Government committed to empowering women, says Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: The government is committed to empowering women to successfully build their families and careers, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.
Najib said women were among the major contributors and the key to the country's socio-economic strength.
"The government provides plenty of aid for single mothers," he said, and named Bantuan Anak Pelihara (Aid for Needy Children/Orphans), Bantuan Kanak-Kanak (Children's Aid), Bantuan Am Ibu Tunggal Wilayah Persekutuan (Federal Territory Single Mothers General Aid) and Skim Bantuan Anak Yatim dan Ibu Tunggal Pihak Berkuasa Kemajuan Pekebun Kecil Perusahaan Getah (Risda) (Risda Single Mothers and Orphans Aid Scheme).
"All these initiatives are introduced to increase the purchasing power of women," he said in a post on his official blog in conjunction with Women Empowerment Year 2018.
Najib said the government also encouraged women to venture into entrepreneurship through programmes such as BizWanita-i, Women Entrepreneurship Incubator, DanaNITA and Single Mothers Entrepreneurship Incubator.
He said the government also helped Bumiputera women to succeed in entrepreneurship through programmes such as the Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Berhad (PUNB) Apprentice Graduate Programme and TemanNita Financing Scheme.
For women who wished to venture into agricultural entrepreneurship, there were the Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (Fama) Graduate Entrepreneur Development Programme and Graduate Commercial Agriculture Entrepreneur Scheme, he said.
He also said that the government helped women who returned to work after a period of absence through the Women Career Comeback Programme because it realised the importance of women in the economic industries.
"The government hopes women will take these opportunities to increase the family income and succeed in their careers, especially in conjunction with Women Empowerment Year 2018," added Najib. — Bernama