About the Summit
The Women’s Summit was launched by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (then known as the Ministry of Women and Family Development) in 2003 to discuss critical issues affecting women’s role and status in the workplace. Since then, the Summit has been held annually in conjunction with National Women’s Day in August. It is an eagerly anticipated focal point for discussing pertinent issues that impact women and their role in nation building.
The objectives of the Women’s Summit are threefold:
* To explore contemporary issues and top management concerns facing Malaysian women in business and the workplace
* To develop an action agenda to optimise women’s skills and management expertise for national development, and
* To provide input for policy directions
There has been a natural progression of Summit themes over the years. From a general theme of Women@Work in 2003, the Summit turned to women leaders in 2004, with the theme Women in Leadership: Towards Excellence. This was followed by a Summit concentrating on the younger generation, Managing and Nurturing the Next Generation.
In 2006, the theme tackled a very pertinent question that underlies any effort to create an equitable workforce: Are Women Ready for Key Positions? Choices, Chances & Challenges.
Highlights of the 2006 Women’s Summit
In 2007, to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Independence, the Summit became an opportunity to appreciate how far women have come over the past five decades and how far we have yet to go. With the theme, Putting Women at the Heart of Development. The Summit was preceded by meetings in which the Minister and senior officers of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development met with a cross section of women to discuss the challenges they face in their daily lives as they try to make their way in the world as career women, mothers and daughters.
Although women in Malaysia are today, more highly qualified than ever, and the workplace is becoming more inclusive with greater opportunities for women to attain roles in management and leadership, women continue to be faced with the same difficult choice between prioritising the demands of home and family versus work and career.
Malaysian women are active across all economic, social and political sectors. However their efficacy can be greatly enhanced if they can operate in environments that allow them to play their roles as managers and leaders while adequately meeting the demands of home and family.
One of the most refreshing aspects of the 2007 Summit Focus Groups and Roundtable was the strong support voiced by male participants for work-life balance. Male employees have the same desire to be available to their families and actively engaged in the lives of their children. And as more and more households are supported by working parents, the sessions confirmed that the needs and expectations of employees are changing, and therefore policies and structures need to be adapted to suit these developments.
Highlights of the 2007 Women’s Summit
In 2008, The Womens Summit themed Teaming Up to Make a Difference took the opportunity to engage more male speakers from the corporate sector and other highly-accomplished women speakers to weigh in on how they see the workplace changing, and how we can adapt to changing needs and expectations, appropriate new technologies and systems, and face the challenges of globalisation.
Input into The Women’s Summit began with two Pre-Summit Focus Groups which for the first time, included a Generation Y Focus Group to capture the views of the next generation of workers, aged 20 - 35. A second Focus Group was held with representatives from NGOs, SMEs, HR divisions of corporations, senior managers and government agencies. Participants at the Pre-Summit Focus Groups had the opportunity to present their recommendations to the Minister of Women, Family & Community Development at the Summit Roundtable on August 21 2008. Read more about the content of the Summit here.
Highlights of the 2008 Women’s Summit
Over the years the Malaysian Government has channelled significant budget allocations through the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development to ensure that women are enabled to reach their full potential. We hope to build upon our past successes and keep up the momentum to ensure continued progress. Register early to be a part of this year’s Women’s Summit. For more information, contact the Secretariat at 03-79547030.
