The Women Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Forum was held as part of the ICIBEL 2024 (International Conference on Intelligent Biology and Medicine) series of events on Sunday (22/9/2024) at the East Park Hotel, Yogyakarta.
The forum was led by Dr. drg. Retno Ardhani, MSc. from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), and Dr. Marni Azira Markom from Universiti Malaysia Perlis, featuring prominent speakers in academia, research, and innovation.
Several distinguished speakers attended the forum, including Dr. Agnes Irwanti, Chair of IEEE R10 Women in Engineering; Ir. Prof. Dr. Fatimah Ibrahim, Director of FMETS and CIME; Dr. Nur Afny Catur Andryani; and Associate Prof. TS Dr. Siti Khadijah Za’ba, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Electronic Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis. Each speaker shared their insights on the importance of women's roles in technological innovation and entrepreneurship in the modern era.
“This forum is not only a platform for discussion about the health sector and innovation, but it also encourages cross-disciplinary and cross-national collaboration to achieve the SDGs. Through this forum, we hope to strengthen women's roles in industry and innovation, contributing significantly to social, economic, and technological progress on a global level,” said Dr. drg. Retno Ardhani, the forum moderator. She emphasized that women’s roles in this sector are crucial to reinforcing the foundations of global innovation.
The Women Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Forum directly supports the achievement of the SDGs. For example, regarding Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), the forum promotes the improvement of women’s health and well-being through education and innovation in the health sector.
In relation to Goal 4 (Quality Education), the forum opens greater opportunities for women to access quality education, particularly in technology and business. Gender equality (Goal 5) was also highlighted, with emphasis on women's equal rights to participate in science and technology. Meanwhile, Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) is represented through support for industries empowering women in technological innovation. Finally, Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) was manifested through cross-sector and cross-national collaborations, as seen in the partnership between UGM and Universiti Malaysia Perlis.
This forum is expected to be a starting point for enhancing women’s roles in the global industry and innovation. “With more women involved, I am confident we will see positive changes not only in the technology industry but also in the social and economic fabric of the world,” concluded Dr. Marni Azira Markom at the end of the forum.
It is hoped that the contributions resulting from this forum will accelerate the achievement of the SDGs goal 5 Gender Equality, SDGs goal 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and SDGs goal 17 Partnership to Achieve the Goals. And provide tangible impacts for social, economic, and technological advancement on a global scale.
Authors: Christia Aye, Pram
