KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — 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.
Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said this aligns with the country’s Asean 2025 chairmanship theme 'Inclusivity and Sustainability'.
“In short, as Asean's 2025 chair, we are placing inclusive growth at the heart of Southeast Asia’s policies,” he said during the Asean Women Economic Summit 2025 (AWES) today, in conjunction with the 46th Asean Summit.
Besides AWES, Asean supports women and youth entrepreneurs across the region through platforms like 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," Tengku Zafrul said, adding that this is where AWES can play a stronger role.
As the Asean chair, Malaysia looks forward to the AWES outcome.
Among the feedback awaited are quick wins to create gender-inclusive Asean-wide standards and policies, and improved access to finance.
“If we were to create a US$1 billion (RM4.2 billion) 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 will not solve all the challenges facing women. But AWES contributes to a worthy cause that has been championed for decades," he said.
— Bernama
