Women's ability to play multiple roles supports the family institution - Tuanku Zara

Her Royal Highness said despite these challenges, women continued to fulfil their everyday roles as mothers, wives, teachers, confidantes, comforters and healers, as well as committed workers to help propel their organisations to ever-greater success.

"Women are ultimately the very fabric that binds families together. Their ability to play these multiple roles to perfection is the very bedrock that supports the institution of family," she said in her keynote address at the Women In Medicine Symposium 2022, held at the Ambulatory Care Centre (ACC), Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, here, today.

She said the International Women's Day theme of 'Gender Equality Today For A Sustainable Tomorrow', has never been more important than in today's world, as women deal with the seismic effects of the ongoing pandemic and face a future full of uncertainties.

Tuanku Zara said the future, however, could become much brighter for women if they tackle persistent inequalities and prepare effectively for the challenges ahead.

"These include those that continue to hold women back, in medicine and other fields. We must all do more to ensure that women achieve equal status in all areas of their lives, so that we can face the challenges of tomorrow together," she added.

The Raja Permaisuri Perak congratulated the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), Perak Branch for taking the lead in celebrating women in medicine, and for recognising their sincere efforts and immense contributions, not only to patients, but society at large.

Tuanku Zara said limitations had been placed upon women at every stage in their efforts to seek a medical education but true to the core female characteristics of strength and tenacity, the early trailblazers in women's medicine kept on marching forward to fulfil their ambitions.

"Medicine is a profession that requires enormous empathy to ensure that patients feel well-cared for. This inherent trait of many women is part of what makes them excellent medics.

"They also manage to combine strong leadership and organisational skills with the tact and finesse necessary for effective communication. These qualities have enabled some to become exceptional leaders in the field of medicine," she said.