Women are often stereotyped. The view of women as caregivers, or that women are expected to dress in feminine ways, hold them back in the workplace. With #WomenCan, we hope to challenge traditional thoughts and break out of societal norms – Woman Can and will break boundaries.
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Founder of Dee Dream Life, Dee Oh
Coach for fitness, dance, yoga and life coaching, Dee Oh sees women in all walks of life on a daily basis. As a women entrepreneur who owns a premium holistic health studio, her job is to provide life coaching services to people who really need it. “Our biggest challenge is to raise awareness about how important and accessible help is to everyone,” she says.
Dee witnesses, on a daily basis, the women who work at Dee Dream Life support her and each other through all our work and life with love, kindness and encouragement. “I am very thankful for each and every team member, business partner, friend, family and client who are always so supportive. Without them, I wouldn’t have the energy to keep going daily with strength and patience through all the hard times.”
Her role model is Aiza, her business manager and a mother of two. Instead of picking a celebrity as her inspiration, Dee feels so much more inspired by the women around her who do so much for her and others.
The biggest stereotype about women Dee wants to break is that ‘they cannot have it all’. “I think women can have it all…” She says. “We are so capable, we are able to do everything and shine.”
Founder of All About You Wellness Centre, Sonia Samtani
As founder and director of All About You Wellness Centre, Sonia Samtani is constantly trying to better herself as a woman entrepreneur. The most important challenge for her is to keep growing and continually level up her skills to deliver the best possible services to her clients. At present, she is doing another diploma in regression therapy whilst also serving her 1:1 clients, launching her Be Your Own Master signature programme, delivering group workshops, mentoring other hypnotherapists in her centre, training students, and delivering complimentary community programmes to support Hong Kong in its time of need.
Sonia’s favourite women’s empowerment moment was focused on connection and support. She was invited to be part of a sisterhood where women empowered each other by allowing each other to shine, and provided each other with a safe space to share their vulnerabilities. “It was about embracing and accepting each other; there was no place to ‘get to’ or a certain way we had to ‘be’,” she shares.
“I stand for acceptance, love and integrity. I am not perfect and when I am triggered, it is my commitment to myself and my work to apply my message to myself. Every day, I get opportunities to practise acceptance to myself and others, some days are easier and other days more challenging, and that’s all part of the journey!”
Owner of The Pontiac and Managing Partner of Quality Goods Club, Beckaly Franks
Owner and head bartender of The Pontiac Beckaly Franks is no stranger to the nightlife scene in Hong Kong. Under her wing, the bar has risen the ranks, being featured on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list.
For Beckaly, in regards to women’s empowerment, each movement is part of a greater movement – and that fight is forever. “I am very fortunate that I surround myself with incredible progressive women that constantly inspire me to be kinder, bolder and brave,” she says. “In a lot of ways, it is very hard to be brave right now. Equality can sometimes feel like a pendulum that ebbs back and forth for all minorities. However, I have found that the hospitality world is collectively making strides. I also think it is very necessary and inspiring that women are starting to come together.”
Living in the States, Beckaly had never even heard of International Women’s Day. So, she wants to make it a concept more known worldwide. “It reflects that I am in fact an International Woman and I am in a position to celebrate and promote female leadership, entrepreneurship, camaraderie and compassion with a fat dash of rock n’ roll.”
When it comes to breaking stereotypes, Beckaly wants to change the narrative on what is typically seen as a weakness of women. “Women are more sensitive than men, therefore won’t be as critical or effective. We are more sensitive and that is a strength. We are more empathetic, we are nurturers, we are full of feelings and that is our power. It is our strength, not our weakness,” she concludes.
Youtuber and KOL, New Dellily
Pranali Gupta, better known by her stage name New Dellily, is a Hong Kong-based Youtuber of Indian descent. On her Youtube channel, where she has amassed over 54,000 subscribers, she details her life in Hong Kong as a South Asian woman and educates the local population on her culture.
As a creator and influencer, one of the most challenging things Pranali has to face on a daily basis is the backlash from the public. “You have to think two steps ahead of the message you are about to deliver,” she says. “Whether it is complimenting or bashing something, you will get judged because let’s be honest – people love judging.”
A women’s empowerment moment that inspired her was the first time she realised the roles her mother played in her life. A housewife, a tutor for her brother and her, a businesswoman running her own business and an advisor for her dad, through it all, Pranali notes that her mother would never ever complain and gave her the best childhood ever. “The only thing she was missing was a cape because she was and still is the original Wonder Woman in my eyes.”
For the Youtuber, International Women’s Day shouldn’t just be one day. “Officially, the day is to celebrate women’s achievement and show the world that women are STRONGER, BETTER, FASTER than they think,” she says. “However, personally I believe every single day should be Women’s Day – we don’t need one day a year to make us feel empowered!”
Founder and Director of Frame & Fame Personal Branding, Tracy Ho
Entrepreneur Tracy Ho is the founder and director of leading personal branding, image consulting and executive coaching firm, Frame & Fame. A pioneer in the region, the firm is dedicated to supporting C-suite, senior executives, managers and business owners with their personal brand.
For Tracy, the biggest challenge of running her own business is to maintain a good momentum whilst growing and fulfilling multiple parties and requests at the same time. “It is a constant juggle that demands much energy, commitment and passion. There are no sick leaves, annual leaves, or any benefits like insurance coverage, travel allowance, over-time
pay, as an entrepreneur.”
When asked about a women’s empowerment moment that inspires her, Tracy replies: “The idea itself inspires me already.” A few moments, she highlights, include the #MeToo campaign; various ‘women leadership’ and ‘diversity and inclusion” campaigns globally; and a report from Fortune mentioning the number of female CEOs in Fortune 500 companies hit an all-time high in 2021 at 8.2%.
When it comes to female role models, Tracy pinpoints Michelle Obama, who she has been a longtime follower of. “Reading her biography, knowing more about her humble background, how she developed her career and handled all the pressures as the first lady of the United States during Obama’s eight-year presidency, I learned a lot and reflected a lot from Michelle’s stories on how to be true to ourselves and own our narrative.” She also mentions Siobhán Haughey, Hong Kong’s very own swimmer. “Her determination, self-discipline and her never-give-up attitude is highly admirable.”
Tracy’s least favourite stereotype about women is that they should be nice and follow what their parents or seniors tell them to do. Instead, she states, women should speak up, explore their interests, find their passion, know their strengths and pursue their dreams.
Founder of M&E Collection by Pashmkaar, Celia Wong
As the owner of M&E Collection by Pashmkaar, a heritage craft of Kashmir company, Celia spends much time studying her culture and sharing it with the public. In her day to day work, she takes on many entrepreneurial challenges, such as keeping up with the latest trends and developing products that the public would enjoy.
For Celia, International Women’s Day is all about the contributions that women make to society. Whether we’re talking about women as a mother or as an entrepreneur, she notes that women are always willing to give and share. She is constantly inspired by women in high-level corporate leadership, as they help break stereotypes and bring changes to society. Most of all, however, she is inspired by her mother, who started her grocery store when she was young. “My mother taught me that only by being an entrepreneur, can let you control your own life and make life better.”
A stereotype Celia wants to break is that women should be at home, taking care of minor things and kids. “There’s just too much talent wasted like this. Women have so much more potential to create something for their own.”
Engineer & Dancer, Anisha Thai
Half-Vietnamese and half-Comoran dancer Anisha Thai is a proud ambassador of African culture in Hong Kong. Wearing many shoes as a choreographer, influencer and model, she was previously a civil engineer and worked in a male-dominated industry. Having experienced sex discrimination as well as racial discrimination in the past, she describes what International Women’s Day means to her.
“International Women’s day is a day that celebrates women’s natural beauty, intelligence and power, no matter their religion, skin colour and background. We are celebrating women’s achievement and potential to surpass themselves, innovate and be creative,” she says.
Anisha’s female role model is none other than Rihanna, an artist, entrepreneur and philanthropist, who has strong values and wants to impact the world in her own way. Adding on to that, Rihanna is also the centre of a women’s empowerment moment that inspired her. “When Rihanna became acclaimed as the first billionaire artist, it really inspired me. As a woman of colour, coming from a very humble family, she definitely proved that everything is possible with hard work, dedication and commitment.”
All in all, Anisha wants to break the stereotype that women are too confident or overconfident. “We also have our insecurities, sensitivities. We know how to surround ourselves with a strong support system and listen to our emotions too. Emotions are power too.”
