PUTRAJAYA – Malaysia has witnessed significant strides in narrowing the gender gap in recent years with the percentage of women directors increasing to 29.7% in 2023 from 14% in 2016.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said however there is still a lot of work ahead to bridge this divide.
“Malaysia, while making progress, still lags behind our Southeast Asian counterparts, particularly concerning critical issues like the gender wage gap,” she said.
Nancy was speaking at the award ceremony of the Women in Entrepreneurship (WiE) Programme 2024 by Standard Chartered’s Futuremakers and Mereka Innovative Education, here today in conjunction with International Women’s Day tomorrow.
Also present were Standard Chartered Malaysia’s chief executive officer Mak Joon Nien and Mereka’s director Juliana Adam.
Nancy said recognising that women are integral to the fabric of society, their success in the business arena directly correlates with the success of the country’s economy.
Therefore, she said initiatives like the WiE programme mark a significant stride forward in the collective efforts to diminish gender disparity so that men and women can stand equally within the entrepreneurial landscape.
She said there is a need for more empowerment programmes to uplift women, fostering an environment where women-led organisations not only flourish but also drive the nation’s advancement forward.
“We must adopt a proactive approach, investing in our future to cultivate an ecosystem where women’s entrepreneurial ventures thrive.
“Together, let us forge a legacy of empowerment and innovation, working towards a future where gender equality is not just an ideal but a fundamental aspect of our societal progress,” she said.
Under the programme, Nancy presented a mock cheque amounting to US$20,000 (RM94,110) each to five women-led organisations namely Early Mind Ripple, LJD, Enoku, Edulab and Keto.
The five organisations would embark on a six-month mentorship with industry expert Mereka, and receive personalised guidance covering essential facets of organisational development, spanning from fundamental business operations and technological integration to impactful marketing and public relations tactics.
Futuremakers has empowered over 2.1 million young people globally, of which 68% were women and girls with education, employability and entrepreneurial skills.
In September 2023, Futuremakers and Mereka launched the WiE in Malaysia to empower local women-led organisations.
The programme began with four workshops focusing on critical business themes which saw 450 individuals presenting their ideas and 20 organisations were subsequently selected for a bootcamp in February 2024.
Futuremakers is a global initiative to tackle inequality by promoting greater economic inclusion in the markets. It supports disadvantaged young people aged 35 or below, especially girls and people with visual impairments, to learn new skills and improve their chances of getting a job or starting their own business.
Meanwhile, Mereka is an alternative education space aimed at teaching the skills of the future, to build a talent pool that is resourceful, engaged and informed to take on the challenges of the future. – March 7, 2024