What’s On Penang
What’s On for Women Frances Wilks looks at the many events in Penang specifically for women
P
enang is a great place to be a woman, because there are so many activities and events that are specifically for women. Many of these are centred around the IWA (International Women’s Association), which was originally set up for the wives of American expats who came to the island with their husbands as ‘trailing spouses’.
hasn’t changed is the purpose of the IWA – to offer friendship, care, support and education to our members’. As well as larger events, for example, a yearly bazaar, which was held last year at the Straits Quay in November attracting over 12,000 visitors, and lunches, coffee mornings suppers, the IWA also hosts many activity groups. These include: hill-walking (on the slopes of Penang Hill), mah jong, yoga, country dancing, craft, canasta, scrabble, play groups and ‘buggies, babies and bumps’. You can join a very active choir or participate in one of several book clubs. You have to be a member to join one of these groups but at RM 150 a year (plus a RM 50 one-off joining fee), it’s scarcely expensive. In any case many people get their membership fees back many times over as the IWA runs a programme for local businesses who become Friends of the IWA and offer discounts and special offer to IWA members. It gets them known in Penang and they also get publicity in the IWA magazine, Expressions. The IWA isn’t just for expats, there are quite a few local members as well.
Members of the IWA committee discuss future events over coffee at China House in George Town
‘Things are different now, we’re much more international and have members from nearly 30 countries,’ the current President of the IWA, Sandie Lenton, explained at a recent coffee morning attended by over 50 members of the association. ‘Most of us are professional women, even if we can’t or don’t work here, and few of us sit at home with a maid and a driver. We want to learn new things, experience the culture and make interesting friends. The organisation reflects the changing profile of the membership. But the only thing that 60
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The IWA isn’t the only organisation to have noticed the changing profile of expatriate women in Penang. The old-established Penang Club with premises in the centre of town is now offering a great scheme – a special membership category for single women. As many expatriates are now here on their own, this makes tremendous sense and it’s something that other premier clubs would do well to emulate. Women who have their own business, either in Malaysia, or on the internet, might like to join WomenBizSENSE, a networking group for women in business.