'Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Lives' movement initiated in schools

A movement has kicked off in Penang for English teachers to actively encourage their students to read and discuss the stories of women’s lived experiences.

To honour the contributions of women, the movement, which has culminated in the book Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Lives (Owel), will be celebrated in Komtar on Friday.

The event aims to highlight the values and practices of the women featured in Owel, according to representative Chan Lean Heng.

"We hope that by reading these stories, it would help students discover their roots and to honour those who have shaped their lives," she told Malaysiakini today.

Sponsored by the Penang Women and Family Development Committee under exco Chong Eng, Chan (right in photo) said the event will provide an overview of the Owel module.

She hopes the module will be used by English teachers as part of their lessons or special sessions for their students.

"This module was prepared as reference material to encourage students to write about the ordinary women who have shaped their lives," said Chan, a former associate professor at the Universiti Sains Malaysia School of Social Sciences.

"We feel honoured that Chong Eng has agreed to gift every secondary school and related educational institution in Penang a copy of Owel."

As Chan explained, Owel is a compilation of the everyday stories of 30 inspirational women.

"After the stories were received, we were awed to find that a common thread through all the stories were the values of reverence, honour and respect which the writers bestowed on their subject.

"We found this aspect so inspiring that we want our younger generation to sense, appreciate and own it too," she said.

Chan hopes that Owel will open people's hearts and minds, and be more deeply aware and appreciative of the ordinary people around them.

She also hopes that the movement will help nurture the younger generation to build a more caring, compassionate and other-centric society.

"It is important for our young to consciously take stock and embrace the values and practices of our mothers and elders and to honour them accordingly."

The event on Friday will feature Siti Salmiah, a senior administrative assistant and a teacher for 26 years, who will share her thoughts on the relevance of Owel.

Siti Salmiah will also talk about how the book is also in line with the aspirations of fostering a reading culture among Malaysians as part of the national Reading Decade Campaign.

Sharin, an English teacher from a special education school, will share her thoughts on the value of Owel to her students, especially those who are hearing-impaired, while Straits International School humanities teacher Maryam will talk about conducting special sessions on the module.

Soonufat Supramaniam will share his thoughts on his contribution to Owel, ‘My Courageous Warrior – Mother', and the ‘Reading and Writing Owel' module he helped develop.

Chong Eng will provide the closing remarks at the event, with the session moderated by Owel editor Molly Lee. - Mkini