam, founder of Teen’s Key, and Siti Aishah Hassan Hasri, founder of Spot Community Project, Front & Female Awards winners in Hong Kong and Malaysia respectively, on why it’s high time we address the stigma around sex education and start having open conversations
In Conversation: Sumitra Visvanathan and Doris Chong on pushing for greater awareness of abuse and ending violence against women
Leadership
Doris Chong of Rainlily in Hong Kong and Sumitra Visvanathan of Malaysia’s Women’s Aid Organisation discuss the importance of standing up and speaking out about domestic and sexual abuse and how achieving gender equality is essential to ending violence against women
In Conversation: Shuyin Tang and Nicole Denholder on closing the gender finance gap and redefining what it means to be a successful entrepreneur
Leadership
Shuyin Tang, co-founder and CEO of the Beacon Fund, a private debt fund that focuses on backing women-owned and women-led businesses, and Nicole Denholder, founder of Next Chapter Ventures, a funding ecosystem for female founders, speak about the different pathways to funding and redefining success
In Conversation: Cecilia Zhang and Ulrike Klemm on finding the perfect mentorship match
Leadership
Part of the highly in-demand The Women’s Foundation Mentoring Programme, protégé Cecilia Zhang and mentor Ulrike Klemm discuss why mentorship works for women, being vulnerable and leaving a legacy
In Conversation: Lezlie Chan and Anisha Thai on representation in fashion and championing diversity
Leadership
Anisha Thai, model, dancer and one of Hong Kong Asia’s Most Stylish Honourees of 2022, and Lezlie Chan, plus-size model and body positivity advocate, discuss what representation means to them, standing out in the fashion world, and how they’re driving diversity in their own unique ways
In Conversation: Victoria Wisniewski Otero and Lisa Lam discuss diversity, equity and inclusion in Hong Kong
Leadership
Lisa Lam, co-chair and general counsel for Gay Games, and Victoria Wisniewski Otero, founder of diversity-focused non-profit Resolve, discuss diversity in Hong Kong and what we can all do to drive inclusivity in the city
In Conversation: Christine Yu and Lucinda Pike on the importance of financial literacy for women empowerment
Leadership
Christine Yu of NGO Girls Just Wanna Have Fund$, and Lucinda Pike of Enrich discuss the financial barriers women face
In Conversation: Zip Cheung and Anita Lee on why improving elder visibility in Hong Kong is important, and how modelling and desserts help
Leadership
Two entrepreneurs who are empowering the elderly discuss why we need to make older people more visible and what they’ve learnt about ageing from the “young-olds” they work with
In Conversation: Veera Fung and Sarah Mui on inclusive design, its ability to disenfranchise or empower, and how designers can do it better
Leadership
Veera Fung, architectural designer and PhD candidate at the School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Sarah Mui, co-founder and design director at One Bite, discuss inclusive design—design that aims to understand and enable users of all backgrounds and abilities to participate
In Conversation: Sonalie Figueiras and Yasmin Rasyid on sustainability's progress and the lifestyle changes we should all be making
Leadership
Yasmin Rasyid, founder of NGO EcoKnights and sustainability director at Lendlease Malaysia, and social entrepreneur Sonalie Figueiras, founder of sustainability media platform Green Queen, discuss their journeys into sustainability, how different the field is today, and the lifestyle changes we should all be making
In Conversation: Kay McArdle and Manisha Wijesinghe discuss the challenges and rewards of working in the non-profit space
Leadership
These Front & Female Awards winners are championing the progress of women in Hong Kong through their respective non-profits. In conversation together, they share what led them to the non-profit space, its challenges and rewards, and the advice they have for others looking to give back
