Budget 2027: Support Women Entrepreneurs To Raise Output, Expand To ASEAN - Association

By Nurunnasihah Ahmad Rashid

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 (Bernama) -- Assistance for women entrepreneurs under Budget 2027 should support higher production capacity and wider market access to help their businesses expand locally and into ASEAN markets, according to a women’s entrepreneur association.

Persatuan Usahawan Wawasan Wanita Malaysia (WAWASANITA) honorary advisor Datin Dr Hartini Osman said financing, training and business development support could help women move from sustaining their operations to expanding production and reaching overseas customers. Hartini cited the example of helping an entrepreneur move from manually packing 100 products a day to producing 1,000 packs daily as the kind of improvement that assistance should facilitate.

“We always welcome women’s empowerment. We always welcome the survival to scale-up,” she told Bernama in an exclusive interview recently.

Under Budget 2027, RM1 million has been allocated for the Kasih Ibu Tunggal (KasihnITa) programme to empower single mothers towards greater wellbeing and independence, as well as the KIRANA (Program Kemahiran Penjanaan Pendapatan) Programme, which provides training, equipment grants and digital marketing guidance.

Commenting on support for single mothers, Hartini said agencies should assess the progress of existing assistance recipients to identify what they need to strengthen and expand their businesses. “Have they survived in the business? And what do they need to improve the business?” she added.

Hartini, who is also G100 global president for 2026, said support for women entrepreneurs should cover financing, leadership development, entrepreneurship training and access to domestic and international markets.

Helping women expand required attention to both their production capabilities and opportunities to sell their products. “How can we make sure that they are not only sold in Malaysia but also in ASEAN?” she continued.

Hartini also called for closer coordination among agencies assisting women, particularly single mothers, to ensure programmes complemented one another and reached those who had yet to benefit. “The focus group must be those who have not had the chance,” she said.

She advised that reviewing existing programmes together would help agencies avoid overlapping assistance and identify the support required at different stages of business development.

Hartini highlighted the role of cooperation between government agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in strengthening women’s economic empowerment programmes.

“Government bodies should engage openly with entrepreneurs and organisations to understand their challenges and work together on practical solutions. NGOs, meanwhile, should focus on their respective strengths, with government support helping to build their capacity to assist entrepreneurs,” she advised.

Hartini expressed hope that support spanning financing, skills development, business expansion and market access would enable more women entrepreneurs to progress from local to global markets.

-- BERNAMA