Shah alam: Wanita Berdaya Selangor (WBS) has today entered into a partnership with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) to develop a Professional Certificate in Women's Leadership under its Women's Leadership Academy (AKW). This significant initiative aims to build a more competitive, progressive, and inclusive ecosystem for women leaders by 2030, aligned with the statewide target of achieving 30 percent female representation in decision-making roles at all levels.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, WBS chief executive officer Siti Faridah Abdul Samad stated that the academy will offer professionally recognized training modules to enhance women's leadership capacities across public and private sectors, as well as within communities. Previously, the AKW provided courses with certificates of attendance from the state government. Now, through this collaboration with UKM, participants will receive an accredited professional certificate, which formalizes the program as a recognized qualification. This collaboration aims to prepare more women for advancing their careers and, in the long term, to assume the highest decision-making positions within their organizations.
The MoU signing event was presided over by Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari and attended by Women's Development and Community Welfare state exco Anfaal Saari. In her address, Anfaal stated that the government will enhance the already effective AKW program into one that is recognized and accredited to meet professional benchmarks. She explained that the Professional Certificate in Women's Leadership will provide women in Selangor with formal recognition, enhanced credibility, and access to broader leadership opportunities.
Anfaal highlighted that the academy's effectiveness is demonstrated by participants' achievements in executing high-impact fieldwork. She affirmed that education is a powerful vehicle for empowerment, enabling women to become leaders of change. She emphasized, "We can provide aid and opportunities, but when we provide education, we give individuals the power to transform their lives. This is the guiding philosophy of our work in Selangor."
During the ceremony, scholarships were awarded to the fourth WBS cohort, including six new recipients: three at the Master's level and three at the PhD level. The Master's recipients were Tengku Husni Tengku Ab Razak, Rus Minah Sukim, and Rusyaidatul Zhafirah Redza, while the PhD recipients were Nor Yasmin Salim, Norazilawati Md Azizi, and Irma Syuryani Jaswir. Since its inception in 2021, a total of 34 women have benefited from the scholarship, with 13 from previous cohorts having completed their studies.
The scholarship focuses on fields such as gender studies, women's leadership, care economy, political science, social sciences, and community development studies. WBS also unveiled a new logo for AKW, a design incorporating elements of elegance, resilience, and vision, signifying a new phase in strengthening the identity of women leaders and cultivating high-impact leaders.