U.S. Embassy in Malaysia

ATTENTION: EDITORS
June 9, 2022

Kuala Lumpur, June 9 – Chargé d’Affaires Michael Newbill and the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, YB Datuk Seri Rina binti Mohd Harun, officiated the third cohort of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), a U.S. government flagship program under the White House-led Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative.  Through AWE, women entrepreneurs around the globe are participating in a facilitated business development program. AWE aims to help women reach their full economic potential and create conditions for increased stability, security, and prosperity for all.

The Academy of Women Entrepreneurs is part of the Embassy’s Wanita Empowered campaign to promote equality in opportunity, support growth and strengthen economic ties between the U.S and Malaysia. Investing in girls and women creates a ripple effect that yields multiple benefits, not only for individual women, but also for families, communities, and countries.

“I believe your stories will empower more aspiring women entrepreneurs to take a chance and invest in themselves and their families,” Chargé d’Affaires Michael Newbill said.

In Malaysia, the U.S. Embassy is partnering with the Women Entrepreneur Network Association (WENA) to implement AWE. For the third cohort, 70 aspiring women entrepreneurs were selected from hundreds of applicants in six regional areas: the Klang Valley area, Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Terengganu, Sabah, and Sarawak. Over the course of the year-long program, AWE participants will take part in a facilitated online learning program, with a specific focus on technology companies as well as businesses that utilizes technology in their businesses.  These women will also receive supplementary skills training from WENA with assigned mentors and have access to financing for their businesses via various WENA partners.  In the last two years, AWE has empowered 80 women to grow their businesses while navigating the pandemic.

In her remarks, Datuk Seri Rina Harun said, “The AWE program is in line with the Ministry’s and my aspirations and hopes to empower women through various aspects of capability building of women economically through entrepreneurship, thus enabling them to develop themselves and the economy.”

Nuraizah Shamsul Baharin, WENA President, said, “WENA believes in promoting women of substance through entrepreneurship. With the recent pandemic causing unprecedented hardships especially for women business in the micro and informal sector, we see the immediate need to strengthen these businesses. The Academy form Women Entrepreneurs, supplemented by WENA’s business growth program has provided timely intervention as seen by the results of the last two years.  We are grateful for the trust and opportunity to continue working with the US Embassy KL on this journey.”

The U.S. Embassy and WENA are looking forward for another year of great success culminating in Malaysia hosting the AWE East Asia and Pacific Summit in March 2023.