Former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Eunice Olsen is hoping to inspire Asia’s next Hillary Clinton.
Olsen is the founder of social enterprise and online interview series WomenTalk TV, which features everyday Asian heroines alongside female CEOs, social activists and Paralympians Yip Pin Xiu and Theresa Goh.
“I’ve always believed that being a great leader for your country comes from being a great leader for your community first,” the 39-year-old former beauty queen told The New Paper in a phone interview last Friday (Oct 28).
Olsen is excited at the prospect of possibly seeing Mrs Clinton in the White House after the US presidential election on Nov 8.
“What Mrs Clinton is doing is amazing. I’m so excited for myself, and my American friends, that the leader of the free world might soon be a woman.”
Olsen founded WomenTalk TV three years ago, eager to use her experience as a TV host and actress to create a platform for women to share issues affecting them.
Asian women, aged 18 to 35, are the website’s main audience.
EMMY NOMINATION
The series was nominated for an Emmy award in 2014, and made the Official Selection at this year’s Raindance Film Festival in the UK. It was the only Asian entry in the web series category to make the selection.
An episode with Olsen interviewing Dr Maya Bhattachan, Nepal’s first female neurosurgeon, was screened in September at London’s Vue Piccadilly cinema as part of the festival.
“I was quite overwhelmed that we made it to London; I had never seen WomenTalk played on the big screen before,” said Olsen, who flew to London for the screening.
“The cinema was decently full and there was applause after the screening, which is always nice. It’s wonderful to know we are on our way to growing our business and content.”
While Olsen cites Mrs Clinton as one of her role models, her greatest role model is her mother, 62-year-old retiree Alice Olsen.
“We’re very close. She’s the kind of person who doesn’t allow me to feel sorry for myself. If I have tough days and gripe about them, she will say, ‘You want me to cry for you, is it?’
“My mum always puts things in perspective and reminds me how privileged I am to have these struggles,” said Olsen.
Olsen described her mother as “very cool, with pink hair”, who is a dedicated grassroots volunteer in the Teck Ghee division of Ang Mo Kio.
“She always takes good care of me. When I was busy filming in Cambodia (for feature film 3.50), she stayed with me for a month and would go to the market every day to buy food and cook meals for me.
“She has an adventurous spirit and always keeps herself busy.”
Olsen, who is single, said she would not mind having a daughter of her own some day, perhaps through adoption.
“WomenTalk is kind of my baby right now, but if I had a daughter, I would make sure she lives a really full life and goes to countries like Cambodia to volunteer during the school holidays.
“I think no matter what you do in life, it is important to remember to make space for someone else.”
-Source: Lisa Twang (2016, November 3). Former NMP Eunice Olsen wants women to challenge themselves. AsiaOne. Retrieved from
http://women.asiaone.com/women/people/former-nmp-eunice-olsen-wants-women-challenge-themselves
