After a two-month, nationwide search, Kotex has concluded its #SheCan Fund campaign by awarding a total of RM105,000 to 11 deserving recipients. The Fund this year was initiated as an extension of the brand’s Limited Edition #SheCanPeriodt campaign, which saw the Kotex Soft and Smooth packs carrying a new look as an ode to women breaking barriers and shattering through their own glass ceilings.
Ms Sarah Chen, Senior Brand Manager of Kotex Malaysia, said, “Even today, women continue to face significant barriers in pursuing their dreams and ambitions, including societal stigmas that unfairly label us as weaker due to our periods. With these insights, we initiated the #SheCanPeriodt campaign to challenge and dismantle these outdated perceptions. Further, we combined our annual #SheCan Fund initiative with the campaign to provide tangible support and resources behind this mission. To do this, we ran a nationwide contest asking Malaysian girls to tell us their dreams and how these dreams will break barriers, shatter gender discrimination, push boundaries and/or inspire women’s progress. The message we want girls to take away from this is period or not, she can.”
Fueling Ambitions with Kotex’s #SheCan Fund
Now in its fifth year, the 2024 Kotex #SheCan Fund contest attracted over 300 applicants, after which the most outstanding 11 submissions were selected by a panel of judges.
“We received submissions ranging from a wide breadth of topics – from sportswomen who want to make our country proud to activists wanting to make Malaysia safer and healthier for women and children, aspiring singers, dancers, artists and content creators as well as women who want to make a mark in male dominated fields like tech, football and hip hop. The participants gave the judges a hard time evaluating all the incredible ideas but we are extremely encouraged by the passion and care expressed by our young Malaysian women. They articulated their ideas well and left us thoroughly impressed. Kotex is confident that the #SheCan Fund recipients of 2024 are on the precipice of great things,” added Sarah.
The leading sanitary pad brand was initially in the search only for 10 bright ideas but given the overwhelmingly good submissions, Kotex decided to extend its support to one additional wildcard winner who walked home with RM5,000 bringing the total funding from RM100,000 to RM105,000.
Shedding Light on the Importance of A Strong Support System
A strong support system is essential in helping young women reach their full potential, and this was a central theme of the panel discussion held at the event. Speakers included Iman Troye, a breakout star in the local music industry; her mentor and music teachers, Cikgu Johari bin Mohamad (Cikgu Joe), and Cikgu Fatin Najihah binti Fazi (Cikgu Fatin); Kotex #SheCanFund alumni Nur Adzratull Iffah; and Ms Sarah Chen.
Iman Troye began the discussion by sharing her journey of overcoming various challenges, including her initial lack of knowledge in the technicalities of singing and performance. “My foray into music was when I first learned the piano at 9 years old. I wasn’t a singer to begin with,” Iman recalled. “It was later in my teenage years and with the support and encouragement of both Cikgu Joe and Cikgu Fatin that my talent for singing was discovered. In fact, my parents, especially my mother never wanted any of her children to become “famous” and so a career as an artist didn’t cross my mind!” she exclaimed. After much practice and experimenting with different music genres, Iman found her voice and began to compete in various competitions, eventually winning her first-place titles. Along the way, Iman shared that she faced many difficulties and criticisms. “Not everyone was supportive of me pursuing a career in singing and there were many unkind comments thrown at me on social media with people saying I was not good enough. But even when times were tough, I knew that I had to stay strong and keep showing up for myself. I was determined to prove that I could succeed,” she said.
Cikgu Joe played a pivotal role in guiding Iman’s development, offering practical advice on refining her performance and stage presence. “Our children need someone who believes in them and their dreams. I realised Iman had a great voice but she doubted her own abilities initially. So we worked on getting her comfortable with singing in public by giving her the right platform and exposure. As she grew and got better, we then focused on her choreography, timing, connection with the audience and more because to be truly successful as a performer, it is not just about talent alone. Iman put in many hours of hard work and dedication,” he emphasised.
Meanwhile, Cikgu Fatin expanded on how it is equally crucial to provide emotional support to young women and children. She recounted helping Iman through difficult times, including instances of bullying at school. “Beyond technical skills, it’s about supporting them emotionally, so they can keep going in spite of challenges and that they continue to trust themselves,” Cikgu Fatin shared.
Nur Adzratull, a Kotex #SheCanFund recipient from 2019, on the other hand, elaborated how the fund had been her support system and enabled her to pursue her dream of teaching special needs students in Jakarta. “I was passionate about giving back to less fortunate communities but lacked the funding to make it happen. For me, the Kotex #SheCan Fund was more than just financial aid – it gave me a sense of purpose and was validation of my ability, work and my passion. Suddenly my dreams didn’t seem so far fetched and unattainable anymore,” she shared. The financial assistance allowed her to equip her students with the necessary materials and make a meaningful impact, affirming her commitment to breaking barriers in education amongst the underprivileged.
The event also saw Iman Troye performing a live rendition of ‘Mimpi Iman’, the song she composed specifically for the campaign. The song’s powerful lyrics aim to inspire young girls to break societal barriers and rise above the negative stigmas they may face, proving that with determination, they can achieve anything they set their minds to.
In the past month, Kotex has worked alongside other Malaysian icons who have been influential in their respective fields, such as national badminton women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan, rapper and singer Bunga; the world’s first hijabi wrestler Diana Phoenix, captain of the national women’s football team Steffi Sidhu; motorsports athlete Leona Chin and radio presenter and online personality Dhabita Auji. Each of them shared their personal experiences and achievements in pushing past their challenges in their careers, and how they eventually broke through their glass ceilings to get to where they are today.
In the spirit of empowering and supporting women in their respective journeys, Kotex has introduced its limited edition Soft and Smooth pack in October. With its striking breakthrough design, Kotex invites all women to take their first steps or continue on their journey to accomplish what they have set out to achieve. Every purchase reinforces the message that, despite challenges, #SheCanPeriodt.
