In conjunction with International Women’s Day and it’s theme “#BreakTheBias”, Meta is celebrating the grit and resilience of Malaysian women entrepreneurs and community leaders. While women today continue to experience a myriad of unparalleled challenges, over the past two years we have seen the positive impact that women in Malaysia have been able to create in their communities when they have a voice – from building businesses, to advocating for change, to empowering each other.
In Malaysia, there has been increase of more than 25% in Instagram businesses who self-identify as women-owned and more than 40% of women led business Facebook Pages were set up since the start of the pandemic. There has also been more than 45% of Facebook groups related to entrepreneurship have been created by women since 2021.
The flexibility offered by digital technologies is leveling out the playing field. It has enabled a new generation of women entrepreneurs and community leaders that can go global by tapping into the power of community and conversation to grow their businesses and communities.
“Women represent half of the population in the world and are half of its potential to grow, to create opportunities and to overcome poverty, which is why gender equality is essential for economies and communities to thrive. At Meta, we believe in helping women unlock their potential and creating a more resilient, inclusive and equal society through upskilling and building a strong network of allies”, said Nicole
Tan, Country Director, Malaysia at Meta.
Unlocking the potential of women entrepreneurs remains a crucial challenge of all times. Research has shown that women-led businesses tend to have weaker economic performance, are often smaller and less profitable than busi nesses owned by male peers, grow more slowly and have higher closure rates. That’s why one of our key pillars is to cultivate the growth of these women-owned small medium businesses (SMBs) by providing access to education, insights and tools through free online webinars, training, courses and certifications like Blueprint,
Facebook IQ and Meta digital tools to help you connect with the customers of today.
As e-commerce continues to flourish, the country’s creators’ economy will only continue to gain popularity and contribute to the creative industry and economy. In Malaysia, there’s a positive surge of women creators in Malaysia as especially in the SparkAR and game streaming space. For example, in Malaysia, more than 50% of Spark AR creators publishing effects for Facebook and Instagram are women and some of the top women gaming streamers include Fatin Amisa MunaXmoci and SleepyGodzillas.
“At Meta, we believe women-led businesses are vital to the broader economy and that cultivating resilience depends on the collaborative efforts of stakeholders including SMBs, policymakers and communities to help all women-led businesses improve, adapt and overcome the challenges they face. As the economies around the world work toward recovery,it is imperative that women-led SMBs are not left behind. These savvy business leaders deserve the support and opportunities required to help them flourish,” Nicole said.
Looking beyond economic gains, when women lead, they are also active role models of change and progress for their communities. People are making meaningful connections through the Meta family of apps which we believe helps foster communities of women business owners and leaders, helping them receive encouragement and camaraderie from like-minded peers. Which is why Meta is also invested in programs like Community Accelerator Program to help leaders harness the power of their community to turn impactful ideas into action and Facebook
Certified Community Manager Program to help get the tools and recognition to build, scale and connect communities more meaningfully.
For example, The Penan Women Project which is a project initiated by the Miri Women Weaving Association (MWWA) in Sarawak to help needy nomadic and semi-nomadic Penans in the Limbang and Miri divisions of Sarawak. Their goal is to help and empower Penan woman weavers to build sustainable income and continue their traditional skill and heritage crafts like weaving. It is also the aim to help build self confidence and esteem among the women weavers and give them a voice in the community. Since the pandemic, they were not able to sell their hand woven items physically and they have since further relied on Facebook as their main source of driving sales, advertising and promotion and staying connected with their customers. As a result, not only did they see a huge spike in online sales, they also expanded their client base across borders in other parts of Asia, ANZ, UK and Europe.
This International Women’s Day, Meta wishes to celebrate the resilience by inviting the broader community to show support and spotlight on Malaysian women-led businesses and communities. We will feature a local woman-led SME like Preeti’s Farsan on Meta Malaysia Facebook Page, we encourage the community to share their own favorite women-led businesses and community in the comment section and include the hashtag #BuyFromHer.
“When women entrepreneurs are provided with equitable access to technology and skills and strong government policies in education and business needed to succeed, the playing field for women will then be leveled. Better lives for women means better lives for everyone in their communities, when you improve a life through education, health, safety, and opportunity, these changes have a positive ripple effect. That is why we will continue to invest deeply in tools and training that provide women with a world of opportunities to connect, learn and grow,” added Nicole.
