Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur's Women Support Group Launched in conjunction with International Women's Day

KUALA LUMPUR, March 12, 2011 (Press-News.org) A century ago, when the first International Women's Day was held in Europe, women holding high-level positions such as a CEO or an editor of a well-known magazine or even a doctor would have been unbelievable to many.

In 1911, most women in Malaysia were struggling to raise families amid economic challenges and social disparity.

Fast-forward to 100 years after that, women today, especially in Malaysia, are recognized for their achievements and hold many key decision-making positions in the corporate and government sectors.

According to a recent published report, women will make 55% of the total workforce of the country by 2015.
Unfortunately, women are also paying a heavy price when it comes to health issues.

According to recent data published by the Ministry of Health Malaysia, heart disease is the number one killer of women and the prevalence of non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors, such as raised blood glucose, higher levels of cholesterol and obesity are higher in women aged 25 to 64 years compared to men of that same age group.

According to Dr Nor Hamidah Mohd. Salleh, consultant psychiatrist from Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur, another worrying trend is the increase of mental illness cases among women.

Chief Executive Officer of Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur Amir Firdaus Abdullah said that the trend is unhealthy and women should take serious efforts to ensure health is the number one priority.

"More women are at risk when it comes to heart disease, breast cancer and cervical cancer. WHO projected the rate of women smokers worldwide to double by 2025 as more younger women are picking up the habit. The numbers are indeed worrying."

However, on a more positive note, Amir announced that the hospital will initiate a support group known as 'Women to Women Wellbeing Tea-Talks' that will act as a platform for women in the community to share their experiences in all health related areas.

The support group was launched by Malaysian Icon, Datuk Siti Nurhaliza during a high-tea event today co-organized by the hospital and the British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (BMCC) that brought together more than 100 extraordinary women from the local business community to commemorate International Women's Day celebrations.

"We are inviting women from all age groups to join in the free monthly well-being tea talk sessions of this support group which will be kicking-off on 30 April 2011," enthused Amir.

Among the topics that will be discussed includes; Living with Breast Cancer by Dr Harjit Kaur from Breast Cancer Welfare Association of Malaysia (BCWA), Women's Mental Health by Dr Nor Hamidah from Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur (GKL), Healthy Living by GKL's chief dietician, Ms Lim Ai Leng and many more.

Prior to the launch, there was a networking and a high-tea session. Datuk Beatrice Nirmala Adaikalaraj, Editor-In-Chief, International Business Review and Passions Magazine, Datuk Paddy Bowie OBE, a well-known political analyst and writer and Dr. Nor Hamidah Mohd Salleh, Malaysia's leading psychiatrist from Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur also presented talks in conjunction with the centennial IWD celebrations.

Executive Director of BMCC Molly Jagpal, who was also present at the high-tea event said: "International Women's Day acknowledges the overwhelming and boundless contribution of women internationally and today's event is our contribution locally. Kuala Lumpur is full of exciting, dynamic and entrepreneurial women who will play a large role in the national development of Malaysia."

"More and more women in Malaysia are breaking the glass ceiling as demonstrated by the women whom have attended this event.

BMCC and GKL believe that everyday should be marked as women's day to give due recognition to the economic, political, and social achievements of women."

Proceeds raised from the event will be channelled to BCWA. For more information on this and all Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur's latest activities, please log on to http://www.gleneagleskl.com.my

Note to Editors and Journalists:
For more information, please contact:
For Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur
Ms. Manminder Kaur Dhillon (Public Relations Consultant)
+6012 652 3868 manminder@intelectasia.com

About Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur's Women Support Group-Women to Women Wellbeing Tea-talks
Background to the project:
Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur will spread its wings to further help the community especially women. Gleneagles Women's Support Group Women to Women will be formed to support the women in the community.

Goals & Objective:
To support the women in the community by organizing gatherings where they can discuss with each other on the issues they are facing and getting in specialist and professionals from different fields to share their point of views.

Gleneagles Women's Support Group will act as a channel where women can turn to for emotional support, gain information and sharing of experiences.

The sessions are free and will be held once a month.

1. Topic: Living with Breast Cancer Date: 30 April 2011
Guest speakers: Dr Harjit Kaur, Breast & Endocrine Surgeon (Breast Cancer Survivor from BCWA)

2. Topic: Women's Mental Health... A happy home starts with a happy woman Date: 28 May 2011
Guest Speaker: Dr Nor Hamidah, Consultant Psychiatrist

3. Topic: Women with disabilities Date: 18 June 2011
Guest Speaker: Dr Tunku Nor Taayah Tunku Zubir (Rehabilitation Medicine Physician)

4. Topic: That special Bond thru Breastfeeding Date: 6 August 2011
Guest Speaker: Lim Ah Chai, Lactation Educator

5. Topic : Healthy Living : let's talk about DIET Date: 8 October 2011
Guest Speaker: Ms Lim Ai Leng, Gleneagles KL Chief Dietician


About Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur
Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur commenced operations on 1 August 1996 and was officially opened by the former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed on 16 December 1997.Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur comprises a 330-bed tertiary care hospital and a separate Medical Office Building (MOB) which accommodates consultants of various specialties and sub-specialties for outpatient services. Our continuous efforts in providing quality healthcare have gained us great recognition. In 2006, Gleneagles Hospital was the proud recipient of the Technology Business Review Award for Holistic Patient Care and the Best Hospital Award at the Asia Spa Wellness Awards. In 2007, yet another milestone was achieved when Reader's Digest crowned Gleneagles Hospital as the Most Trusted Brand under the hospital category of the Trusted Brands Awards. We also received Asian Hospital Management Award (Branding) in the same year. In 2009, we received the Branded Service Recognition Award and Health Industry Recognition Award. Gleneagles Hospital has been officially accepted as an organizational member of International Standard on Quality (ISQua) in health care since May 2009. For more information about Gleneagles, please visit: http://www.gleneagleskl.com.my

About British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce
The British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce - or BMCC - brings a unique blend of benefits to companies wishing to do business in Malaysia. The opportunities for companies to generate new business within the body of the BMCC membership alone are substantial. Combine this with the extensive network of business channels that can be accessed and cultivated via the BMCC and the result is a very powerful business forum. Our diverse corporate membership spans a broad range of industry sectors, including banking and finance, construction, aerospace, engineering, transportation, logistics, education, training, hotels & hospitality, telecoms/ICT, oil, gas & energy, professional services and marketing.

Our member companies range in size from British and Malaysian SMEs to multi-national corporations, and include some of the world's leading organisations such as: AXA, BAE Systems, BP, Etihad, Flowcrete, Genting, Guinness, Hilton, HSBC, Laura Ashley, Malaysia Airlines, Prudential, Royal Bank of Scotland, Rolls-Royce, Shangri-La, Shell, Standard Chartered, Tesco, TNT, UMW, YTL and many other.

About International Women's Day
International Women's Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. In some places like China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, International Women's Day is a national holiday.
The first IWD was observed on 19 March 1911 in Germany following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. The idea of having an international women's day was first put forward at the turn of the 20th century amid rapid world industrialization and economic expansion that led to protests over working conditions.