KUALA LUMPUR: Women must actively participate in driving the nation’s energy transition rather than remaining mere beneficiaries, as Malaysia works to tap into its underutilised female labour potential to build an inclusive green economy.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri (pic) said that while women continue to achieve high educational success, structural barriers still hinder their full participation in the workforce.
“In 2025, Malaysia’s female labour force participation rate stood at 56.6%, compared with 83.3% for men. Of the 7.03 million people outside the labour force, 4.89 million, or 69.5%, are women.
“Among them, 42.8% cited housework and family responsibilities as the main reason for remaining outside the workforce. These figures tell us that talent is not the problem.
“The issue is whether women have the opportunity, support and space to put that talent to work,” she said at the closing of the 7th International Sustainable Energy Summit 2026, Bernama reported.
Nancy said although women account for 15.7% of graduates in engineering, manufacturing and construction in Malaysia according to the Asean Energy Database System, higher academic achievements have yet to translate automatically into equal economic participation.
She said it is important to incorporate Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion principles into policy planning, leadership and decision-making platforms across all sectors to ensure a just energy transition.
“The energy transition is not only about systems, targets and new technologies. Ultimately, it is about improving our people – how they live, work and build their future.
“The aspiration is that women should not be seen only as beneficiaries of the energy transition; women must also help shape it. That means having women at the table where policies are designed, investments are decided, technologies are developed and industries are led,” she said.
