Foo, Noraini and ACP Shahrulnizam (in the centre) joined by women driver- and delivery-partners at Grab Malaysia’s recent International Women’s Day celebration.
PETALING JAYA: Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading superapp, recently announced the expansion of their #SisBoleh programme.
The announcement was made in conjunction with the International Women’s Day celebrations Grab Malaysia organised in Johor Bahru, Kuantan, Klang Valley for its women driver- and delivery-partners.
#SisBoleh, is a women empowerment programme introduced by Grab Malaysia last year. It is aimed to provide support and a peace of mind to women on the Grab platform as a driver- and delivery-partner, but with a focus on safety.
Moving forward, it will now include two new pillars - Onboarding and Training as well as Community.
Noraini (centre) and ACP Shahrulnizam sharing a light moment with the invited guests when she graced the celebration in Klang Valley.
Gracing the celebration in Klang Valley were Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad and Petaling Jaya district police chief ACP Shahrulnizam bin Ja’afar @ Ismail.
In her speech, Noraini lauded Grab for its efforts to make the platform more inclusive for women.
“The #SisBoleh programme is commendable for its comprehensive support for women. By addressing safety concerns, building a nurturing community of strong and independent women, and breaking down barriers, Grab is setting an exemplary standard for what it means to truly be an inclusive platform that supports women’s participation in the gig economy.
“As we continue accelerating progress for women, it is imperative to foster meaningful collaborations between the public and private sectors.
“It is through collective efforts we can drive positive change and advance gender equality and women’s empowerment.”
#SisBoleh Women empowerment initiative
Based on surveys and feedback from current Grab women partners, many were deterred from joining the platform due to preconceived mindset that driving and deliveries are not suitable for women, and lack general confidence.
As such, the expanded programme is a commitment to improve gender equality, and reduce barriers for women, to enable and empower more women to earn on the Grab platform.
The platform wants to equip them with necessary skills and know-how so they can confidently earn and build a community of empowered womenfolk from the moment they join the platform.
Onboarding and training
This involves customised training sessions designed specifically for women, such as in-car safety training, managing difficult situations with passengers and car maintenance.
Training materials will be made available through Grab partners’ learning portal, GrabAcademy.
Community
This will focus on developing a Grab women partners-only online community to encourage women to mutually share and discuss topics more relevant to them.
It will also involve more frequent on-ground engagements geared for women to network and build a stronger bond.
As a first step, Grab Malaysia is offering free PSV classes (which are usually priced at RM150) in Petaling Jaya, Pulau Pinang and Johor Bahru for women drivers, from March 8 to 31.
Grab Malaysia managing director Adelene Foo shared that the company is encouraged by the number of women earning on Grab today.
“The growth rate of women on our platform from Jan 2021 to Jan 2024, has increased by almost 156%.
“Women make up slightly over half the population in Southeast Asia, yet only represent 24% in the workforce, and an even smaller percentage are driver- and delivery-partners.
“We see this as a great opportunity to build a truly inclusive platform and make women feel welcomed.”
Foo added: “We hope the #SisBoleh programme can create more economically independent women, which is in line with Grab’s mission to drive Southeast Asia forward by creating economic empowerment for everyone.”
She also encouraged women to participate in the programmes and share their opinion so they can co-create a platform that truly prioritises women.
Safety tech innovation - Women Passengers Preferred BETA
Continuing the efforts to improve safety standards on the platform, Foo also shared that Grab will be introducing the ‘Women Passengers Preferred BETA’ feature.
The new feature, which was rolled out on March 5, will increase the chances of women-drivers who have opted in (to the feature) to be matched with only women passengers, if there is one within the vicinity.
To complement this, women passengers will be encouraged to update their details in their Grab App.
The feature is the latest in a series of safety tech innovations Grab has invested to keep users safe while on the road.
A feature, which was introduced last year -Audio Protect -, is gaining traction with seven out of 10 driver-partners and passengers opting into the feature, especially at night.
For more information about Grab’s safety features, visit here.
Women officers from PDRM joined in the celebration.
ACP Shahrulnizam shared, “As the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), our commitment to ensuring safety and security for all individuals remain unwavering, which is one of the reasons we established Amanita.
“Similarly, programmes #SisBoleh and Grab’s beta safety feature reinforces the importance of women within each community in fostering a safer environment for everyone.
“By working together, we can create a community-driven approach to safety that benefits all members of society.”
For more details about #SisBoleh, click here.
