KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is set to establish ASEAN’s first Women’s Economic Empowerment Centre in Kuala Lumpur, to ensure the bloc’s potential and opportunities are accessible to all, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), youth and women.
This aligns with the country’s ASEAN 2025 Chairmanship theme, “Inclusivity and Sustainability,” Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Aziz, said today.
“In short, as ASEAN’s 2025 Chair, we are placing inclusive growth at the heart of Southeast Asia’s policies,” he said at the ASEAN Women Economic Summit 2025 (AWES), held in conjunction with the ASEAN Summit here.
Besides AWES, ASEAN supports women and youth entrepreneurs across the region through platforms such as the ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs Network (AWEN), the ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Council (AYEC), the Social Enterprises Development Programme (ASEAN SEDP) and the ASEAN Youth Organisation (AYO).
“Of course, the challenges facing the bloc’s individual countries are unique, but we must strive to ensure region-wide solutions, even though this will take time,“ he said, adding that this is where AWES can play a stronger role.
He said Malaysia, as Chair of ASEAN, looks forward to the outcome of AWES.
Tengku Zafrul said among the feedback awaited are quick wins to create gender-inclusive ASEAN-wide standards and policies, as well as improved access to finance.
“If we were to create a US$1 billion (US$1 = RM4.24) fund for ASEAN, how should it be governed to ensure broad-based impact, transparency and access for women-led businesses? And how do we digitally upskill, say, one million women across our region by 2027?
“A lot of work lies ahead. One Summit alone won’t solve all the challenges facing women. But AWES contributes to a worthy cause that has been championed for decades,“ he added.
