WANITA's September Covergirl

Guess who's on the front cover of WANITA magazine's September issue?

'Wan Melissa has earned 5 qualifications'

My very own sister! 

Doesn't she look beautiful, mashaAllah?

The article about her is actually a little different because she wrote it herself as opposed to having a writer interview her and then compose the article. In the magazine she tells readers about her experience as a Phd student in New Zealand and also what it's like to write the first ever PhD dissertation about Halal food in the world. Yes, she's the first Halal food PhD holder in the entire world! My sister, Melissa, also shared why education is important for a woman. We've both had various men come up to us and say, "Why bother studying to such a high level? As a woman you're just going to end up in the kitchen anyway!". I know, right. The audacity! But that's the reality of the Malaysian society. Many men simply don't appreciate women who work hard to gain independence and a formal qualification.

Well, I'm not going to spill all the juicy details here of course. If you want to read what she has to say then go to your local bookshop and grab a copy of the magazine. They're already out in stores.
If you don't live in Malaysia and would like to see a digital copy of her article you may e-mail me at elaiza_(at)hotmail.com. Oh I should also mention that the article is in Malay.

Dear Kakak ('older sister' in Malay),

I know you're reading this because you're one of my most loyal readers. Well it's not like you have a choice anyway ! Let's get on to the mushy stuff. I think only God knows how much you went through to get to this stage in your life. We're very proud of you for persevering throughout these years and we hope to see you achieve even more greater things in life in the future. Thank you for being such a great older sis who's always trying to be a good role model for me and thank you for spoiling me even when I've been such a brat. I think you are an inspiration to everyone and especially to Muslim women out there who believe in the power of knowledge and education.

<3, Me