HER Royal Highness Princess Hajah Masna, the Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MoFAT), delivered an address on “Muslim Women in the Economy: Redefining the Model of Inclusion for Muslim Women” at the APEC Women Leadership Forum in Beijing, China yesterday.

According to a press release from MoFAT, the forum was organised by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).

In the address, Her Royal Highness highlighted that, “Muslim women are able to pursue their socio-economic well-being and achieve their self-fulfilment as long as it is done within the teachings of Islam. Hence, providing equal opportunities in education and training to women would help to realise their full potential, including as professionals and entrepreneurs in the economy”.

Her Royal Highness also appreciated the efforts of regional and multilateral forums such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (Asean), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the United Nations (UN) to empower women through information and communication technology.

In this regard, Her Royal Highness encouraged continued support from governments, businesses and other stakeholders in the Asia-Pacific region to provide a conducive environment for women to become innovators and successful business leaders. This includes providing financial capital and capacity building.

In the afternoon, Her Royal Highness attended the closing of the forum where remarks were delivered by Diane Wang and Kathy Gong, Co-Chairs of the APEC Women Leadership Forum, the press release stated. - Borneo Bulletin (17 November 2013)