PETALING JAYA: Aiming to uphold the crucial contribution of women to the nation, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has unveiled a RM50,000 fund to assist 100 women leaders.
He said that the selection process for these women leaders would be determined later by the Women, Family, and Community Development Minister, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
"If we truly acknowledge the pivotal role of women, then I propose a challenge. At the onset, we will allocate RM50,000 grants to empower 100 women leaders.
"Among these selected individuals, we will provide dedicated funding to facilitate their initiatives, whether organising events, leading non-partisan groups, spearheading community associations, or advancing grassroots initiatives.
"This funding will serve as a catalyst to amplify women's ideas and contributions," he said during his address at the International Women's Day celebration tonight.
Anwar underscored that in the event that this endeavour achieves favourable results within a year, he would consider expanding both the number of participants and the grant magnitude.
"The initial cohort of 100 women will receive RM50,000 grants to initiate programs at various stages
"If they achieve success before year end, I will consider scaling up both the participant count and the financial support.
"Now, I urge the prompt identification of these 100 women, who will pioneer methods to enhance women's participation and empowerment."
Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said that the government was committed to enhance female labour force participation through the Madani economic policy.
"As part of our Madani economic policy, we are advocating for a more robust approach to elevating the involvement of women in the workforce to 60 per cent.
"This initiative aims to empower women, benefitting both the economy and families. Many educated women are capable but lack the opportunity to maximise their productivity for their households and the nation.
"We are also proposing measures to facilitate women's ability to balance childcare and family responsibilities while also making significant contributions to skills development through early training."