• The Women in Halal Industry (WHI) initiative, launched in June 2025, strengthens women’s role in Malaysia’s halal economy.
• Datin Paduka Hajah Hakimah and Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad stress women’s central role in policymaking, governance, and international engagement for sustainable growth.
• From 2023 to 2025, Malaysia’s halal industry contributed RM149 billion to GDP and RM61.8 billion in exports, with substantial input from women entrepreneurs.
ON Jun 16, 2025, Malaysia reached a pivotal moment with the launch of the Women in Halal Industry (WHI) initiative, officiated by Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, at the Prime Minister’s Department in Putrajaya.
The event was attended by key figures, including Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Senator Dr Zulkifli Hasan, and Halal Development Corporation (HDC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hairol Ariffein Sahari.
Led by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development in collaboration with HDC, WHI is a strategic effort to empower women’s participation and leadership across Malaysia’s halal economy. It creates a platform to recognise and strengthen women’s contributions in policymaking, certification, entrepreneurship, academia, and tourism.
The initiative comes at a time when the Halal Industry Master Plan 2030 (HIMP 2030) is delivering strong results. Between 2023 and 2025, the halal industry contributed RM149 billion to Malaysia’s GDP, with exports reaching RM61.8 billion. Malaysia’s 14 halal parks, covering over 80,000 hectares, recorded cumulative investments of RM3.8 billion in the first quarter of 2025.
Together, HIMP 2030 and WHI underscore Malaysia’s commitment to maintaining its position as a global halal leader, while ensuring that women are not only participants but also key shapers of the industry’s future.
