A Path To Equality In Malaysia

What Barriers Will  Malaysian Women Break Through Next?

Fozia Amanulla been accustomed to negotiating a deal with the pressure of millions of dollars during his career in the field of Islamic finance. Some things, though, she never used. For example, how certain man have refused to shake her hands, ignored her when she has spoken or refused to look at her across   a conference table.

At a meeting with a client in Saudi Arabia, where men and women are usually segregated in public life, she was the only woman in the building, the fact reinforced by the absence of toilets for women.

Ms. Fozia, one of the first woman to lead an Islamic bank in Malaysia, has no shortage of reminders that this industry, where investments are made in accordance with the principles of Islam is a male-dominated.

But while some women in the corners of the more conservative Islamic world is still fighting for the right to work outside the home in the booming Islamic finance sector, Malaysia multiplying the number of female faces.

And industry observers say it is a because of Malaysia's multicultural, women have made a major breakthrough.

Roll call of achievements of women in this Southeast Asian nation's wounds in almost all aspects of the sector from  bank chief executives and scholars of Syariah, or Islamic law, for regulators like Zeti Akhtar Aziz, governor of the central bank, which is widely credited with playing a major role in changing Kuala Lumpur become a hub for Islamic banking.

In fact, many women are currently involved in the Malaysian industry has risen through the ranks of conventional financial sector when they feel the pull of Islam sector , rapidly evolving global industry that estimated to be worth about $ 1 trillion in value this year.

Raja Teh Maimunah Raja Abdul Aziz,  is an investment banker before joining the Islamic banks in Malaysia and the Middle East. That decision eventually led to her last year appointed as global head of Islamic market in Bursa Malaysia, the country's stock market.

Women rising in the ranks of the industry in other countries too, including Britain, which also hinted his desire to become a hub of Islamic finance. But when it comes to countries with predominantly Muslim, Malaysian women win hands down, with the lead pack Jamelah Jamaluddin.

Ms. Jamelah was appointed director of RHB Islamic Bank in Malaysia in 2007 and is believed to have become the world's first woman to head an Islamic bank. Her appointment to the top job at Malaysian arm of Kuwait Finance House early this year was the first time a Gulf-owned  Islamic bank has appointed a women head.

Ms. Fozia, for his part, has been appointed head of Eoncap Islamic Bank in 2007 after leading the Islamic debt capital markets division at AseamBankers, now known as Maybank Investment Bank, for three years.

She said the traditional male domination of this industry means that women have faced greater challenges. And the success of Malaysian women, she believes, comes largely from the fact that no public separation of men and women in this country.

Nevertheless, Engku Rabiah Adawiah, the first woman Syariah adviser registered with the Securities Commission of Malaysia and Islamic scholar at the central bank's and the only female National Syariah Advisory Council, said that when she first began attending industry conferences, she is the only woman among the speakers.

Now, she said, more women could be seen at events like that, and she expects the presence of women in the industry to continue to grow. Three-quarters of the students she taught at the International Islamic University Malaysia are women.

Malaysian women are always active in trade and commerce, so that's not something  culturally  odd for women to be at the forefront.

Malaysian Top Successfull Women

    THE world of business is undoubtedly male-dominated - and Malaysia is no

different. For example, of the more than 500 companies listed on the main

board of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE), not more than 10 have

women in charge of day-to-day operations.

    But this minority group of women can be a force to be reckoned with.

They have shown they can deal with fussy shareholders, male directors and

stockmarket cycles with fortitude, leadership and great vision.

    According to KPMG Consulting Asia, more women are being represented in

senior positions in companies. `Women are filling top positions such as

those for chief financial officers, department directors and CEOs,' says

Lilian Yap, KPMG associate director. `This landscape is set to change in

the future; one indication is the rising number of women students in

universities.'

    Dr Bien Mei Nien, president of the National Association of Women

Entrepreneurs of Malaysia (NAWEM), says, `Women are an important aspect of

successful businesses as they contribute 40 per cent of the workforce,

especially in the service sector where they are recognised as competent

and reliable.'

    However, it is not so much the aim of this article to point out the

disparity between the sexes. Rather, it is to highlight the achievements

and success of local women who have helped shape the business environment.

Like most of their male counterparts, many top businesswomen tend to keep

a low profile and shun publicity. Most politely turned down our request to

be interviewed. Others were too busy or simply did not respond.

    So how does one measure power and success? There are women who have

shown entrepreneurial spirit and have built up listed entities. Obvious

names are Datuk Khatijah Ahmad, who built up a financial powerhouse in KAF

Bhd and Tengku Noor Zakiah Tengku Ismail who founded one of the first

universal brokers today, K&N Kenanga.

    Then there are those who started business with their husbands and who

today run a significant part of the companies, such as Datin Alicia Tiah

of TA Enterprise Bhd, Datin Irene Gan of Reliance Pacific Bhd and Lim Siew

Kim of Metroplex Bhd.

    Another category is those who have taken over the reins from their

fathers, such as Tan Lei Cheng of Tan & Tan Developments Bhd, Datuk Loh

Cheng Yean of Oriental Holdings Bhd and Datuk Yatina Yahaya of DRB- Hicom

Bhd.

    We have also featured three women in government who, although not

businesswomen per se, have great influence on the country's business

environment. It is reassuring to know that even in the Asian culture, businessmen are

confident enough in their daughters' abilities to run the show. 

    This does not mean disparities don't exist, though. The daughters' share in a family

business is often less than that of sons. For example, in Boon Siew Sdn

Bhd (which owns 43 per cent of Oriental Holdings), the daughters' holding

companies have 11 per cent stake each, while those of the two sons have 16

per cent each.

    There are, of course, numerous unsung heroines and several more to watch

in the future. Most notable is Theresa Fong, whose well-known garment

company Caelygirl (M) Sdn Bhd has a wide export market and is said to be

eyeing a listing.

    Other no-less-enterprising women include Nancy Ong, Gaik Wong, Pat Liew

and Mina Cheah-Fong. Ong is managing director of Marrybrown Fried Chicken

Sdn Bhd, a local poultry brandname that managed to take on the big

players. Wong is executive director of restaurant chain Esquire Kitchen

Sdn Bhd. Liew holds the British India franchise, while Cheah- Foong is

managing director of the company that holds the franchise to The Body

Shop.

     There's every possibility their businesses could grow into listed

giants. Women certainly look destined to make a mark in business, if not

change the face of it.

MALAYSIAN WOMEN MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Datin Alicia Tiah

MANAGING DIRECTOR - TA ENTERPRISE BHD

Datin Irene Gan

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER - RELIANCE PACIFIC BHD

Josephine Sivaretnam

DIRECTOR - KUALA LUMPUR CITY CORPORATION BHD

MALAYSIAN PLANTATIONS BHD

Datuk Khatijah Ahmad

CHAIRMAN - KAF GROUP

Lim Siew Kim

EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN - METROPLEX BHD

Datuk Loh Cheng Yean

CHAIRMAN - ORIENTAL HOLDINGS BHD

Datuk Maznah Abdul Hamid

GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR - SECURIFORCE SDN BHD

Datin Siti Sa'diah Bakir

CHIEF EXECUTIVE - KPJ HEALTHCARE BHD

Tan Lei Cheng

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER - TAN & TAN DEVELOPMENTS BHD

Tengku Noor Zakiah

EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN - K&N KENANGA HOLDINGS BHD

Datuk Yatina Yahaya

GROUP DIRECTOR - DRB-HICOM BHD

Datuk Mohaiyani Shamsudin

MANAGING DIRECTOR - MOHAIYANI SECURITIES SDN BHD

Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz

GOVERNMENT

Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz

INTERNATIONAL TRADE & INDUSTRY MINISTER

Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz

GOVERNOR - BANK NEGARA MALAYSIA

Dr Zaha Rina Zahari

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER - KLOFFE

The 6 Key Values Of Top Sales Professionals

Sales gurus talk a lot about value propositions, but the “value” that’s really important is the value that you bring into the customer relationship.  That “value” is entirely dependent upon your values — the way that you approach your job and  how you treat the people around you.  With that in mind, here are six values shared by the world’s top sales professionals:

1. Independence:
Sure you’ve got an entire company behind you, but ultimately the only person you can really count on to get things done is yourself. Don’t hesitate to do whatever it takes to move the sale forward, even if it means giving up your weekends.


2. Courage:
If a deal doesn’t make sense, it’s not worth pursuing. Don’t let wishful thinking propel you into wasted effort. For example, if you can’t meet with real decision-makers, you aren’t going to get the business. Period. Move on, without regrets.


3. Pride:
Insist that every customer relationship is a relationship between equals. Adopt a policy of “Quid Pro Quo” - that anything a prospect (even a CEO) asks you to do gives you the right to ask them to do something comparable in return.


4. Creativity:
Prospects don’t have the time to sit with down with cookie-cutter sales reps, but always have time for somebody who can redefine problems and devise solutions.  When you can bring creativity to the table, you’re invaluable.


5. Confidence:
Never take on an apologetic air, try to explain away your inexperience or beg for the business. Savvy customers can smell fear and will ask for steep discounts or even amuse themselves by making you jump through meaningless hoops.


6. Honesty:
Share your feelings with the prospect to move the sale forward. If you believe that the customer is making a mistake or buying the wrong offering, respectfully point out why you see the situation that way and then suggest alternatives.

10 Questions Your Gynecologist Wants You To Ask

Don't be shy; speaking up could save your life......

The less time your gynecology checkup takes, the better - breast exam, pelvic, Pap smear and you're gone.
Wait - not so fast! Maybe you should take a few minutes longer with the gynecologist. You may think all doctors are in a rush to get to the next patient, but most want to give their patients the best care.

    However, doctors can't address what you don't tell them. "The 20s and 30s are basically a healthy time of life, and young women tend to come in to the gynecologist's either to get a form filled out or to get a new prescription for contraception and then leave," says Ann Davis, M.D., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Harvard University and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. What gets lost in the quick shuffle are potentially crucial health (and happiness) issues, from HIV testing to sexual satisfaction.

Here are 10 top questions that your gynecologist would love to discuss with you - if only you'd ask.

1. Should I be tested for sexually transmitted diseases?
    "I wish patients would ask and be completely frank about risk-taking sexual activity, which really begins with anything other than abstinence or a long-term, monogamous relationship," says Jill Maura Rabin, M.D., chief of ambulatory care and head of urogynecology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y. "We want to be able to educate them about how to keep themselves alive and safe."

    Besides being on the lookout for symptoms of chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, pelvic infection and more, that might also mean: increasing the frequency of Pap smears if so-called high-risk human, papillomavirus (HPV, the virus that causes genital warts) is detected, since it predisposes you to cervical cancer; annual HIV tests (condoms are not fail-proof AIDS prevention, Rabin points out, because 13 percent of them will break or leak); and hepatitis C tests in case you've been exposed through your own or a partner's drug use, or had a blood transfusion or C-section prior to 1992, when donated blood was not routinely screened for the disease.

2. What about a different contraceptive?
    Just because a contraceptive's worked for you in the past doesn't mean it's still the best choice, Rabin notes. If you've used condoms only, for instance, you can ask about going on the pill or another hormonal method for contraceptive backup. Or, if the pill causes symptoms you're unhappy with, look into a different formulation and balance of hormones. If you're terrible about remembering to take the pill on schedule, ask about the new, virtually goof-proof contraceptive patch.

3. Should I have a prescription for the "morning-after pill"?
    "Having either an undated prescription or the actual medication on hand for emergency contraception is an excellent idea," Davis suggests. Note, however, that this is a lousy choice as a regular contraceptive method, cautions Gerald F. Joseph Jr., M.D., medical director for women's services at St. John's Regional Health Center in Springfield, Mo. But for unanticipated encounters it can be one huge headache-saver. And in cases of rape (date, spousal or other), while the ideal is for a woman to go to an emergency room for help and to call the police, not every woman in fact does, and either way, knowing you have the means to prevent a resultant pregnancy can eliminate at least one worry, Joseph notes.

4. What can I do about incontinence?
    "One thing we know young women are not bringing up is incontinence," Davis reports. Up to 20 percent of women experience urinary incontinence at some point in their teens, 20s and 30s, according to Rabin. But only about half of women of any age with the problem raise the issue with their doctors.

     Childbirth, and the weakening of the urethra's sphincter muscles that can result, accounts for some stress incontinence, where external pressure on the bladder (such as with a sneeze or cough) causes a little leakage. But more common among young women is urge incontinence, where one feels the need to urinate even though the bladder isn't full. The problem can stem from a complex process in which artificial sweeteners, stress, caffeine, iced drinks, hot peppers or other triggers cause nerves governing the bladder to set off a spasm, making it contract. Treatment -- avoiding triggers, "retraining" your bladder, Kegel exercises, medication and other approaches -- works 80 percent of the time, so it's definitely worth putting shyness aside to ask.

5. Why are my periods irregular?
    It's perfectly normal for a woman's cycle to fluctuate occasionally: Stress -- even small changes in routine, diet and exercise -- can throw a minor monkey wrench into the works. "Menstrual irregularity is something young women tend not to pay much attention to beyond making sure they're not pregnant," Joseph says. "But even with a negative pregnancy test, a missed period or spotting could indicate a dangerous ectopic pregnancy."

    Irregular bleeding -- what you might mistake for an out-of-sync or especially light period -- also can signal infections or cancer of the cervix or uterus, or a panoply of other problems including thyroid disease, endometriosis, fibroids and hormonal disorders. "Furthermore," Joseph notes, "if you're going along hardly ever ovulating or having periods, we're concerned not only because this could be a symptom of anorexia or polycystic ovary syndrome, but also because the lack of estrogen could be impairing your ability to store up the bone mass that will be crucial later in life, or you could even be losing bone already." Don't panic -- most of these symptoms usually mean nothing -- but do ask.

6. What can I do about sexual problems?

    Hard to imagine a bigger squirm factor, for patients and some physicians, than with this question. But it's precisely because your gynecologist is a good bet to have some answers that it's worth asking. "A lot of women are reticent to bring up sexual difficulties, which I certainly can understand, but most problems can be answered or at least addressed by an OB/GYN," Joseph says.

    The culprits easiest to identify for low libido among young women are medications -- for instance, many of the most widely used anti-depression and anti-anxiety drugs can chill sexual response, and some women report decreased libido from oral contraceptives. Discomfort or pain during intercourse can lead to sexual problems, and the underlying cause can range from serious medical issues such as endometriosis or pelvic inflammatory disease to something as simple as a yeast infection, sensitivity to spermicide or cyclic fluctuations in vaginal lubrication. And if he or she can't find a physical cause, your gynecologist is a smart choice to initiate a referral to a sex therapist.

7. Can I talk to the nurse?

    Your gynecologist is not the only one in the office of whom it's worth asking questions. "One of the best resources, and one that patients don't utilize well, is the office nurse," Davis observes. "Office nurses are usually very experienced, and a lot can be handled directly through them."

    The best case is when your doctor has his or her own nurse or two, with whom you develop a good relationship and who knows that if you say it's a urinary-tract infection that cannot wait, it's a urinary-tract infection that cannot wait. With a less simpatico nurse, or a more anonymous one from a larger practice, you can still get valuable advice about how concerned to be about a certain symptom, how to treat run-of-the-mill ills (menstrual cramps, morning sickness), what the standard instructions are for medications and to which specialists your doctor usually refers patients. Nurses often can take care of pregnancy tests or UTI screens without your spending the time or money for a doctor's visit. And if you have a long laundry list of concerns, the preliminary chat with the nurse is an ideal time to go over them and winnow them down to the most important to bring into the examining room.

8. I was abused or assaulted (sexually or otherwise) in the past -- what effect does that have on my health?

    "Statistics on the abuse of young females -- especially sexual abuse -- are just astounding," Joseph says. For example, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted (including rape and attempted rape) every two minutes; 90 percent are female and 80 percent are under age 30.

    There could well be lasting physical effects to take into account, but more insidious are the psychological scars that manifest themselves as physical ills. "A young woman who has been traumatized by such an event tends to hold in her anxiety or depression about it, and then to somatize those feelings -- that is, develop physical symptoms, frequently pelvic pain, that reflect her mental pain," Joseph says.

    As troubling or uncomfortable as it may be to speak up, mentioning past sexual trauma can be extremely helpful to your gynecologist in making a diagnosis, Joseph points out. "It's very difficult to get these kinds of histories from patients, so sometimes they've been seen by several doctors, and numerous tests and procedures have been done, and no good explanation is really found. But if a physician is aware of a past problem like abuse or assault, then instead of getting involved exclusively with the physical aspect, he or she can also perhaps counsel the patient directly, or refer her to a psychotherapist, and meanwhile at least prevent more procedures and tests from being done."

9. What were my test results?

    Sure, most doctors have a protocol in place to notify patients of positive test results. They also have protocols to keep appointments from getting mixed up, charts from getting misfiled, etc., and you know how foolproof those aren't. 'Ask what the policy about patient notification is," Rabin recommends. "Many offices send a note to patients no matter what -- that they need follow-up or that they got an all- clear -- but others have a 'we'll let you know only if something's wrong' policy. In the latter case, it's fine to ask that they notify you either way and how long you might expect to wait to hear from them. Then check back if you don'L" To make sure you remember, put a note on your calendar at the same time you schedule your appointment to call three weeks later to follow up on test results.

10. How does smoking affect my sexual and reproductive health?

     Of course, like other doctors, gynecologists want you to quit smoking for lots of health reasons. But smoking has a direct, potentially devastating, impact in their bailiwick too.

Women and Pain

Do women have a higher pain tolerance than men?

   Some people suppose that, because they are able to bear children, women have a higher pain tolerance than men do. However, several studies do not support this theory. A study at the Pain Management Unit of the University of Bath reported that women feel more pain in their lifetimes and that they feel pain for longer durations than men do. One experiment involved men and women submerging their arms in ice water. In that experiment, women had a lower pain threshold and lower tolerance for pain than men did [Source: Live Science].

   Women's brains also respond a little differently to pain than men's brains do. There is considerable overlap in the areas of the brain that respond to pain and stress, but women's limbic centers become active in addition to these areas. The limbic center is responsible for a person's emotions, so this suggests that women are likely to have emotional responses to pain and stress. Researchers theorize that this is because of the traditional gender role of women as caregivers [Source: Science Daily].

   Does Barbie really make women hate their bodies? In 1995, researchers at the University of Arizona studied how African-American and Caucasian girls viewed their bodies [Source: University of Arizona]. They asked teenaged girls to describe their own bodies as well as what a perfect girl would look like. African-American girls were reluctant to assign physical traits to an ideal girl, but Caucasian girls gave roughly the same description. Their idea of an ideal girl was 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighed about 100 pounds and had long hair. Researchers called this description "a living manifestation of a Barbie doll" [Source: Quindlen].

   Some researchers have used this as evidence that Barbie dolls encourage women to strive to have bodies that are unattainable. Some say Barbie is responsible for breast implants and eating disorders. However, there hasn't been a large-scale study directly linking playing with Barbie dolls to low self-esteem or increased eating disorders. There haven't been any studies proving that girls want to look like Barbie dolls, either. In fact, a 2005 British study revealed that girls often deface or mutilate their Barbie dolls while leaving their other toys unharmed [Source: Live Science].

  However, one study has suggested that toys with unattainable proportions might affect a person's self-image. But the study didn't involve Barbie -- it involved male subjects and Ken dolls as well as action figures like the Hulk and G.I. Joe. The men in the study reported a more negative self image after playing with hyper-muscular action figures than after playing with Ken [Source: Sex Roles: A Journal of Research]. If playing with a toy can affect men in this way, it may affect women similarly.

   Doctors and scientists are still discovering other similarities and differences in men and women, and they've made some surprising discoveries. For example, after World War II, pharmaceutical companies feared that drug tests could harm pregnant women and that women's hormones could affect test results. So, they tested drugs primarily on men. But in the last several years, the medical community has discovered that women and men often have different responses to drugs. For this reason, human trials of new drugs include both men and women [Source: The Science of Sex and Gender in Human Health].

Women and Stress

Are women more stressed out than men are?

   Women sometimes have a reputation for being worriers. According to a 2005 Gallup poll, women are more worried about a range of social issues than men are. Significantly more women than men answered that they worried "a great deal" about seven of the 12 issues in the survey.

   Studies show that, in addition to worrying more often, women may be physiologically prone to experiencing more stress. For example, the amygdala of the brain processes emotions like fear and anxiety. In men, the amygdala communicates with organs that take in and process visual information, like the visual cortex. In women, though, it communicates with parts of the brain that regulate hormones and digestion. This may mean that stress responses are more likely to cause physical symptoms in women than in men [Source: Live Science].

   In addition, women's bodies produce more stress hormones than men's bodies do. Once a stressful event is over, women's bodies also take longer to stop producing the hormones. This may be a cause or an effect of women's tendency to replay stressful events in their minds and think about upsetting situations [Source: Psychology Today].

   Are women more jealous than men are? In some people's minds, women are more jealous and possessive than men are, especially in the context of romantic relationships. But research suggests that women aren't more jealous than men -- they're just jealous about different situations.

   In one German study, researchers showed participants images of several scenarios. The participants used a computer to describe which of the scenarios would be more upsetting. The results suggest that, across cultures, women find emotional infidelity more upsetting than sexual infidelity. Men's responses varied across cultures, but in general they were jealous of sexual infidelity [Source: Human Nature].

   On the other hand, a study at the University of California at San Diego measured participants' blood pressure and heart rate rather than asking them to describe their responses. Men had greater physical reactions to physical infidelity, while woman reacted with about the same intensity to both scenarios. Women who were in committed relationships were more upset by physical infidelity than those who were not. However, 80 percent of the women in the study thought emotional infidelity would be more upsetting to them than physical infidelity [Source: Psychology Today].

  Next, we'll look at some common perceptions of how women learn and communicate.

Facts you need to know about Women

How Women Work.............

     If you believe what you see on TV, women are inscrutable, conniving, hysterical and apt to change their minds without reason or warning. Some women's magazines perpetuate these stereotypes by offering advice on how to entrap men or keep them guessing. And some of the basic differences between men and women can seem a little confusing, depending on your point of view. So it's not surprising that one of the most requested articles in the history of HowStuffWorks is "How Women Work."

    The irony is that from conception until the eighth week of gestation, men and women are almost exactly the same. The only difference is at the chromosomal level, deep inside the embryos' cells. Inside every cell of a person's body, DNA is tightly wound into pairs of structures called chromosomes. One pair of chromosomes determines whether the person is male or female. Except in the case of extremely rare abnormalities, a person with two X chromosomes is female, and a person with one X chromosome and one Y chromosome is male. For a few weeks, these chromosomes are all that differentiates male embryos from female embryos.

     Of course, by the time an embryo has grown into an adult wo man, many attributes make her different from a man. On average, women are shorter and smaller than men are, although women have a higher percentage of body fat. Women have reproductive organs that can support a developing baby and nourish it after its birth. Their blood pressure is lower, and their heart beats faster, even when they're asleep [Source: FDA]. Women also have faster blood flow to their brains and lose less brain tissue as they age than men do [Source: Psychology Today].

     And then, of course, there are hormones, which a lot of people view as a huge difference between men and women. But every person's body, whether it's male or female, uses hormones to regulate and control a wide range of processes. Hormones are the products of the endocrine system, which includes numerous glands located in various parts of the body. For example, two well-known hormones are adrenaline, which comes from the adrenal gland, and insulin, which comes from the pancreas. These and other hormones are vital to the lives and health of both men and women. To learn more about the endocrine system, watch this ADAM animation.

     Sex hormones, on the other hand, work a little differently in men's and women's bodies. In men, the testes produce the hormone testosterone, which regulates sperm production and causes masculine secondary sex characteristics. In women, the ovaries produce hormones like estrogen and progesterone, which regulate reproductive processes. Men's bodies convert a little testosterone into estrogen, and women's bodies make small amounts of testosterone, so neither hormone is exclusive to one sex or the other.

     A man's testosterone levels can fluctuate throughout the day as his body regulates its production of sperm. But a woman's sex hormone levels fluctuate as part of her reproductive cycle, which takes about a month to complete. During a woman's childbearing years, the recurring changes in her hormone levels can cause symptoms like irritability and moodiness, known as premenstrual syndrome (PMS). When a woman reaches perimenopause, her body slows down its production of sex hormones. During the process, her levels of estrogen and progesterone can vary significantly, causing symptoms like hot flashes and trouble sleeping.

     Sex hormones can affect a woman's emotions and physiology throughout most of her life. But contrary to some people's perceptions, they're not responsible for every facet of her behavior. In this article, we'll look at some other common perceptions and stereotypes about women as we examine how they work.