Source: Great Women Malaysia. Puan Nadira Yusoff.
The Great Women Connect Series debuted today in Malaysia. This new program seeks to provide a space for women in business worldwide to connect and exchange ideas and experiences related to trade. It also aims to foster international partnerships, helping women, especially those in Malaysia, build networks and realize their full potential.
Great Women Malaysia (GMW) is an initiative that strives to empower Malaysian women, particularly those in underserved and rural areas. It focuses on helping them advance economically through entrepreneurial and artisanal activities, with a particular emphasis on the fashion and lifestyle industry.
GWM is a branch of a broader program called ASEAN Great Women. This initiative brings together women from participating ASEAN countries to collaborate and share resources, cultural and ethnic materials, designs, skills, and talents. This collaboration is geared towards developing products suitable for the global market. The Great Women model originated in the Philippines in 2011, driven by the need to support women entrepreneurs facing challenges in product sourcing, design, production, packaging, and marketing. ASEAN Great Women launched in 2015 to serve as a regional platform for empowering women economically and promoting integrated and competitive supply chains within ASEAN.
The Great Women Connect Series aims to bolster women’s professional development on local, regional, and global scales. It focuses on three core aspects of women’s lives: economic, professional, and social. The program seeks to achieve its goals through dialogues with local and global initiatives. Additionally, the series will work to secure international diplomatic support for the advancement of women in society.
According to Puan Nadira Yusoff, the head of Great Women Malaysia, “Empowering women and ensuring their full participation in business and economics is a crucial global development goal. This is particularly relevant in the Asia-Pacific region, which continues to experience a significant gender gap in economic participation. Creating opportunities for both women and men simply makes good business sense. It’s crucial that everyone can contribute to national and regional economic growth and trade. That is precisely why we’re holding this interactive session today.”
“Women-led SMEs in Malaysia are demonstrating strong yearly growth despite the relatively low starting point of women’s participation in SMEs overall. While cultural norms continue to present challenges, the overall business environment in Malaysia is relatively favorable. Women in business need support from both the government and initiatives like ours,” she added.
Puan Nadira Yusoff is a recognized leader in the Malaysian entrepreneurial ecosystem, as well as the CEO of Nadi-Ayu Technologies. She actively participates in programs launched by Malaysian ministries, such as the 1ASEAN Entrepreneurship Summit (1AES), 1Malaysian Entrepreneurs (1MET), Global Entrepreneurship Movement (GEM), GREAT, and many more. Currently, she leads several NGOs and initiatives, including Great Women Malaysia (GWM), the Women Entrepreneurs Network Association (WENA), and Girls in Tech (GIT).
Representatives from the Sharjah Business Women Council of the UAE participated in today’s session. These representatives included Nada Al Lawati, Founder and CEO of Seed Group International; Huda Al Lawati, Senior Private Equity Professional and most recently the Chief Investment Officer for the Abraaj Group in MENA; Sally Denton, Head of Irthi, Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council (part of NAMA*); Dr. Amal Al Ali, Founder of CARDIFF Management Consulting & Training and Assistant Professor at Sharjah University; Ayesha Jasem, Membership and Services Senior Executive of the Sharjah Business Women Council; and Lina Mohammed Hamdan, Senior Manager - Strategy of the Sharjah Business Women Council.
Interested?
Read the WorkSmart Asia blog posts about the launch of GEM in Malaysia and WENA’s Vital Voices Mentoring Walk in March 2016
*The NAMA Women Advancement Establishment was founded in the UAE in December 2015. Its mission is to create opportunities for women in the economic, professional, and social sectors. NAMA Women Advancement Establishment also provides training, mentorship, guidance, and examines laws and legislation related to women.