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It was another busy day in the metropolis. Almost all roads leading to the city center were congested due to a street demonstration taking place at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle and I was already running late for the Professional Women by the British Chamber of Commerce gathering.

The group holds monthly meetings for professional women. Each session features life and business coaching tips, a presentation by a guest speaker, a question-and-answer session, as well as an opportunity to network.

“A lot of women still feel intimidated by an organization such as the British Chamber,” said Chris Wren, executive director of BritCham Indonesia. “We want to build confidence so that women feel comfortable in all business situations.”

Currently, BritCham Indonesia has 750 members representing 220 companies in Indonesia. According to Wren, only around 10 percent of them are women.

“Well, as with most business organizations, BritCham has been a fairly male-dominated bastion,’’ said Anita Fenton, a member of BritCham Indonesia and co-founder of the women’s program, also known as the PWB.

It was in early 2010 that Cynthia Wihardja, the only female member of the BritCham Indonesia board, sat down with Wren, Fenton and Mariko Yoshihara to explore the idea of establishing a group to help local businesswomen get ahead.

The PWB was launched on May 4, 2010, at the Mercantile Athletic Club in Jakarta. The gatherings are open to all women of all nationalities.

“We seek to support and encourage each woman to maximize her potential and develop her individual skills to become the person she wants to be in the business context,” Fenton said. “We hope to provide guidance and encouragement.”

When I arrived on the 19th floor of the Skyline Building for the event, I was greeted at the door and asked to fill out a registration form. There was already a card with my name on it at the reception desk. I put it on and walked into the room full of women.

Everybody seemed to be up and about, meeting new people, exchanging business cards and BlackBerry pins. As soon as I introduced myself and joined one group, more cards changed hands and the conversation started to flow.

Because of a street demonstration in the traffic circle, the session started a little bit late and we had to skip the first part of the gathering, which is usually “speed networking.”

“Usually, each person will find a partner and spend two minutes giving their business background,” said Sony Jethnani, a PWB facilitator. “After two minutes, when the buzzer sounds, the participants will swap roles. At the end of four minutes, participants find a new partner and start the four-minute process again.”

While I was sorry to have missed this opportunity, I was already excited about the next part of the day’s program.

For 15 minutes, Cynthia, who is also a business coach at the ActionCOACH business coaching services in Permata Hijau, South Jakarta, delivered life and business coaching tips.

That afternoon, the main topic was “finding your purpose.” Although most attendees were in their 30s and 40s, the session got us all thinking deeply about our life goals.

“For most of us, we only have 4,000 weeks to live, that is if you live until 80 years old,” Cynthia said. “At the end of your life, what do you want to be remembered for?”

Following Cynthia’s inspiring speech, guest speaker Samuel Mulia took the floor with a presentation on the topic of “how to use your femininity to add value to yourself.”

A self-professed homosexual, the lifestyle writer and publishing consultant delivered the presentation from his unique point of view.

According to him, women, should value themselves and their femininity in order to get acknowledged in the male-dominated business world.

“You have to totally love and believe in yourself to be strong and get ahead in this world,” Samuel said.

The question and answer session was lively with women raising their hands and bringing up gender-related issues related to their daily lives.

At the end of the session, all participants stood up and sang “One Moment in Time” by Whitney Houston.

“The singing activates our minds and souls, rather than just listening to someone talking,” Sony said. “It also promotes interaction and participation.”

Gene Sugandy, owner and developer of a Web site for foreigners living in Indonesia, www.expat.or.id, says the gatherings are a great idea.

“There aren’t many groups on a professional level for women in Indonesia,” she said. “This group provides us with a platform to share knowledge and expertise, as well as mingle out of our circle. It’s a win-win situation.”


Professional Women by the British Chamber of Commerce Meetings every first Tuesday of the month from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information and venue details visit: www.britcham.or.id or contact Sony Jethnani at sonyjethnani @yahoo.com