KUCHING: There is a need for business mentorship programmes such as the Wanita Empowered (WE) Business Mentorship Programme to be organised to assist women, especially those in rural areas, to improve their entrepreneurship skills.
Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals Association Sarawak (WEPS) president Serawa Budol said that many women entrepreneurs in particular faced challenges in carrying out their business.
“Some of the challenges include the lack of suitable skills and knowledge, inaccessibility to markets or networks, and so on, which may hamper or be an obstacle for them to expand their business,” she said during the virtual launch of the WE Business Mentorship Programme via Zoom today.
“Thus, I firmly believe that this mentoring programme will help the first batch of 30 women entrepreneurs undergoing this six-month programme,” she said.
The WE Business Mentorship Programme is a six-month nationwide mentoring and training programme to empower established women entrepreneurs and further develop their business skills.
In total, 30 participants from Sabah, Sarawak, and Penang will be paired with industry experts and top women executives who will serve as mentors to further enhance and develop participants’ business and leadership skills through coaching and skills development activities.
The US Embassy in Malaysia has partnered with the Sabah Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals Association (Swepa) to implement this programme, which is also in collaboration with the Penang Women Chamber of Commerce (PWCC), WEPS, and 3R Media.
Sabah Assistant Minister of Community Development and People’s Wellbeing Datuk Julita Majungki, who officiated at the virtual launching ceremony, said the programme was indeed timely as the government is actively promoting entrepreneurship in all sectors.
“Malaysia has implemented various development programmes to narrow the economic gap while increasing income and participation in the supply chain,” she said, adding that special focus was placed on certain groups such as women, indigenous communities, low-income households, and so on to ensure that the country’s wealth could be enjoyed by all.
The government will reinforce and enhance existing initiatives and programmes to boost entrepreneurship activities in Malaysia and to ensure that the country continues to grow sustainably through an impartial economic distribution, she pointed out.
“I am looking forward to seeing the fruit of the next six months of mentoring by carefully selected women mentors, and I hope that this will be just the start of future partnerships, collaborations, and initiatives to continue developing our community through building women,” she said.
In her opening remarks, US Ambassador to Malaysia, Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir expressed her hope that the mentor-mentee relationship established through the programme would continue beyond the six-month period, explaining that successful entrepreneurs and leaders needed a network for their whole professional lifetime.
“Part of the programme’s curriculum will include traditional topics such as social media outreach, design thinking, and leadership development, but also the fundamentals that all entrepreneurs have to contend with such as legal issues, finance, and how to make a living as an entrepreneur.
“At the end of this programme, it is our hope that the skills and knowledge that participants have gained will put them in a better position to pitch their ideas to investors,” she said.
She said the WE Business Mentorship Programme is part of the US Embassy’s year-long Wanita Empowered (WE) initiative to promote equality in opportunity, support women’s economic prosperity, and strengthening economic ties between the US and Malaysia.
She also pointed out that there is a unique multiplier benefit to investing specifically in women entrepreneurs.
“Successful women are more likely to reinvest in their families, communities, and countries. The mentors in this programme, joining us today, are an ideal example of this type of multiplier benefit,” Lakhdhir said, adding that this dynamic drove economic growth and social benefits.
Also attending the virtual launching ceremony were Swepa president Lai Fui Nar, PWCC president Datuk Annie Chin and Lina Tan, the co-producer from 3R Media.
