Often held back in business by traditional roles, three women find empowerment through technology, writes Rozana Sani
LIKE in the case of many a married woman, business took a backseat for Bangkok-based entrepreneur Sasithorn Pongsengsuriya when she decided to focus on raising her four kids. She had anchored the wholesale import of decorative items from China for distribution in Thailand for 12 years when Sasithorn drastically shifted her priorities.
The years passed. Sasithorn’s kids are older and no longer need her full attention. Sasithorn is raring to go. But the business landscape has changed and competition gotten more intense.
Sasithorn began to wonder how she could make an impactful re-entry into the market and widen her marketing outreach.
In Lebanon, civil engineer Laila Miyara is strategising on how to push her business to another level. Laila is the manager and administrator of Morocco-based Bo Resorts which focuses on something that she’s passionate about — renovation of old houses in old “medinas” in Morocco using natural materials. These houses are then rented out as guesthouses to local and international customers.
Laila dearly wishes to revive the love for such heritage in architecture and is passionate about preserving the buildings. But she needs support and awareness for the project to develop into something bigger. Perhaps, there is a way to attract investors and clients alike rather than the conventional sales and marketing personnel she has been employing.
For Malaysian Sharifah Faridah Syed Ibrahim, her stint as an assistant director in the Economic and Trade Corporate Division at Sudan Embassy in Kuala Lumpur had opened her eyes on the many opportunities in the country. Two years ago, she left her job and conducted a recce in Sudan to find out how Malaysian businesses could work with the Sudanese that would benefit both parties. She found that there opportunities to be tapped into — from project management to consultation and trading, provided there were adequate funds and investments.
Having started the groundwork, Sharifah is eager to forward some proposals and possibilities, as well as success stories to potential partners.
In their quests, Sasithorn, Laila and Sharifah found themselves making their way to Kuala Lumpur to attend the first World Islamic Economic Forum Foundation’s Web-Reach Internet Marketing Workshop, an initiative under the WIEF Businesswomen Network.
The programme, one of the foundation’s many, was aimed at enhancing the economic well-being of Muslim nations through increasing trade and business activities among them, saw the attendance 30 women entrepreneurs from 10 countries.
Sasithorn, Laila and Sharifah and other participants — from Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Morocco, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Thailand — took part in practical modules that focused on creating and building online presence for businesses using social networking tools and Internet marketing strategies. Key workshop modules included search engine optimisation techniques, viral marketing platforms and hands-on exercises on creating websites and pages on social networks like Facebook, Flickr and Pinterest.
While the learning part was the main activity, the ladies found themselves building a wider business network and 30 new businesses online.
“From the discussions and conversations, I found that the challenges faced by women in Thailand are the same as those from other countries that were represented at this workshop. Due to our traditional roles, we face constraints geographically and physically to expand our businesses. Now, through the network I’ve joined and the skills I have learnt, I am excited to strike up again,” says the soft-spoken Sasithorn.
Laila, who is no stranger to having a web presence for her business, says the workshop has helped her to understand and decipher the geek speak she often encounters when discussing technology with web consultants.
“The thing about this workshop was its simplicity. No big words, and the instructors were very patient. Even if the CEO of a company delegates the online aspects of the business to an IT expert, the CEO must know the techniques employed, features and impact to be expected from the company’s digital or web channels.
A web presence is not just a nice-to-have element but a crucial channel to attract the right or intended audience,” she says.
The most interesting thing for Sharifah was the communication between nations.
“I met many wonderful women at the workshop and I intend to be in touch with them in future. Who knows where this can lead, business-wise,” she says.
The workshop was organised in collaboration with the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations and supported by the Department of Women Development and the Cultural Centre of the Iranian Embassy with strategic partner being The Coca-Cola Company.
Since its inception, WBN has launched a series of initiatives designed to provide networking platforms for both aspiring and experienced women entrepreneurs through business programmes such as the WIEF Annual Businesswomen Forum, WBN Women Entrepreneurs Workshop, and the recent WIEF Web-Reach Internet Marketing Workshop.
