Regional summit focuses on empowering women to succeed in business

Education is the key to lifting up women and providing them with equal access and opportunities on the economic playing field. Photo: Freepik

Education is the key to lifting up women and providing them with equal access and opportunities on the economic playing field, says Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.

Speaking at the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) Regional Summit held recently in Kuala Lumpur, Nancy urged women entrepreneurs to “continue to scale up” their businesses and provide avenues for more women to achieve success.

“The AWE programme has benefited many women entrepreneurs, providing them with access to education and mentorship. I look forward to the Summit’s outcomes and seeing how Malaysian women entrepreneurs here can continue to scale up their businesses and provide further avenues for more women to participate and achieve economic success,” said Nancy who launched the event together with Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs US Department of State Rafik Mansour and US Ambassador to Malaysia Brian McFeeters.

(from left) Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Policy in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the US Department of State Rafik Mansour, AWE implementer Nuraizah Shamsul Baharin from the Women Entrepreneur Network Association Development, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, and US Ambassador to Malaysia Brian McFeeters. Photo: Academy for Women Entrepreneurs

The Summit brought together around 200 women entrepreneurs and business leaders from Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and New Zealand.

During the Summit, participants exchanged knowledge and best practices, expanded their capacity, and networked to foster growth, innovation, and sustainability. The Summit will leverage US business expertise and technology to build business acumen and create stronger ties and networks among women entrepreneurs from the Indo-Pacific region.

Participants celebrate the launch of the AWE Regional Summit with Minister of Women, Family, and Community Development Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, and local and US government representatives. Photo: Academy for Women Entrepreneurs

American and Malaysian business leaders and angel investors (high-networth individuals who fund startups with their own money) will guide participants on topics such as using technology to scale up business models, future-proofing businesses, as well as pitching and marketing to investors.

“AWE has empowered over 25,000 women entrepreneurs worldwide since its launch in 2019. From improving artisans’ livelihoods through digital marketing to facilitating access to mental health care, AWE’s alumni has demonstrated the importance of investing in women-led businesses to achieve sustainable growth across the Indo-Pacific region,” says Mansour.

Mositol says AWE gave her the skills to uplift the livelihoods of other women in her community through her business in sustainable farming. Photo: Academy for Women Entrepreneurs

Summit participants and notable Malaysian AWE alumni include Irene Mositol (AWE 2020) who is founder of DumoWongi, a Sabah-based social enterprise. Mositol has trained 60 women to earn a living through sustainable farming and edible herbal products. She is also the grand winner of the Social Impact Category in the 2022 Shell LiveWIRE global Top 10 Innovators Award.

“AWE gave me the skills I needed to fulfill my vision of uplifting the livelihoods of other women in my community through my business in sustainable farming. I’m excited to network with likeminded business leaders at the AWE Regional Summit and learn innovative ways to continue growing our businesses and bring change to our communities,” she says.

The AWE programme has given me the tools to explore different branding and promotional strategies to expand my business, says Tanty Marlena. Photo: Academy for Women Entrepreneurs

Another Summit participant and AWE alumni Tanty Marlena Abdullah (AWE 2020) is an educator who has adopted the “trash to cash” concept in her business to minimise waste in the textile industry. Marlena helps her community grow economically through skills and digitalisation. In 2019, she was named one of the 25 Women Entrepreneur Icons by Malaysia’s Ministry of Entrepreneur Development.

“The AWE programme has given me the tools to explore different branding and promotional strategies to expand my business,” she says.

In Malaysia, AWE is part of the Wanita Empowered Campaign by the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, which seeks to promote women’s economic empowerment through three pillars: improving access to education, advancing economic parity, and addressing barriers to equality. To date, over 150 Malaysian women entrepreneurs have been in the programme in partnership with the Women Entrepreneur Network Association (WENA).