During the pandemic, the MCO was the hardest on women, especially working mothers. The lockdown saw the lines of their lives collapsing, as they took on the lion’s share of domestic work, including their children’s care and schooling, while juggling work responsibilities at home. Siti Kamariah Ahmad Subki, who was the CEO of Selangor Women's Empowerment Institute at the time, recognised the turmoil that her female employees were going through, and knew that their mental wellbeing began with her. The entrepreneur and artist-turned-community-leader shares the story of her personal and leadership mental health journey on this episode of ‘Because Feelings Matter’.

‘Because Feelings Matter’ is a series that brings you the stories of people and their mental health issues. These stories aim to normalise conversations about mental health, and to show that it’s okay to struggle emotionally and psychologically, but more importantly, to reach out for help. This series is produced in collaboration with Thrive Well.

Image credit: Siti Kamariah Ahmad Subki