Treat women fairly, says businesswoman

By EVAH KUAMIN
Give a woman micro-credit and she, her husband, children and extended family will eat for a lifetime.
Women’s economic participation promotes entrepreneurial development and better business management and returns on investment.
Managing director of Tropicana Pty Ltd and prominent East New Britain businesswoman Sandra Lau made these remarks during the UPNG students’ public seminar last Wednesday.
Lau, who has been an instrumental figure in her services and support to schools in the province, spoke of her experience in being with the needy and less fortunate people.
She said she had been able to help a lot of people through the support of her husband John, who she added shared the same interests and joy in seeing people benefit from their efforts.
Lau said knowing people’s willingness to share friendship and kindness had been the key in making everything possible.
“The magnitude of the challenges women face today has deprived them in terms of lost opportunities and untapped potential for our world,” she said.
She added that with economic growth, society could be able to alleviate poverty.
However, Lau added that it was also true that “behind every man’s success is a woman because one would normally find that, a woman has been closely responsible for whatever is done by the male partner”.
Lau said that the support a woman gave a man could be positive or negative but either way, a woman plays a vital role.
She said a woman might not work in the same business as her spouse or might just be a housewife but her influence on decision making was immeasurable.
Lau said that women were more meticulous than men and were more tolerant in dealing with pressure.
“The support and understanding of a man and a woman combined has been the main reason behind individual’s success,” she said.
She said women were partners and should have the same rights as men whether it involves family affairs or business matters.
She said that women of today were stronger and had proven that they could perform even if the work was masculine in nature.
Lau encouraged women to voice their views and opinions so that change would emerge from homes.