Gender Action Lab Malaysia Summit & WEPs Awards 2024

Driving Impact and Innovation for Gender Equality: A Recap of the Gender Action Lab Malaysia Summit + WEP Awards 2024

On 15th October 2024, LeadWomen , UN Women Asia and the Pacific and Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp) , collectively hosted the Gender Action Lab Malaysia Summit and the UN Women 2024 Malaysia WEP Awards - a transformative pre-summit event that laid the foundation for our wider discussions on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the APAC region.

This by-invite event focused on some of the most critical issues in today’s world of work for women - such as the care economy, women’s economic empowerment and gender-inclusive workplaces. Attendees had the unique opportunity to engage in deep conversations about actionable steps towards creating more inclusive businesses, with a focus on advancing gender equality across all sectors.

Key Highlights:

• Opening Remarks: The Gender Action Lab Malaysia Summit 2024 commenced with opening remarks from Mr. Robert Gass , UN Resident Coordinator in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam and interim 联合国儿童基金会 Representative to Malaysia & Special Representative to Brunei Darussalam and Clare Gatehouse Political and Economic Counsellor at the Australian High Commission in Malaysia.
• Launch of the UN Women Gender Action Lab: The highlight of the day was the official launch and introduction of the UN Women Gender Action Lab (GAL) in Malaysia.? Created by UN Women and? Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Government of Australia, GAL is a dynamic action platform seeking to galvanise efforts for gender-transformative action and impact in the private sector and leveraging its innovation capabilities to advance gender equality, women’s empowerment and sustainable development to build more inclusive economies in the region. The first thematic area of focus for Malaysia’s GAL is on family-friendly workplaces and the care economy, aimed to increase women's labour force participation from the current number of 56.7% to 60% by 2030. This initiative emphasises the importance of creating supportive environments for working women, making gender equality a strategic priority for businesses. Through this effort, GAL aims to catalyse impactful changes in policies and practices that will foster greater inclusion and economic participation for women across the country.

• MOU Signing Ceremony between LeadWomen, TalentCorp and UN Women: The Gender Action Lab Malaysia Summit 2024 marked a significant milestone with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between LeadWomen, TalentCorp, and UN Women, solidifying their commitment to enhancing economic empowerment for women in Malaysia's private sector. Signatories Anne Abraham (LeadWomen), Thomas Mathew (TalentCorp), and Katja Freiwald (UN Women) pledged to collaborate on promoting women’s full and equal participation in the workforce. The partnership aims to improve employability and create equitable workplaces by leveraging frameworks like the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) and the Wanita MyWira platform, in addition to the implementation of the Gender Action Labs. The goal is to ensure women have equal access to opportunities, recognition, and pay, aligning with the MADANI vision of achieving a 60% female workforce participation rate. This initiative signifies a bold step toward a future where empowered women drive progress, inspire innovation, and shape a more inclusive world for all.

• Opening Panel | Where Do We Stand on Gender Equality in the World of Work in Malaysia?: The opening panel provided critical insights into the current state of gender equality in Malaysia’s workforce. Moderated by Anne Abraham, Founder & Chair of LeadWomen, the discussion highlighted key challenges such as the gender pay gap, occupational segregation, and limited access to leadership roles for women. Panellists Katja Freiwald of UN Women, Zubair Raffiq of 可口可乐公司 , and Siva Kumeren A Narayanan of TalentCorp emphasised the need for comprehensive strategies and collaboration across sectors. The session underscored the importance of sustained commitment from both public and private sectors to create a more inclusive and equitable work environment in Malaysia.

• What’s Next for Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) in Malaysia?: Amy Baum , International Consultant on Women’s Economic Empowerment from UN Women Asia-Pacific, delivered a compelling session titled “What’s Next for Women’s Economic Empowerment in Malaysia? Overview of Gender Action Labs (GAL).” She introduced the Gender Action Lab, a collaborative initiative by UN Women and Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The platform is designed to drive gender-transformative change in the private sector, fostering innovation to advance gender equality, women’s empowerment, and sustainable development. The session highlighted Malaysia’s potential for further gender-inclusive growth, underscoring the importance of private sector engagement and multi-stakeholder collaboration in creating more inclusive and resilient economies across the region.

• Liza Liew , Client and Consulting Services Manager at LeadWomen then rounded up the session with a brief overview of the care economy and family-friendly workplaces in Malaysia. Citing care work as the biggest reason why women leave workplaces, she highlighted the importance of having holistic support from all parties to effectively tackle the issue.?

• Gender Action Lab Workshops and Ideation Part I & II: This 2-part workshop was an opportunity for our participants to engage in discussion and ideation across 6 topic areas under women’s economic empowerment. Facilitated by leaders from various organisations as well as subject matter experts, the participants were able to share the challenges, as well as potential solutions to address these areas:
• Care Economy and the Labor Force Participation: Ensuring women can enter, return to, and thrive in the world of work in Malaysia (facilitated by…will add it in with their linkedin profile for you to tag)
• What Gets Measured Gets Managed: Data-driven solutions for gender equality?
• Male Allyship to Promote Women Leadership: Supporting existing and new women leaders in the workplace?
• Safe Workplaces for Everyone: Addressing sexual harassment in the World of Work?
• The Role of Brands in Shaping Social Norms: Breaking stereotypes with the power of branding and social messaging?
• Women in Tech: Increasing supply and visibility of female talents in STEM

All this input will help inform not just the first thematic lab but for future labs as well. The session was well received as participants were provided the platform to share their experiences and also network with each other.

• WEPs Awards Ceremony: The UN Women 2024 Malaysia Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Awards Ceremony celebrated and recognised companies driving gender equality across various sectors. The WEPs Awards is a flagship initiative which aims to spotlight innovative practices that empower women and inspire more businesses to adopt gender-inclusive strategies. Organised as part of the new initiative ‘UN Women Gender Action Lab: Gender Action Lab: Innovation and Impact for Gender Equality in Asia-Pacific,’ the awards is supported by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).?Throughout the ceremony, esteemed judges presented awards in seven categories, recognising companies that excelled in gender-inclusive workplaces, gender-responsive marketplaces, community partnerships, transparency, innovative financing, SME champions, and leadership.

Highlights included:

• PwC Malaysia took the top spot for Gender Inclusive Workplace, with Havas Malaysia as the first runner-up.
• Pinkcollar Employment Agency won Gender Responsive Marketplace, followed by Julie's Biscuits and Earth Heir Collective .
• Sarawak Energy Berhad led in Community Engagement and Partnerships, with ITrain and Forest Interactive winning first and second runner up respectively.
• Bursa Malaysia was announced as the sole winner? for Transparency and Reporting
• Bintang Capital Partners topped the Innovative Financing for Gender Equality category, with Wahine Capital as the first runner-up.
• SME Champions included Nadira Yusoff from Kiddocare Malaysia for Leadership Commitment, FIRMUS for Gender Inclusive Workplace and 3R Media for Gender Responsive Marketplace.
• Lina Tan from Red Communications triumphed in Leadership Commitment category, closely followed by Sze Phing Chuah from Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd and @Noor Emeera Hashim from Impacto

The evening concluded with special recognition for Dr. Vimaleswari K Ramasamy of STRAVIK for her pioneering and long standing efforts in DEI. The ceremony served as a powerful platform for showcasing companies leading gender equality in Malaysia to inspire other organisations to do the same.

The event provided the perfect prelude to the APAC DEI Summit, underscoring that gender equality is not just a moral obligation - it’s a strategic necessity for businesses in today’s economy.