Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wa barakatuh
Alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ‘ala rasulillah, wa ‘ala aalihi wa sahbihi wa man waalah.
Your Excellencies,
Honourable guests, committee members,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
If one word could describe what women need today, it would be resilience. Women in the Asia-Pacific region navigate a complex landscape defined by economic, political, social, educational, and health challenges. Persistent wealth disparities, political instability, and increasing social injustices that shaped this region, place unique demands on women as they balance multiple roles as caretakers and community leaders.
These challenges profoundly impact their mental health, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. Studies show that women experience mental health issues at three times the rate of men, and the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified this. Given these urgent issues, creating safe spaces for open discussion is essential. We must enable women to share experiences and feel heard. By building support systems, we can help women strengthen their resilience. Therefore, our RDC Women Empowerment Conference focuses on the theme “Empowering the Community Through Women’s Mental Healthcare.”
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Women Empowerment Conference (WEC) has four primary goals: to enhance understanding of cultural perspectives on mental health, promote wellness and equity, foster community building and advocacy, and deepen knowledge of mental illness and its management.
We are most honoured to have Dr Hanan Dover from Australia to deliver our keynote address entitled “Religion, Culture and Muslim Women Mental Health”. We are also fortunate to have expert panels like Dr Nurashikin Ibrahim from Malaysia, Dr Aevon Triche from the Philippines and many others from Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Brunei who will lead our sessions. There will also be a practical workshop focusing on Breathing and Relaxation techniques from our experts from UiTM Malaysia. Through active engagement from delegations, we aim to achieve these goals and hopefully return to our countries inspired to implement impactful community projects.
I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made this Regional Development Community conference possible. My deepest appreciation goes to IKRAM Malaysia and Wanita IKRAM for their unwavering support and commitment, as well as to PKPM, UITM and KASIH for their invaluable contributions. A special acknowledgment is due to the committee members, whose dedication brought our vision to life. Lastly, my sincere thanks to all participants for enriching this event with your presence. Together, we have made this dream a reality, and I am truly grateful.
May Allah reward our efforts and grant us the blessings of Jannatul Firdaus.
Wassalamu ‘alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh
Opening speech for RDC SUMMIT
Ustazah Sallawahiu Mohd Salleh
Chairman, RDC Women Empowerment Conference
