Bringing women to the forefront

OPRAH Winfrey once said: "It isn't until you come to a spi-ritual understanding of who you are - not necessarily a religious feeling, but deep down, the spirit within - that you can begin to take control."

In my view, women in the 21st century and beyond are indeed taking that first step and many steps following that to realise their potential and take control as aspiring leaders, politicians, entrepreneurs and professionals in diverse sectors of the economy. Worldwide, women are increasingly assuming pivotal roles in the mainstream economy as agents of positive change, bringing about a new wave of economic, social and political development.

In Malaysia, nearly half of all women are active in the workforce and women account for 60 per cent of the labour force in key industries, such as the financial services sector, while the manufacturing sector is the largest employer of women in the country.

In universities, females make up more than 60 per cent of the total student po-pulation. Statistics from the United Nations show that only 25 per cent of the working Malaysian women are decision-makers today.

However, with the introduction of progressive policies and innovative programmes, more and more companies are initiating the process of identifying women holding senior management positions and preparing them to be "board-ready", gradually taking C-Suite (chief executive level) positions.

In Asean, I would say that Malaysia is ahead of the pack in introducing women-friendly policies, which augur well for the overall economy by tapping into the potential and skill-sets of women resources of the country. For instance in July last year, the government announced an ambitious target of 30 per cent women on corporate boards by 2016.

Since the announcement, we have seen the formation of a Women Director's Registry, as well as government funding for training of women direct! ors. The 2013 Budget also allocated RM50 million towards training and development of 500 women directors. This reflects our commitment as one of the fast growing-economies in the region to support the agenda and potential of female resources of the country.

Looking at recent trends, more women are in the forefront spearheading organisations, changing the fast-evol-ving business and industry landscape globally. The time has come for us to encourage women to join this phenomenal journey and be the game changers of the economy.

More often than not, women don't realise that they naturally possess inherent leadership qualities that can be translated into sound lea-dership in business. The necessary skills to be a good leader are actually within themselves.

And, as we take on this journey, we must find inspiration at every step we take - from globally-renowned women figures such as Oprah Winfrey, the queen of media, who uses TV to help us live an inspired life and has created a book club, with members reaching into the millions, to Anita Roddick known as one of the world's most successful retailers of cosmetics and cosmetic-related products, who steered a single shop to flourish into an international brand.

We need to recognise the many branches that come along the way, especially innovative and global platforms that allow meaningful dialogues and networking opportunities. Such events typically allow de-legates from various markets around the world to convene not just to share experiences, but most importantly working together to devise solutions, form alliances and build new strategies to enhance participation of women in economic development.

The Global Summit of Women is one such initiative, which has had more than 22 years of successful track-record in providing a platform to explore practical strategies and best practices in advancing women's economic opportunities around the world.

This year, Malaysia takes pride in hosting the Summit from June 6 to June 8 in Kuala Lu! mpur. Abo! ut 1,000 delegates from more than 70 countries across the world will not only understand more about the Malaysian market, but they also get to meet our women corporate and entrepreneurial leaders, as well as explore possible alliances and business ventures.

With the theme "Women: Creating New Economies" - this year, the summit will focus on women's pi-votal role in terms of contribution and impact on the global economy as leaders, entrepreneurs, consumers and workers.

I, personally, would say that the summit will provide an opportunity for Malaysian women as well as women from all over the world to deliberate on practical strategies and best practices in advancing women's economic opportunities.

It is only through summits like this that women learn best practices from each other to jump-start their businesses or career plans through sharing of winning solutions.

The wife of our Prime Minister, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, once said: "In order to become successful and influential, women must overcome the psychological barriers of their own making, while mindsets and conventions evolve to accommodate the rising influence of women, and women too must strive harder to form stronger, broader and robust support networks."

So women! Be game changers and elevate your business to a new and exciting level. Don't be satisfied with just getting by; make it your mission to become the best of the best and one of the greatest to ever do it!

Book your date! I look forward to personally welcoming you to the Global Summit of Women 2013, from June 6 to June 8!

Datuk Hafsah Hashim is the chief executive officer of Small and Medium Enterprises Corporation Malaysia (SME Corp Malaysia)