Upskilling crucial for women to excel in leadership, says Dr Wan Azizah

Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the wife of Malaysia’s Prime Minister and the Girl Guides Association of Malaysia president, emphasised the importance of continuous education, upskilling, reskilling, and cross-skilling for women to remain at the top of leadership. She believes that women’s participation in leadership roles should be based on their skills and capabilities, rather than simply filling quotas.

Dr Wan Azizah addressed the Asia Pacific Region Intergenerational Leadership Roundtable, stating that partnerships between leaders of different generations are essential, with each generation learning from the other. She said, “Those of us who are more experienced should be allies and role models to emerging leaders.”

She also highlighted the need for collaboration with multiple stakeholders to achieve government initiatives aimed at increasing female participation in leadership positions. Dr Wan Azizah believes that collaboration among different generations and countries can improve the position of women in leadership.

The roundtable event, which took place from June 11-14, was co-hosted by the Asia Pacific Region World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and supported by Temasek Foundation. Its goal was to spark conversations and formulate strategies for practising intergenerational leadership to create a sustainable and thriving region. A total of 230 participants aged 18 to 30, including delegations from 15 countries, attended the roundtable.

Countries represented at the event included Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, the Maldives, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Datuk Dr Juseon Byun, the founder of Friends of Asia Pacific World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, praised Malaysia as a pioneer in women’s leadership training and expressed confidence in the further growth and progress of the Malaysia Girl Guides Association under Dr Wan Azizah’s leadership.