MY REPORT

On April 9th, I had the opportunity to attend the Panel Discussion “The
Wonder Woman in You” held by the HCMC American Center. The event
focused primarily on self-confidence, which is an essential attribute for personal
development.
When it comes to defining self-confidence, people typically have varied
perspectives and ideas. Ms. My Nguyen, a project leader for The Women's
Empowerment Club, surprised me with her conception of self-confidence.
According to her, being confident is not about being fearless or having no
uncertainty. It is about having a positive mindset towards the situations we are
in. It is our thought that leads to our confidence. In my opinion, it is a novel and
distinct meaning that differs from what most people associate with the term
self-confidence.
Each of us has a unique approach to building confidence. During the
debate, the panelists shared with us how their confidence was shaped through
their personal journeys. I was especially impressed by the sharing of Ms. Hoang
Anh, an American Citizen Services Assistant. She was an embarrassed girl in
high school, but she conquered her shyness and became a broadcaster by
practicing every day. She said: “You are not born with confidence, you have to
build it day by day”. This means practice is the key element leading to self-
confidence. By practicing, we will gradually become accustomed to the
challenges and hurdles we face, allowing us to tap into our new inner powers.
The more outstanding qualities we recognize in ourselves, the more confident
we will be. Furthermore, in the words of Ms. Hoang Anh, other people's
encouragement and recognition also help to enhance our self-confidence. I
totally agree with her opinion. Even when we try our best to prove that we are
confident enough to deal with and overcome the problems, we will struggle
even more if no one believes us and we lack support from others. Maybe we
can still attain success, but it may take longer. Sometimes, when we lack the
fortitude to confront obstacles and trials, we can rely on the assistance of others
to regain confidence and persevere. Ms. Hoang Anh's sharing is of great
importance to me, as it has suggested many different approaches on the way of
improving self-confidence.
The discussion was more objective and persuasive through the speech of
Mr. Alexander, a member of the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. He
discussed men’s roles in supporting women to advance their empowerment.
First and foremost, one thing men can do is listen to women. That men tend to
talk more and listen less is an instinctive personality of males. Listening to
women’s experiences and challenges without interrupting them is a way for
men to show their respect and support towards women. The second thing male
partners can do is challenge gender stereotypes. Traditionally, people believed
that men and women had different responsibilities in the workplace and that
they couldn't be interchangeable. Nonetheless, many female partners are now
capable of performing tasks like computer coding that were formerly seen as
inappropriate for women. It is encouraging that people are making changes to
things they might have done in the past. Last but not least, males should behave
more appropriately and quit making jokes about women. That men are trying to
recognize women in every single task at work is a good sign of a better manner.
They no longer deride or blame women when things go wrong. From
Alexander's sharing, we can see that developing confidence inside a woman is
not only done by herself, males also contribute greatly to the process of
supporting women to utilize their empowerment.
We live in an era where self-confidence is deeply critical. Therefore,
being able to engage in the discussion and hear the panelists’ presentations is a
valuable thing for me. I realized that building self-confidence is a lengthy and
difficult process. However, once we learn to be confident in ourselves, we will
have unforgettable experiences and unexpected results.