ENYA’s women’s forum is open to all women and men. It is an opportunity to join the conversation about menstrual cycles, bodies, and how to better support each other. The forum also serves to link the public to inspiring women, share stories of their struggles and how to overcome them.
The forum, geared towards learning from inspiring women, explores various facets of women’s professional and personal lives. Themes revolve around the rituals that surround menstruation and how the silence surrounding it can affect women’s wellbeing. The forum featured three-panel speakers from various backgrounds.
This is in line with ENYA’s mission to provide safe spaces for women to reconnect with their bodies and support each other.
“There is so much we can learn about our health just from looking at our periods. The silence and unwillingness to talk about it affects us all. It is time we brought more spaces like this to encourage women to speak up,” said Elaine Hong, ENYA’s CEO and Co-Founder.
ENYA first arrived in the market earlier this year in conjunction with International Women’s Day. The company has a vision to provide quality care options to women everywhere. More specifically, period pads. Since then, it has grown across Malaysia with many women and influencers jumping on the bandwagon to make the switch to their organic cotton pads.
The forum also featured budding community builder and young mother, Mollie Boyd. “I classify myself as a young mom because I got pregnant at a very young age. It was a tough journey, dealing with shame in my close circle among other things. But here I am today, a mom who is actively learning to balance work life and career. A lot of people thought that life would go downhill for me the moment I got pregnant, but that did not happen. I want to empower young mothers and women, who are going through similar situations. Early pregnancy is not a dead-end for your future. Don’t let people the people who haven’t read your life story, tells you what’s on the next page. Stay encouraged. Be surrounded by positive and uplifting people.”
Inspiring stories like this is in line with the forum’s mission of providing a safe space for women to talk about their periods and developing a strong community of like-minded women that will support each other.
“Own your period!” says panelist, Siti Aishah, as a parting message for the audience. She is the founder of SPOT, a movement created for girls by girls focusing on providing Comprehensive Sexuality Education since 2015. “It is something that will be with us for a long time, so do not be afraid to choose something that is right for your body. Only you can tell what feels right for you.”
