KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak expressed determination to increase women’s participation in the workforce more aggressively through the launch of the Women’s Innovation Academy under the Prime Minister’s Department.
Najib said, the academy more glamorously named as MyWIN, is serious in naming and shaming public listed companies with no women on their boards.
“Currently, women account for only 16.8 per cent of director positions in the top 100 listed companies on Bursa Malaysia.
“I am pleased that one of MyWIN’s target groups are professional women.
“Creating the next generation of women innovators in the corporate sector is very much in line with our continuous efforts to increase the number of women in decision making roles in the corporate sector,” he said, at the launch of the academy tonight.
Najib, as invited by MyWIN co-founder and president Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, will be the advisory council chairman and is set to chair the first meeting with the advisory council’s deputy chairman Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing.
This advisory board will ensure that the MyWIN academy stays on track with its goals to transform women in their career alongside with advancement of technology.
“We have made significant progress on this front where 35.8 per cent of the public sector’s decision making positions are now held by women, while in the corporate sector, I am very proud to say we have reached our target of 30 per cent,” he said.
He added that MyWIN academy will stay true to its two central pillars – women and innovation.
“It is an important part of the country’s innovation ecosystem to provide a female perspective on innovation.
“Innovation on its own is gender blind, but as a responsible government we believe in taking a holistic approach.
“An ‘inclusive innovation’ approach must include all segments of society, so it is important that women are provided with all the support necessary to fulfil their dreams,” he said.
Najib pointed out that one of MyWIN Academy’s target groups will be entrepreneurs.
“I would like to see MyWIN produce more women entrepreneurs with the necessary business sophistication, oriented towards the future, and harnessing the power of technology.
“In this way they will have the ability to contribute to the nation, and to go not just regional, but also global.
“I am told that there were some women who had lost their jobs, or many who left their careers to focus on their families.
“Through their involvement in PEAK (Performance, Empowerment, Acceleration and Knowledge) Programme, many of these women have now become successful entrepreneurs and innovators.
“I am very proud of the 366 women who have benefited from the PEAK Programme.
“MyWIN has transformed their mindsets, and opened them up to new avenues to success. I recently also received thank you letters from some of them,” he added.
Meanwhile, Shahrizat at the event, had also launched the Women With A Mission (WWM) programme.
“The programme is targeted at empowering potential leaders and entrepreneurs, preparing them to enter into the workforce.
“This programme will serve as a ‘springboard’ for these women to achieve greater success,” she said.
Also present at the launch ceremony were Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa and Minister in the Prime Minister Department Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.