ASEAN-JAPAN WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS’ SUMMIT IN KUALA LUMPUR EMPOWERS WOMEN IN BUSINESS, INNOVATION

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 (Bernama) -- The ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC), in collaboration with the ASEAN Youth Organization and with the support of the ASEAN Coordinating Committee for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME) and Women Leadership Foundation Malaysia, successfully hosted the ASEAN-Japan Women Entrepreneurs’ Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

The summit emphasised the pivotal role of women entrepreneurs in driving economic innovation, sustainability, and inclusivity across the ASEAN-Japan region, aligning with Malaysia’s 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship, according to a statement.

The summit gathered over 100 women entrepreneurs, investors, business accelerators, and ecosystem enablers from across the ASEAN Member States and Japan. It provided a platform to discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by 60 million women entrepreneurs, particularly in scaling their contributions to economic and social growth.

MyDigital Corp Board Member, and BlueOnion Advisor and Regional Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dato’ Munirah Looi delivered a keynote emphasising the importance of agility, resilience, customer experience, and employee engagement for adapting businesses, especially in response to economic disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, a key session titled “Harnessing AI and Digital Skills” explored how technology can drive the growth of women-led enterprises. Lennise Ng, CEO of Borong, highlighted that digitalisation must precede artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, stressing the need for stronger digital infrastructure. The speakers also called for government policies to make innovation more accessible for women entrepreneurs.

The session on “Strategic Access to Finance and Gender-Lens Investment” focused on the financial challenges women entrepreneurs face, such as understanding grants, securing the right investors, and the importance of women’s representation in investment firms.

The “Easing Women’s Burden: Innovations in the Care Economy” session showcased innovative solutions, such as Kiddocare in Malaysia, which uses digital platforms to connect families with care providers. The role of fathers in sharing caregiving responsibilities was also emphasised, with Better Dads Malaysia advocating for inclusive parenting.

The session on “Leveraging Sustainability for Growth and Impact” explored the significance of mentorship for women entrepreneurs. Capping off the summit, the “Closing the Gender Divide and Enabling Women-owned Enterprises to Scale” session highlighted the key resources needed for scaling women-owned businesses.

Speakers emphasised the importance of incorporating entrepreneurship education from an early age to change sociocultural narrative and foster empowerment.

The ASEAN-Japan Women Entrepreneurs’ Summit underscored the power of collaboration among businesses, investors, governments, and communities in empowering women-led MSMEs, paving the way for stronger economic integration and long-term growth in the region.

-- BERNAMA