AWAM Empowerment

Talking (as I was the other day) about the need to encourage women's voices in writing ...

... it was really good to read in the Star about the Writers for Women’s Rights Programme organised by All-Women’s Action Society (AWAM) and especially to hear how the participants feel writing has helped and empowered them:

One of them, Ng Tze Yeng, who runs a design and advertising agency with other partners, said: “It is an empowering experience and I underwent personal transformation. I used to feel angry and small before this.” ... Another writer Vizla Kumaresan, a graduate student, said it gave her confidence and now she had a sense of substance. ... Sasha Surandran, a lecturer, also discovered that during the programme she had written about women’s struggles within themselves.

A collection of the participants' poetry, prose, fiction and autobiographical pieces, Women Speak Out, has just been launched and is available at Awam at RM15 per copy. The book is edited by Alina Rastam who also coordinated the programme.

The next programme runs from Nov 22 to 25. Contact AWAM for details (03-7877-4221 or e-mail to awam@awam.org.my)