KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 — Putrajaya will put RM6 million towards research and programmes that will empower women to be successful, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.

When launching the 2023 International Women’s Day celebration here, he said RM5 million will go to the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry while RM1 million was allocated to the Tabung Kasih Rahmah Wanita for domestic violence and abandonment victims.

"Women have long been the backbone of this country but we still hear of them being abused, their rights trampled, and we do not acknowledge the sacrifices they’ve made for us to prosper.

"In Islam, a woman’s role is indispensable as she is the one holding down the household. In fact, our Malaysia Madani will not be a success if it weren’t for the sacrifices the women in my life have made especially my wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

"So, to empower women even more, bring them to the forefront of all aspects of society I have made a few plans beginning with the i-Sayang initistive that’ll allow a husband to give his wife two per cent of his Employers Provident Fund (EPF) savings to his wife.

"This will give housewives and women without jobs some financial security for their golden years,” Anwar said during the launch of the International Women’s Day event in Kuala Lumpur today.

Anwar also announced an Anti-Sexual Harassment Advocacy Guidelines that will be used to organise preventative measures as well as advocacy programmes to raise sexual harassment awareness at all ages.

Apart from that Anwar also asked that all private companies have at least 30 per cent of their senior leadership comprise of women.

"The goal is to see at least 30 per cent women represented on all board of directors by 2025,” he added.

International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.