Front & Female community news: AI-powered maternal health platform launches; My Extra Special Aunty book release; Beyond The Finish Line film festival, and more

Award-winning filmmaker Joanna Bowers, whose work includes The Helper documentary, and domestic worker artists Cristina Cayat and Noemi Caballero Manguerra have collaborated on children’s book My Extra-Special Aunty. The story, written by Bowers in English with Traditional Chinese translation, highlights the essential role that migrant domestic workers play in the lives of many families and aims to foster empathy, kindness and respect between children and their 'aunties'. 

The team first came together in 2018 at a charity event organised by Enrich HK, which is run by Front & Female Awards Hong Kong 2022 and 2023 nominee Lucinda Pike. The proceeds from the book and accompanying events will support local charities Enrich HK and PathFinders Hong Kong, run by Front & Female Awards Hong Kong 2023 winner Catherine Gurtin. 

My Extra-Special Aunty is available for purchase at Lion Rock Press and Bookazine. There will be an official launch for the book at Asia Society Hong Kong on May 11. Tickets are available at myextraspecialaunty.com 

See also: Oscar-nominated director Siqi Song on female representation in film and the power of authentic storytelling to uplift young women

WISE HK, the organisation founded by Front & Female Awards Hong Kong 2022 winner Alicia Lui, which aims to empower and connect women and girls through sport, once again hosts its sports film festival.

Beyond The Finish Line is a celebration of what sport can add to people’s lives—physically, mentally and socially. Beyond sport, this year's curated selection of films will also focus on the natural environment or sporting ‘playground’, the impact climate change is having on it, and how sport can not only transform lives but protect the world around us. 

Beyond The Finish Line takes place at the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong on June 1. Book your tickets before April 30 using the promo code EARLYBIRD for a 20 percent discount. 

See also: Alicia Lui Is Using Sport to Empower Women and Girls in Hong Kong

Front & Female Awards Malaysia 2023 winner Prof Dr Woo Yin Ling’s award-winning Program Rose cervical cancer screening initiative made its way into Kapit last month, engaging with local communities to provide education and self-sampling HPV PCR testing in collaboration with Sarawak Energy Berhad. The team engaged with healthcare professionals, women and children at Hospital Kapit, SMK Balleh, Rumah Unggam and Rumah Jack. Through this inspiring three-day trip, Program Rose provided education targeted for youth for the first time, leveraging the importance of youth awareness as part of the mission for cervical cancer elimination. 

April 2024 also marks the launch of Program Rose’s HPV Chronicles, an educational video series that discusses HPV-PCR screening and what it looks like in society, in collaboration with FIND Diagnostics.  

See also: Meet the woman with a mission to eradicate cervical cancer in our lifetime

In March, CTF Education Group, for which Front & Female Awards Hong Kong 2022 winner Jennifer Yu Cheng is group president and deputy vice chairwoman, opened its pioneering Education Hub in Panyu, Guangzhou, which aims to drive the exchange of ideas, skills and resources in the Greater Bay Area.

This summer, the Hub will host its Master Series, a range of experiences curated by world-class experts in various fields to inspire children aged between 5 and 14 years old. Topics range from the performing arts, including elementary drama and musical theatre, to innovation, with robotics & AI, automation & DT, and bioengineering among the sessions on offer. There are also Chinese culture classes covering poetry, literature and Chinese culture in business. The programmes are rounded out with enrichment and sporting activities. 

For more information on the Education Hub and its Master Series, visit educationhubgba.com.

See also: Tatler’s Front & Female Awardswinners share the mantras that keep them inspired as they champion for gender equality, migrant workers’ issues and more

This month, Gen.T honouree Alena Murang released ‘Pemung Jae (Trio Version)’ to mark Earth Day. Murang’s songs often draw from the Kelabit stories of her community, and ‘Pemung Jae’ is no different. A song in the indigenous Kenyah language about being together with true friends under the moonlight by the river that gives so much life, the new song is the result of two years of work and collaboration between Murang and the female musicians in her band.

“We are known as Orang Ulu people, because we come from the ulu sungai, or headwaters, in my case, ulu Sungai Baram,” says Murang. “Rivers are so important for us not just for resources and connectivity but also as part of our identity.”

See also: 10 songs by Asian women that celebrate womanhood: Blackpink’s ‘Typa Girl’, Yuna’s ‘Likes’ and more

Inspiring Girls Hong Kong will be hosting its first careers fair, targeted at secondary school girls and taking place at the EY office in Quarry Bay on May 18. The fair, aimed at promoting girls’ social mobility will bring together 500 girls who have participated in Inspiring Girls programmes, along with 10 corporate partners, including EY, UBS, Gammon, The New York Times, HSBC Asset Management, CLP Group and more, who will showcase their company’s core values, and provide insights into their unique company culture and industry-specific skillsets. 

There will be workshops focused on networking skills, business etiquette, elevated pitch presentation and a human library offering students the opportunity to engage with female role models.

“At Inspiring Girls, we believe in empowering young women to pursue their dreams, regardless of their background,” says Ines Gafsi, chapter chair & CEO at Inspiring Girls Hong Kong. “By providing them with access to diverse female role models, valuable career readiness skills, and hands-on experiences, we aim to inspire and equip the next generation of female leaders.”

All secondary school girls are welcome to join the Inspiring Girls Career Fair: Preparing for the Future on May 18. For more information and to register, visit Eventbrite.

See also: Eliminating gender disparities in rural education and driving a more inclusive environment is key to a more equal society

Melissa Tan, country coordinator of Fashion Revolution, helped the world’s largest fashion activism movement celebrate its tenth anniversary in Malaysia. Ten days of action (April 15-24) around the theme ‘How to be a Fashion Revolutionary’ brought together communities around the world through a series of engaging local events in 75 countries.

“Within each of us is the ripple effect that can change the culture, to go beyond building awareness of the destructive impacts of fast fashion and take action,” said Tan. “This year’s theme “How to be a Fashion Revolutionary” invites us to step into our potential to be a force for change. For us to collectively bring forth a sustainable and ethical fashion industry that is healthier for our planet, the people who make our clothes and our own relationship with fashion.

In Malaysia, the campaign was marked with a day of action on April 20 in conjunction with Green Day Out, which included a clothes swap, a #WeAreFashionRevolution storytelling campaign, a Mend In Public Day, and the launch of the Malaysian intake for Fashion Revolution's Fashion's Future: The Sustainable Development Goals four-week online course.

See also: Ladies Who Lead: Celebrating female leaders in luxury and fashion

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