Femininity in Southeast Asia: The Rise of Soft Power

2. The only global creative network for women. SheSays works to help women further their careers in creative industries through events, conferences, meetups & mentoring. > Singapore chapter <

4. Thank You

5. Lizi Hamer, Creative Entrepreneur in residence at Arcade. Meera Navaratnam, PR Human at Grayling Asia. Wonderful thinker, brilliant mind.

6. Grace Clapham, Change Entrepreneur, Connector and Eco-System Builder. Vicky Chen, Founder of Cartoons Underground.

7. Hello Femininity in South East Asia: The Rise of Soft Power Q&A SheSays Singapore Networking

8. WOME N I N SE A: T H E R I S E O F S O F T P O WE R S h e S a y s P r e s e n t a t i o n 2 5 M a r c h 2 0 1 5

9. WOMEN? SOUTH EAST ASIA? SOFT POWER?

10. IN TH E MODE R N WOR LD FE MIN IN E VA LU E S A RE IN TH EIR A SCEN DENCY

11. 12 WE LOOK AT THE SURROUN DI N G CULTURAL CON TE XT TO UN DE RSTAN D THE N ATURE OF CHAN G E AN D HOW I T WI LL E VOLVE HISTORIC LEGACY SOCIO- ECONOMICS CULTURAL NORMS

12. 13 HI STORI CALLY WOME N I N SE A HE LD A FAVOURABLE POSI TI ON KEY ROLE IN INDIGENOUS RITUALS EQUAL ACCESS TO WORK OUTSIDE OF THE HOME EQUAL LEGAL STATUS

13. 14 I MPORTE D PHI LOSOPHIES AND RE LI G I ONS CHAN G E D THE STATUS OF SE A WOME N

14. 15 In order to live up to the ideology of Flower of the Nation, women had to make themselves beautiful, sweet and docile so as to make men happy and help them perform their duty as the Fence of the Nation -Womens Studies, Power, Knowledge, Justice; Suwan Sath WOME N DE FI N ED BY AN ALL E NCOMPASSI NG DE FI NITION OF BE AUTI FUL

15. 16 THE DARK E R SI DE OF THI S LE D TO THE SE XUALI SATI ON OF BE AUTY

16. Southeast Asia has had a long tradition of displaying and evaluating female beauty. Possession of beauty has long been evidence of legitimate power. Even in contemporary times, politicians are often admired for their beauty rather than judgment Penny Van Esterik, Anthropologist BEAUTY BECAME WHAT WOULD DEFINE HER SUCCESS IN THE WORLD; A ROUTE TO FINDING & KEEPING A HUSBAND, SECURING EMPLOYMENT

17. 18 WE ME THE RE S BE E N AN I MPORTANT I NTERNAL SHI FT I N WOME NS RE LATI ONSHIP WI TH THI S PHI LOSOPHY

18. 19 I N THE MAI N I T S MORE A COLLE CTI VE STRE TCHI NG OF BOUN DARI E S Vs. TOTAL RE ASSE SSME N T

19. Even in the media, Asian women continue to be portrayed in massively culturally stereotypical ways. Shes either good or bad; often reflected in physical characteristics shes a good mother or a business woman, shes an exotic prostitute or shes a gentle flower needing protection from the men in her life Women are no longer just one or the other, but society especially media, has not yet caught up to this reality - Elizabeth Chan, actress & social commentator

20. 21 BEAUTY REPRESENTS THE COMPLEXITY, TENSIONS AND THE NUANCES THE PUBLIC FACE OF THE DIFFERENT ROLES

21. 22 CA REFULLY CON STRUCTED MODES OF FEMIN IN ITY , BECOME A SOFT P OWER TO MANIP ULATE AND WIELD WITH A BSOLUTE P URP OSE

22. 23 P LAY I NG UP HY P E R-FE MI NINE TO MAI NTAIN GE NDE R BALANCE

23. 24 PLAYING UP THE TRADITIONAL TO AFFORD GREATER FREEDOMS

24. 25 ASPI RE TO CHAME LE ON -LIK E QUALI TI E S VS. HAVI N G TO CHOOSE A ROLE OR A LOOK THAT DE FI NES HE R Anne Curtis, Philippines

25. 26 BRANDS ARE APPROACHING THE OPPORTUNITY IN A NUMBER OF WAYS

26. 27 E N COURAG I NG WOME N TO STRI VE TO ACHI E VE THE I R DRE AMS

27. 28 QUE STI ON I NG LI MI TING DE FI N ITIONS OF WOMAN HOOD, USI N G THE LE N S OF BE AUTY

28. 29 STAN DI NG UP AG AI N ST LI MI TING DE FI N ITIONS OF WOME N HOOD, FOCUS ON BE HAVI OURS

29. 30 MORE SUBTLE LOOK AT BE AUTY AS A TOOL FOR E MPOWE RME N T & FRE E DOM

30. 31 PRAGMATISM & INNER STRENGTH OPTIMISM & EXCITEMENT STRETCHING BOUNDARIES BY PLAYING ROLES EMBRACING FEMININITY AS POWER

31. 32 THANKS AND QUESTIONS

Femininity in Southeast Asia: The Rise of Soft Power

Presentations & Public Speaking