Our Impact Strategy
The world needs leaders who can address issues of rising inequality and the urgent need for sustainable growth.
Studies show that the empowerment of women is the most effective strategy in addressing social issues like poverty and disease, as well as promoting overall economic growth and equity in communities.
Yet women’s participation in policy and decision making is still lagging globally.
According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, only five out of 193 countries have a representation of 50% or more women in their national parliaments. In Malaysia, as of October 2022, only 14% of Malaysian Members of Parliament and only 15% of Ministers in the Cabinet are women. Women also made up only 19.2% of board members in all publicly listed companies in Malaysia (as of July 2022). Thus, AWLUC sees its mission to educate and empower a future generation of women leaders as directly tied to a better future.
Why a focus on women’s empowerment?
A focus on women’s empowerment in Asia is highly relevant and much needed to create a conducive and confidence-building space for women to hone their leadership skills and to develop their full potential socially and economically.
Despite progress in certain areas, the gender gap persists in hindering women from achieving leadership opportunities across various fields of endeavour.
For instance, despite higher enrolment for women in higher education globally, women continue to be underrepresented in various segments of leadership spheres. Only 17 out of 193 governments are headed by women and only than 4% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. In the Southeast Asian region, 17.1% of board seats were held by women in 2021, but only 5.3% of board chairs were female. Globally, women hold an average of 19.7% of board seats and only 6.7% of board chairs. (Source: Deloitte, 2021 Women in the Boardroom Report, 7th Ed.).
A women’s university of today will focus on providing a versatile education to address these inequities by enabling students to access opportunities and drive change in their communities. The Asian Women’s Leadership University will be purposefully designed to develop leadership skills and mindsets that equip young women to take advantage of opportunities in public service and the corporate world, enhance advocacy for women’s causes and to act as prime movers in leading social transformation.
AWLUC students will participate in an innovative curriculum based on the fields of liberal arts & sciences, tailored for regional context and heavily supplemented by leadership training. The programme emphasizes critical thinking, social entrepreneurship, ethical commitments, leadership and global engagement skills.
A liberal arts education exposes students to a broad range of academic programmes in the humanities, mathematics, natural and social sciences. Students in the first and second years may choose to enroll in classes that will broaden their horizons and world-views and instill in them a life-long curiosity and thirst for knowledge, critical ingredients for leadership development. In their third and fourth years students will select their specializations according to their interests and aptitude.