SELANGOR government has continued to reinforce its commitment to empowering women through leadership programmes and strategic collaborations.
A town hall session by Wanita Berdaya Selangor (WBS), the state’s vehicle for women empowerment initiatives, saw 500 taking part in various programmes aimed at developing their leadership and business skills.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the initiative reflected the state’s continued commitment to inclusive development and gender equality.
“The state government sees women not only as recipients of policies, but as strategic development partners, economic drivers of families and leaders of communities,” he said in his speech during the event’s closing ceremony at the State Secretariat Building in Shah Alam.
Held in conjunction with International Women’s Day (IWD), it also saw the signing of two memorandums of understanding (MOU).
The first, between WBS and Taylor’s University, marked the start of the IbuNiaga programme aimed at empowering B40 women through training and mentorship to become entrepreneurs.
The second MOU between WBS and The Asia Foundation will focus on training programmes to enhance skills, expand economic opportunities and professionalise the care sector.
“These strategic collaborations demonstrate the state’s approach in building a comprehensive ecosystem for women, from leadership and entrepreneurship to future skills and community well-being,” said Amirudin.
Selangor women empowerment and welfare committee chairman Anfaal Saari said the town hall was more than symbolic.
“We want women’s agenda to be translated into effective policies and actions, not just celebrated ceremonially,” she said.
Also present were WBS chief executive officer Siti Faridah Abdul Samad and Taylor’s University School of General Studies and Languages head Dr Prema Ponnudurai.
Separately, at an IWD event organised by Klang Royal City Council (MBDK), Anfaal said Selangor was empowering women under its Care Economy Policy 2024-2030 to enhance families’ economic resilience.
She said the policy recognised caregivers, particularly women, as a crucial pillar of the state’s economic development.
“This initiative supports women to remain or return to being active in formal employment, as this improves family well-being.
“Career women need a safe and quality care system for their children,” she said at the event held at MBDK’s Dewan Hamzah.
Anfaal noted that the IWD theme “Empowering Women, Strengthening the Nation,” underscored their critical role in nation-building, highlighting the need for stronger policies, high-impact programmes and comprehensive initiatives to improve the quality of life for women at all levels.
She said that in Selangor, a wide range of initiatives had been rolled out to uplift women across key areas such as economic participation, education, welfare and leadership development.
“These include support for women entrepreneurs, targeted assistance for single mothers, skills development programmes for young women and expanded opportunities for women to actively contribute to the state’s growth,” she added.
Also present at the MBDK event was Datin Jamaliah Abdul Aziz, wife of Klang mayor Datuk Abd Hamid Hussain.
In her speech, Jamaliah outlined specific funding by MBDK this year benefitting various segments of society.
“Among the allocations provided were RM8,000 for programmes involving persons with disabilities and senior citizens, RM345,000 for community, school and non-governmental organisations and RM60,000 for youth development,” she said.
“Women must continue to be empowered and encouraged to venture into entrepreneurship, as this field not only opens opportunities for economic growth but also serves as a key catalyst in achieving broader gender equality in the business world.”
Jamaliah said it had been proven that women-led businesses were capable of driving innovation, strengthening economic resilience and creating more job opportunities.
“Within MBDK itself, out of 20 departments, 13 heads of department are women.
“This proves that women are capable of competing, taking responsibility and leading at the highest levels.”
The IWD celebration included recycling sales booths that not only provided opportunities to generate income but also promoted sustainability.
