More than 200 leaders from government, industry and the corporate sector gathered at CelcomDigi in Subang on 1 September 2026 to discuss how to strengthen women’s participation in high-growth sectors and technology, as part of National Women’s Day 2026 celebrations.

The event, titled Future-Ready Women: Leading Malaysia Through Transformation, was co-hosted by the Women Leadership Foundation (WLF) and CelcomDigi Berhad. Organisers said the dialogue was intended to explore how women can gain equal access to digital skills and leadership pathways as artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies reshape the economy.

WLF, established in 2021, is a non-profit organisation focused on accelerating the advancement of women into leadership and decision-making roles across Malaysia and the region. It works through mentoring, executive education, advocacy, research and strategic partnerships with government, industry and academia.

The gathering brought together representatives from government, industry and the corporate sector to discuss the kind of support needed for women’s advancement in a changing economic landscape. Organisers described the partnership as combining WLF’s experience in developing women leaders with CelcomDigi’s expertise in technology and talent development, with the aim of demonstrating how cross-sector collaboration can create more inclusive career pathways for women.

In her keynote address, YB Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, spoke about the role of policy in creating a supportive environment for women to thrive.

Her remarks were made against a backdrop of rising female labour force participation. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), the female labour force participation rate reached 56.6 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2025, a record high. [Editor’s note: this figure was corroborated independently by DOSM’s own labour force releases and multiple news outlets, confirming the number in the press release is accurate and current.]

“We must therefore ensure that women can participate in the digital economy with confidence. This means providing opportunities to learn at different stages of life and recognising that not everyone begins from the same starting point. It also means connecting training to meaningful pathways into employment, entrepreneurship and career progression.”

YB Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development

During the event, guests visited the CelcomDigi AI Experience Centre (AiX), where they were given a first-hand look at how AI and 5G technology are shaping the future of work.

Other highlights included a session by YABhg Tun Tengku Maimun binti Tuan Mat, who served as Chief Justice of Malaysia from 2019 until her retirement in July 2025, becoming the country’s first woman to hold the post.

The event also featured a panel discussion on navigating technological disruption, digital transformation, AI acceleration and evolving workforce expectations. Panellists also explored the mindsets needed for the future and how women can build them effectively, according to organisers.

This year’s event coincided with WLF’s fifth anniversary, marking five years of work to advance women into leadership and decision-making roles across Malaysia and the region.

“For us at WLF, being future-ready is not simply about understanding new technologies. It is about preparing women to make decisions, lead organisations, shape policy and create opportunities in a world that is changing at extraordinary speed. Our partnership with CelcomDigi creates a powerful bridge between leadership development and technology, bringing these conversations into the same room and, importantly, turning them into connections and opportunities.”

Emylia Anwar, chief executive officer of WLF

CelcomDigi, which has positioned itself as a champion of diversity and of creating leadership opportunities for women, particularly in technology-related roles, said women currently make up 49 per cent of its approximately 2,850-strong workforce. The company said women account for 42 per cent of leadership roles overall, and 15 per cent of leadership positions within its technology and innovation functions.

“Technology may be transforming how we work, but people remain the driving force behind progress. As AI and digitalisation reshape industries, it is important that women are equipped with the skills and support needed to succeed. Through our partnership with WLF, we are bringing together complementary strengths to help cultivate a stronger pipeline of talent and contribute to a more inclusive and competitive Malaysia.”

Albern Murty, chief executive officer of CelcomDigi

The dialogue between WLF and CelcomDigi lands at a moment when Malaysia’s policymakers are placing renewed emphasis on closing the gender gap in economic participation, particularly as AI and automation begin to reshape which skills the labour market values. The female labour force participation rate of 56.6 per cent, while a record for Malaysia, still trails the government’s own target of 60 per cent under the country’s medium-term economic planning, and lags participation rates in several regional and OECD economies. That gap underscores why initiatives pairing policy dialogue with hands-on technology exposure — such as the AiX centre visit organised for this event — are increasingly viewed by both government and industry as necessary complements to formal skills training, rather than optional add-ons.

For corporate Malaysia, the partnership also reflects a broader shift in how large employers are expected to demonstrate progress on inclusion. CelcomDigi’s disclosure of its own gender composition figures — with women making up close to half its workforce but a markedly smaller share of leadership within its technology and innovation functions — illustrates a pattern common across the telecommunications and technology sector globally: representation typically declines the closer one moves to specialised technical leadership roles. Programmes that combine mentorship, executive education and direct exposure to emerging technologies, of the kind WLF and CelcomDigi say they are building through this collaboration, are among the interventions increasingly cited by economists and workforce researchers as effective in narrowing that leadership gap over time, rather than simply improving entry-level hiring numbers.

More broadly, the event signals continued momentum behind public-private collaboration on workforce development in Malaysia, an area that has drawn growing attention as the country positions itself within regional supply chains for AI, data centres and digital services. Cross-sector platforms that connect ministers, senior judiciary figures, non-profit leaders and corporate executives in a single forum — as this one did — are intended to accelerate the translation of policy ambition into concrete pathways for employment, entrepreneurship and career progression, particularly for women who may be entering or re-entering the workforce at different life stages. Whether such dialogues yield measurable shifts in participation and leadership figures over the coming years will likely depend on the extent to which the training and mentorship commitments discussed at events like this one are followed through with sustained investment, rather than one-off engagements tied to commemorative dates such as National Women’s Day.

---

Photos by CelcomDigi.