At least 1,000 of them will be trained in 2026.

Human resources minister Steven Sim said the first cohort for the programme will go through TalentCorp’s MyMahir-certified pathways, targeting an 80% job placement rate within six months.

“This is not a charity programme for women but an empowerment initiative to tackle the unfair structures that make women work much harder compared to others,” Sim said at the launch of the programme at the Sime Darby Convention Centre.

Backed by a RM15 million co-investment model, it will mobilise 1,000 companies in its first year to adopt flexible work arrangements (FWA). They will offer “returnships” to women resuming their careers and hire those trained under the WMW programme.

Sim said the accelerator programme complements his ministry’s measures on the right for FWA, tax deductions for employers adopting FWA, paid caregiving leave, as well as expanded childcare tax reliefs under the 2026 budget.

Malaysia’s female labour force participation rate stands at 56.2%, below the 60% target set for 2030. The World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Gender Gap Report ranks the country 108th out of 146 nations.

With the implementation of the programme, Malaysia joins the WEF’s Global Gender Parity Accelerator network as the first Asean nation to do so.

The accelerator’s strategic direction will be overseen by a committee co-chaired by Sim and women, family and community development minister Nancy Shukri, alongside private sector leaders. Implementation will be led by TalentCorp, with support from both ministries and the WEF.