The Future of Women’s Leadership in the Competitive Digital Creative Ecosystem.
Extract of my interview for the book, Futures According to Women terbitan MIGHT (Malaysian Industry -Government Group for HighTechnology).
As I always say to young people and aspiring writers, there has never been a better time to build your talent and your future in writing. The digital era has opened doors that were once very difficult to access. If you are as old as I am, you would understand the struggles I went through. When I started writing in the 1960s, there were not many writers. There were other women who wrote, and some names appeared in newspapers earlier than mine. However, not all of them survived as creative writers.
At that time, It was believed that one could not make a living from writing, and girls who wrote were often seen as day dreamers. In my younger years, my parents even advised me to stop writing, fearing that it might affect my academic performance.
Today, the situation is very different. There are far more opportunities for women to sustain a career in writing. Women can now make a living through literary and creative work. Government agencies such as Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) provide funding and support for literary and cultural activities, including theatre performances. Today, many women work successfully as writers, scriptwriters, directors, earning a respectable living and contributing meaningfully to the cultural landscape.
Malaysia has a rich heritage that can be showcased through creative digital content.
I have been asked many times how I face the digital era. As a writer born and shaped by print media, including newspapers and magazines, do I feel sad that people no longer read them as much? To this, my answer is no. Literature is not only books or print media. Literature existed orally even before the invention of printing machines.
We adapt and change with technology. When I was young, even as a teenager and especially as a girl, I could not watch cultural performances. There were rarely any cultural shows in my village, aside from commercial funfairs, so my exposure to cultural experiences was limited.
At that time, I only heard about wayang kulit, hadrah, kuda kepang, and bangsawan being staged in other states and faraway places.
Fortunately, we had a radio at home not every household did. Through the radio, I listened to songs with beautiful poetic lyrics, as well as bangsawan and syair. The radio became my window into literature and culture. Then came television. Through television, we could not only hear but also see bangsawan performed, much like watching it live on stage.
Today, opportunities are wide open. Various forms of cultural performances can be accessed and enjoyed every day. Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube provide instant visibility for cultural content. Netizens are creating videos on traditional crafts and cultural practices that can reach millions of viewers, even beyond national borders.
With such vast opportunities available today, women can play a much greater role, and these opportunities must not be wasted. Talent can and should be developed from childhood, as young children are now exposed to books and computers from an early age. This potential must be nurtured and not allowed to go to waste.
One of the longstanding issues women faces is a lack of recognition. In the past, many women were excluded from formal education. From my experience, it was difficult for girls to continue schooling beyond primary education. Secondary school were far in town. We have to get up before dawn and be on the road as early as six in the morning to catch public transport to school. Fortunately, my parents believed in education for everyone. However, many parents in the village felt it was neither worthwhile nor safe to send their daughters to school. They were mostly poor farmers who believed it was better to save money than to spend it on books.
In the previous generation, children listened to stories, folklore and pantun sung by their mothers and grandmothers. In this sense, women were the ones who spread and preserved literature, nurturing cultural knowledge within the family and community.
Women are naturally closer to their children and continue to play this role today by nurturing and guiding the next generation of creators. Through transmedia storytelling where stories are told across podcasts, blogs, videos and social media. Women can craft multidimensional narratives that reflect modern fragmented experiences. AI-assisted writing tools enable experimentation and collaboration, expanding creative possibilities rather than replacing the author’s voice. Social media platforms, virtual writing groups, and online workshops foster networks that once required physical proximity. Women authors can mentor one another, share opportunities, and build cross-cultural collaborations.
Featured Quotes
The following proposed quotes reflect YBhg. Datuk Dr Zurinah Hassan’s perspectives on literature, culture, and the evolving role of women in shaping Malaysia’s intellectual and creative landscape. These options highlight different facets of her insights, illustrating how art, intellect, and cultural heritage contribute to the nation’s future.
Quote Option 1 – Culture Beyond Print
“Literature does not belong only to books or print. Long before printing machines existed, stories lived through voices, songs, pantuns, and folklore. Technology does not erase culture, it gives it new ways to survive, travel, and be remembered.”
Quote Option 2 – Women as Cultural Carriers
“For generations, it was women who carried stories through lullabies, folktales, and everyday life. Today, digital platforms allow women to continue this role on a global scale, preserving heritage while shaping new narratives for the future.”
Quote Option 3 – Empowering Women Empowers the Nation
“Helping women is not only the right thing to do it is an investment in the future. When women are empowered, families thrive, communities become more resilient, and creativity flourishes. The problems women face will ultimately affect us all.”
