WEF, G100 Global Meet 2026 Adopts Six Pillars For Women-led Development

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- Strengthening women's economic self-reliance and building an adaptive workforce through lifelong learning are among the six strategic pillars outlined in the Annual Women Economic Forum (WEF) and G100 Global Meet 2026 Resolution to drive women-led development.

Organising chairperson Datin Dr Hartini Osman said the resolution also includes advancing community transformation through social entrepreneurship and strengthening women's health and well-being.

The other priorities include ensuring that digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI) are guided by ethical principals, and advancing women's empowerment through partnerships involving policymakers, academia and the business sector.

She said the comprehensive resolution document would be submitted to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on behalf of the delegates, further reaffirming a collective commitment to empowering women, strengthening communities, and building a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future. 

"Through collaboration, responsible innovation and meaningful action, we can translate this commitment into measurable progress, empowering women to move from survival to scale up, and ensuring that they thrive with catalysts and positive change and lasting global impact," she said in her closing remarks at the Annual WEF and G100 Global Meet 2026 at the International Youth Centre (IYC) here today.

The summit brought together some 400 local and international delegates, alongside 71 speakers from 17 countries across 25 sessions.

Meanwhile, Dewan Negara member Senator Dr Jufitri Joha said in his closing address at the summit that the national target of achieving a 60 per cent female labour force participation under the National Women's Policy 2025-2030 must be supported by equitable access to capital, markets, and decision-making tables rather than mere symbolic representation.

He said that data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) showed that in 2024, only about 57 out of every 100 working-age women participated in the labour force, compared with 83 out of every 100 working-age men.

Jufitri said addressing this disparity requires a structural shift towards a human-centric economy that formally values the care economy and the role of women in community development.

"This gap represents talent and potential, and we must do more to unlock it. Yet empowerment must go beyond recognition and representation. Empowerment means access to opportunities, capital, markets, technology, and decision-making tables where the future is determined," he also said.

He added that the business community also has a critical role to play in helping translate the national direction into opportunities that women can fully utilise.

-- BERNAMA