KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 (Bernama) – Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has described the ASEAN Women’s Economic Summit (AWES) 2025 as a vital platform to foster understanding, build networks, strengthen collaboration and promote leadership among women.
She emphasised the need to create an inclusive ecosystem that empowers women to take on leadership roles at all levels, as an essential step towards driving economic progress.
“There must be sustained proactive measures to enhance the current ecosystem and strengthen the representation of women as leaders in the corporate and professional sectors,” she said in a Facebook post today.
Fadhlina also highlighted the critical role of education as a foundation for shaping a knowledgeable, competitive and ethical generation.
She noted that this aligns with World Bank findings, which indicate that quality education plays a key role in elevating a nation’s competitiveness.
“Only education can transform a person’s life,” emphasised Fadhlina.
The inaugural AWES 2025, held over two days beginning last Saturday, took place in conjunction with the 46th ASEAN Summit under Malaysia’s chairmanship this year.
Held under the theme Empowering Women, Energising ASEAN: Pioneering Economic Integration for a Resilient Tomorrow, the summit stresses the urgent need to place women at the forefront of ASEAN’s economic transformation, particularly in navigating current global challenges such as trade wars, digital transformation and sustainable development.
The summit featured strategic dialogue sessions, thought-leadership forums, leadership workshops and mentoring programmes to advance women’s leadership across the region.
— BERNAMA