Many qualified Malaysian women not yet active in job market: Tengku Zafrul

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia continues to empower women's participation in the export sector through various strategic initiatives, in line with efforts to strengthen Asean's economic resilience and address global trade challenges.
Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said the number of companies owned by women in Malaysia remains relatively low compared to other Asean countries.
He said recent data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) indicate that there are about 210,000 women-owned firms in the country, representing around 20 per cent of all enterprises.
Tengku Zafrul added that the country has yet to achieve full parity between men and women in the economic sphere, although Malaysia has closed 63.4 per cent of the gender gap in economic participation and opportunity.
He also pointed out that women's workforce participation is at 52 per cent against 78 per cent for men in 2024, indicating underutilised potential.
"This means that there are still many qualified women who are not yet active in the job market, let alone in the more challenging and competitive export sector," he said in his speech at the Women in Export (WiEX) Forum 2025.
Tengku Zafrul said while there is room to enhance women involvement in the industrial and export sectors, they continue to face challenges such as limited access to market information, insufficient exposure to export needs and a lack of established business networks abroad.
To help women access overseas markets more effectively, Tengku Zafrul said Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry and Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation remain committed to providing trade facilities.
These include Madani Digital Trade platform, the Malaysia International Halal Showcase and trade missions across countries.
"All the initiatives are open to women entrepreneurs who are keen to explore international markets, including emerging markets, such as West Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe, which present strong demand for Malaysian products.
"Matrade also continuously monitors the participation of women entrepreneurs in international exhibitions and overseas trade missions.
"Therefore, I would like to invite all women entrepreneurs to participate in these programs, so that you can all become competitive exporters on the international stage," he added.
Tengku Zafrul said under the economic pillar of the Asean Chairmanship 2025, the ministry has also planned various forums focusing on women.
The forums include Asean Women's Economic Summit 2025 on May 24-25 and the Asean Women Economic Forum on June 19, both being held for the first time in Kuala Lumpur.
In conjunction with the forums, he said Asean's Women's Economic Empowerment Centre in Kuala Lumpur will be established.
In a separate speech, Hawa Malaysia chairman Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said the centre will provide opportunities for women to advance themselves in the economic field, especially in decision-making, trade and industry.
"It will empower women to dominate the economic field. Hawa Malaysia believes that unleashing and unlocking women's economic power is the solution to achieving more dynamic and vibrant economic growth in the face of the global economy," she added.

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