The women, family and community development minister says their courage, creativity and resilience are a source of inspiration for others.
KUALA LUMPUR: Women, family and community development minister Nancy Shukri has hailed the crucial role that women entrepreneurs play in contributing to the economy.
Speaking at an awards ceremony for women entrepreneurs here today, Nancy noted that they have been a key driving force in promoting trade, creating employment opportunities and increasing household income.
Citing data from the Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC), she said women-led startups in Malaysia have raised RM73.4 million in funding from 2015 to 2019, with women entrepreneurs creating more than 77,000 jobs and contributing to over RM4 billion to the economy during the period.
“Surviving and thriving in recent years have been challenging even for large-scale businesses, and it is truly inspiring to see the incredible courage, creativity and resilience these women entrepreneurs have demonstrated,” she said.
“I believe that this kind of recognition and support will encourage more women to pursue entrepreneurship and contribute to our economic growth.
“The success of these women-led businesses not only proves their creativity and resilience, but is also a source of inspiration for others.”
Nancy was speaking at The Artisans Haven’s awards ceremony where 14 women-led businesses and communities were awarded for emerging as top sellers on the specialised e-commerce marketplace for local artisans.
The Artisans Haven supports nearly 1,000 artisans and merchants with e-commerce, social media posts, live shows, on-location videos, and on-ground activities.
The organisation also founded Persatuan Pembangunan Artisans (Artisans Development Association Malaysia) to help more Malaysian artisans leverage a bigger distribution footprint and expand their businesses locally and internationally.
The award presentation ceremony was part of PPA’s Empowering Women and Communities 2023 campaign, a year-long initiative aiming to promote products made by women artisans.
The campaign is supported by CIMB Bank, FMT Media, and DHL Malaysia.
