Penang Achieves 81 Pct Progress Towards Women Entrepreneurship Target
GEORGE TOWN, June 15 (Bernama) -- Penang has achieved 81 per cent progress towards its target of increasing women’s participation in entrepreneurship under the Penang2030 vision, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
He said 4,052 women had participated in entrepreneurship initiatives against the state’s target of 5,000 participants, as Penang works towards achieving 40 per cent women’s participation in entrepreneurship by 2030.
The state also aims to train 2,000 women leaders annually until 2030, with 3,916 women having benefited from leadership programmes to date.
“These initiatives are aimed at strengthening the pipeline of future women leaders,” he said in his opening address at the World Women Economic and Business Summit 2026 here today.
Chow said women played a fundamental and far-reaching role in Penang’s socioeconomic development, contributing across manufacturing, services, technology, public service and the informal economy.
He said women involved in home-based businesses, family enterprises, street vending and community caregiving formed a vital backbone of the state’s socioeconomic fabric by sustaining households and strengthening communities.
Penang, he said, had established the Women and Family Development Committee in all 40 state constituencies, creating a network of 600 women leaders who worked directly with local communities.
Through the Wanita Jana Rezeki programme, women from lower-income households were also provided opportunities to generate income and strengthen their financial independence.
According to Chow, Penang is the first state in Malaysia to implement gender-responsive and participatory budgeting to ensure that the needs of women and families are considered in public policies and expenditure.
He said the state government would continue supporting women through programmes, funding, capacity building and inclusive policies, particularly as Penang strengthened its position in semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, digital technology and innovation.
-- BERNAMA