The First Malaysian Women Leaders' Forum

Meeting Participants to the first Malaysian Women Leaders Forum Meeting led by Prof. Dato' Dr. Nor Aeini Hj Mokhtar and supported by Dr. Robecca Jumin and her team from WWF Sabah, Malaysia

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah; 7th November 2016 – Women representatives from local NGOs, government agencies, and university experts gathered at the WWF Sabah, Malaysia office to attend the first Malaysian Women Leaders’ Forum (WLF) under the auspices of the Coral Triangle Initiative for Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF).

Following the Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG-5) – “to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”, the WLF Malaysia meeting aimed toward the finalization of its Terms of Reference. With the formal establishment of the WLF in Malaysia, it is hoped that more support from the public, government agencies, international initiatives, and private organizations can be pooled together to combat gender bias at all levels. Importantly, as mandated by the CTI-CFF Council of Senior Officers during the 11th and 12th Senior Officials’ Meeting, gender issues have been identified and actions outlined to ensure gender mainstreaming into decision-making processes at all levels.

The meeting was chaired by the interim Chair of WLF, Prof. Dato’ Dr. Nor Aieni Hj Mokhtar, Vice Chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, previously the Under-Secretary of the National Oceanographic Directorate, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), serving as the Malaysian National Secretariat for CTI-CFF. Participants from various organizations attended this meeting, including Dr. Norasma Dacho from the Department of Fisheries Sabah, who is also the Project Management Coordinator for the Asian Development Bank RETA 7813 Project; representatives from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) as the CTI Sabah branch; local NGO representatives; and representatives from the CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat.

Other agenda items during the meeting included: (i) Introduction of CTI-CFF by the Regional Secretariat and Regional WLF current status since SOM-12; (ii) Briefing by WWF Sabah on its activities both in Sabah and Melaka in Peninsular Malaysia; (iii) Presentations by local organizations led by women leaders — Kudat Turtle Conservation Society, Padang Kemunting Turtle Friendly Village, Wanita Pulau Omadal, and Green Semporna.

The meeting agreed for the WLF Interim National Secretariat to be undertaken by WWF Sabah, Malaysia, and led by the current Chair of WLF Malaysia until the next meeting for further discussions on the establishment of the WLF Malaysia National Secretariat and its work plan.