Monday March 7, 2011
By NOEL CHANG
KUALA LUMPUR: Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil urged more women to set up their own businesses to supplement their household income as well as build viable long-term businesses.
Shahrizat said recently that women who aspire to start their own businesses could acquire assistance from banks. They can also apply for start-up grants provided by the Government.
She also said that potential women entrepreneurs should equip themselves with knowledge in information and communication technology (ICT) in preparation for the ever-changing ways of marketing.
The Ministry has, to date, produced 2,000 women entrepreneurs and 3,804 more are undergoing training under the Low-Income Households (LIH) National Key Results Area (NKRA) of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP).
The 2,000 women who had completed their training are now earning over RM3,500 a month. Shahrizat said women should make up 55% of the work force.Now, they only constitute 47.3%.