Kuala Lumpur: Harnessing the talents of 334 million women across ASEAN through education, access to opportunities, and supportive policies could unleash an astounding US$2.3 trillion (US$1 = RM4.24) in potential, said Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz today. Acknowledging that the odds are often stacked against them, he said ASEAN could reverse this by strengthening the enabling environment for women to survive, thrive, enter or re-enter the workforce, start or sustain businesses, and avoid having to choose between motherhood and a career.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Tengku Zafrul articulated this vision as the roadmap for Malaysia and ASEAN's future prosperity at the ASEAN Women Economic Summit 2025, held in conjunction with the ASEAN Summit and its Related Meetings. He emphasized that the role of ASEAN leaders in both the public and private sectors is to ensure women in ASEAN become venerated, rather than victims.
He highlighted that Malaysia's MADANI Economy framework-emphasising sustainability, prosperity, and inclusivity-places women's empowerment at the heart of national development. Within his own Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), various concrete measures have been implemented. These include launching the Women Exporters Development Programme to help 500 women-led businesses access international markets, introducing gender-responsive provisions in all new trade agreements, and establishing a RM200-million fund specifically for women entrepreneurs in high-growth sectors.
Furthermore, the introduction of the Women in Industry and Trade Initiative (WITI), in collaboration with the Women and Family Affairs Association of Malaysia (HAWA Malaysia), aims to boost women's skills and capabilities in the industrial and export sectors. Tengku Zafrul noted the significant representation of women in MITI's top management, where they make up around 69 percent, underscoring their indispensable role.
Malaysia's latest Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations now include specific chapters on women's economic participation, as inclusive trade is sustainable trade. The country is also determined to increase women's workforce participation to 63 percent by 2030, ensure 30 percent of corporate board positions are held by women, and double the number of women-led businesses accessing export markets.