Public Speaking Tips for Women

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Public Speaking Tips for Women

• June 2007
• National Area-Based Development Programme / UNDP
• Kabul, Afghanistan

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Women in Public Speaking

• When you  can speak confidently in public
• You have influence in your subject
• You have detail information about the related
  subject
• People want to come and talk to you

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Question Nervous?

• How many of you are nervous before you speak
  before a group?
• What makes you nervous?

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Nervousness is Good!

• Its a natural, normal feeling
• It gives you energy
• It shows to the audience that you care about
  doing a good job
• It helps the audience better relate to you

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Question Women Speakers?

• Do women in Afghanistan have a harder time
  speaking in public than men?

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• Women Speakers, Teachers Leaders Have Always
  Been Important in Muslim Society, including in
  Afghanistan

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Examples

• Khadija, first wife of the Prophet
• Aisha, the favored wife of Muhammad
• Muhammad's daughters
• Rabia Balkhi, poet of Afghanistan
• Walladah bint Mustakfi, poet
• Razia, a Muslim woman ruler of 13th-century India
  
• Amina, a 16th-century queen of Zaria (in Africa)?

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More examples

• Shajarat al-Durr in Mamluk Egypt
• The so-called "sultanate of women" in the Ottoman
  Empire during the 17th century
• Malalai of Afghanistan.
• Zarghuna, Afghan poet of the 19th century
• Aisha Durrani opened first girls school in
  Afghanistan
• Queen Rania Al-Abdullah
• Zahra Rahnavard of Iran
• Others?

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The Audience Likes You!

• The audience wants you to succeed
• The audience is there to listen to YOU
• They will pay attention if you give them what
  they are there to here! (know your audience!)?

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Speaking without speaking

• Does how you stand make a difference?

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Body Language

• Always face the audience (never your PowerPoint
  presentation or flip chart).
• Keep your head up
• Look at the audience at least look at the tops
  of peoples heads, if you do not wish to look
  into peoples eyes
• Dont fold your arms
• Laugh but not so much

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Breathe!

• Take deep (but not too deep) breaths before you
  begin to speak, and throughout your presentation.
  
• Breathing calms you and gives you focus.
• It gives your presentation a pause, which many
  presentations need.

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Tongue Twisters

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. If
  Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, how
  many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?
• Tongue twisters in Dari? Other languages?
• Say these before you speak, and your speech will
  flow much more!

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Project!

• Talk to the person in the back of the room.
• Speak clearly.
• Speak loudly

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Speech Exercise

• For three five people to try out
• Come to the front of the room and say your name,
  where you are from, and the name of your father.
• Have the group offer advice on how the short
  speech could be improved
• Have the person repeat the presentation, based
  on the groups feedback

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Be prepared

• What you do
• before your presentation
• is as important as
• what you do
• during your presentation.

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Serve Your Audience

• Know what they are there to hear.
• Prepare a shorter presentation than asked for. If
  you are asked to prepare an hour presentation,
  make it 45 minutes. If you are asked to prepare a
  15 minute presentation, make it 10.
• Know what one message you want to deliver, more
  than any other.

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Before your presentation

• Practice.
• Know your material so well that you dont need
  your powerpoint presentation.
• Arrive in the room early know where you will
  speak and where the audience will be.

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Message received?

• How do you know? Ask!
• If the group looks confused midway through your
  presentation, ask if there are questions
• After your presentation, ask if anyone has
  questions

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Experience Helps!

• The more you speak in public, the better you will
  become.

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Questions?