THE Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC) programme for this year will focus on artificial intelligence (AI) as part of its efforts to empower women to stay ahead of the curve.
PWDC chief executive officer Datuk Ong Bee Leng said each year, the programme adapted to the changing business landscape.
She said PWDC was targeting about 100 participants for the programme to empower women through entrepreneurship and close the gender gap in economic participation.
According to state publisher Buletin Mutiara, Ong said that the programme would require participants to commit for three months of intensive guidance and support.
“This is not a one-day seminar where you can gather 200 or 300 people.
“PenMentor is a programme where participants stay with us for at least three months, so the focus is on quality engagement and long-term impact.”
Ong said the programme was developed following findings from studies and discussions on women’s participation in the economy, which highlighted a significant gap between male and female labour force participation.
“Currently, male participation is about 83%, while female participation is only around 56 to 57%.
“This shows there is still a big gap that needs to be addressed.”
She said research showed many women dropped out of the workforce at the age of 28 to 30, often due to marriage and childcare responsibilities.
“They leave the workforce because they have children and need to manage caregiving responsibilities.
“One of the key solutions is stronger childcare support, especially childcare centres near workplaces, so mothers can continue working,” she said.
Ong stressed that childcare should not be seen solely as a mother’s responsibility, adding that fathers also had an important role to play.
“In the past, one income could sustain a family. Now, in many cases, both husband and wife need to work.
“Fathers being more involved in childcare is an important shift we are seeing.”
For women unable to remain in formal employment due to caregiving responsibilities, Ong said entrepreneurship provided a flexible alternative.
This formed the basis of PenMentor, a mentoring programme launched seven years ago to help women build sustainable businesses.
Initially introduced as a six-month programme, it was later shortened to four months and now runs for about three months to better meet participants’ needs.
The programme covers digital entrepreneurship skills, including social media marketing, selling through e-commerce platforms, costing strategies and business planning through tools like the Business Model Canvas.
Ong said PenMentor will see participants grouped into clusters of six to 10, with two mentors assigned to each group to provide continuous support and guidance.
“The beauty of this programme is mentoring, not just training. Mentors walk with the participants throughout the process and help them avoid common mistakes through shared experience.”
Ong also highlighted the success of PWDC’s recent “Biz Ibu Tunggal” initiative held in conjunction with International Women’s Day, which involved sponsors purchasing products directly from single mothers.
Some 127 single mothers participated in the initiative and many are now being channelled into PenMentor for further development.
“We want to teach them how to build sustainable incomes for themselves,” Ong said.
She added that participants in the programme ranged from women running small home-based businesses to those already operating five- and six-figure enterprises.
Many former mentees have since returned as mentors, creating a strong support ecosystem, she added.
PenMentor is conducted in English, Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin to ensure accessibility to women from diverse backgrounds across Penang.
