Appreciate, respect and treat women with kindness — Queen
KUALA LUMPUR: Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia, has called upon the people to show appreciation and respect towards women, and treat them with gentleness and love.
In a post on the official Facebook page of ‘His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia’, Raja Zarith Sofiah wished all women in Malaysia a happy International Women’s Day 2024.
“Her Majesty has urged everyone to appreciate and respect women, treating them with kindness and love, as they too contribute to the progress of the nation,” said the post.
In line with this year’s theme for Malaysia’s celebration of International Women’s Day, ‘Wanita Dijulang, Negara Gemilang’ (Women Elevated, Nation Excels), Raja Zarith
Sofiah conveyed her deepest appreciation to all women who diligently fulfill various responsibilities, whether as wives, mothers, or workers across different fields.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government would always remain firm and consistent in protecting the rights of women in this country.
In a post on Facebook in conjunction with the International Women’s Day celebration yesterday, he said the government would also ensure that relevant policies would be drawn up to ensure that every aspect of women’s rights would continue to be upheld.
“Happy International Women’s Day to all women, especially in Malaysia. This significant day is celebrated to appreciate the role and responsibility of women in building civilisation and society and to ensure that they are given the rightful place to contribute to the sustainable development of society,” he said in the post.
The Prime Minister also took the opportunity to express appreciation to his wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, for standing together in the long struggle to reform the system and rectify shortcomings.
International Women’s Day, observed annually on March 8, recognises the accomplishments of the group in various fields, while also advocating for the ongoing fight for women’s rights.
KUALA LUMPUR: Focus needs to be given on increasing women’s participation in the labour force, particularly in the country’s digital economy industry, says Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching.
She said even though women comprised 55.1 per cent of Malaysia’s workforce in 2022, they only represented 35 per cent of the digital economy industry.
Speaking to reporters after the International Women’s Day celebration hosted by the Deputy Communications Minister’s Office and MyCreative Ventures here yesterday, Teo stressed the importance of combating gender stereotypes.
“Certain professions, such as teaching and nursing, have traditionally been dominated by women, but this is the gender gap we want to address. We also need to educate future generations to encourage women to pursue careers in fields like engineering and men to consider nursing.
“I believe that if we can break these gender stereotypes, we can see more balanced participation in all fields. When we have inclusivity from all genders, ethnicities and cultures, it will help us (the government) make more conducive and better decisions,” she said.
Earlier, in her special address at the event, Teo shared statistics from the Digital Economy Centre (PEDi) – now known as the National Information Dissemination Centre (NaDi) –indicating that 76 per cent of the entrepreneurs mentored by the centre between 2021 and February 2024 were females.
Statistics from Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) showed that 57 per cent of female entrepreneurs had participated in the eUsahawan Programme from 2015 until 2023.
“Active participation in the digital sector by women can be seen in the food and beverage sector (30 per cent), beauty and health (16 per cent) and fashion (10 per cent).
“This indicates that women are now actively contributing to the economy, starting as small-scale entrepreneurs. The road may be long, but like every journey, it starts with a single step,” she added.
Therefore, in conjunction with International Women’s Day, Teo called for examining the need for inclusion, challenging stereotypes and dismantling discriminatory practices. — Bernama