MALAYSIA. Malaysia Airports marked International Women’s Day (8 March) with an event at Kuala Lumpur International Airport celebrating women’s leadership, empowerment and resilience.
Around 160 participants attended the gathering, including Malaysia Airports employees, VIP guests and media. The celebration brought together the wider airport community, including airport personnel, airline partners, retailers and government agencies, underlining the company’s commitment to supporting gender equity in line with International Women’s Day 2026’s theme #GivetoGain.
The event was attended by Guest of Honour Deputy Minister, Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development Lim Hui Ying.
Speaking at the event, Lim said: “International Women’s Day is a moment for us to recognise the achievements of women, reflect on the progress we have made, and renew our commitment to creating greater opportunities for women across our nation.
“At the national level, women represent nearly half of Malaysia’s population and form a vital part of our country’s talent base. Encouragingly, in the fourth quarter of 2025, Malaysia recorded a female labour force participation rate of 56.6%, the highest in our history. This milestone reflects the contribution of women to Malaysia’s economic growth and national development.”
She added: “The government is committed to increasing women’s labour force participation to 60% by 2033. Achieving this will require continued collaboration between government, industry and organisations to ensure women are supported to enter, remain and progress in their careers.
“When organisations invest in developing women’s skills and leadership readiness, everyone benefits,” she added. “Organisations gain stronger teams, broader perspectives and better performance. Ultimately, our nation gains greater strength and resilience.”
Senior leaders from Malaysia Airports were present at the event, including Senior General Manager Commercial Services Hani Ezra Hussin; Chief Procurement Officer Sr Azita Mohamed Tahir; General Manager Corporate Communications Shukreen Ma; Director of Malaysia Airports Azlin Ismail Shamsuddin; Chief Human Capital Officer Nadiah Tan Abdullah and Managing Director Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani.
The programme featured two insightful talks from actress, film producer and entrepreneur Tiara Jacquelina and broadcast journalist and author Freda Liu. The women shared their personal stories and discussed the challenges in balancing both professional and personal responsibilities.
Malaysia Airports Managing Director Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani gave an inspiring speech at the event. He said: “At Malaysia Airports, inclusion begins with creating real opportunities for women to grow and progress in their careers. Today, women make up more than 35% of our workforce, a +5% increase from last year. This reflects the pathways we are building for women to enter the organisation, develop their capabilities and take on greater responsibilities over time.
“At the same time, we recognise that career growth must be supported by an environment that enables women to thrive at different stages of their professional and personal journeys. This is why we continue to strengthen workplace practices that support our people, including greater flexibility and family-friendly initiatives.”
“Women today also represent 32% of our leadership, contributing to decision-making, operational leadership and the overall direction of Malaysia Airports,” he added. “Across operations, technical roles, safety, service and leadership, they help keep our airports running safely and efficiently every day.”
Across Malaysia Airports, gender balance is increasingly reflected in the organisation’s leadership landscape. The company’s Research and Planning division and subsidiary UTW, for example, are both led by women who began their careers within the organisation as executives.
The event also celebrated Malaysia’s only female Airport Manager, who began her career within Malaysia Airports in an entry-level role before progressing through the ranks to lead one of the group’s airports.
“Stories like this remind us that progress is not abstract – it is real and visible in the people around us,” Izani added.
Izani also underscored how investing in people remains central to Malaysia Airports’ ambitions for the future. He said, “This year’s International Women’s Day theme, #GivetoGain, reflects a practical reality for organisations like ours.
“When we invest in people and create pathways for development, more talent is prepared to take on responsibility and leadership. Across Malaysia Airports, this means enabling more women to progress into roles that are critical to our operational strength and long-term growth.
“As we continue our journey towards becoming the most connected airport in the Asia Pacific, we recognise that this ambition is not driven by infrastructure alone. It is driven by people.”
He concluded by saying: “Building a future-ready organisation requires us to strengthen our talent bench and ensure that opportunities for growth remain open and inclusive. In this journey, continued progress in the participation and advancement of women across leadership and critical roles will remain important as we shape the future of Malaysia Airports and the aviation industry.
“Let us not only celebrate, but also commit to sustaining this momentum. Let us continue building a workplace where every woman feels valued, supported and empowered to succeed.” ✈
The Moodie Davitt Report celebrated International Women’s Day with Voices of Impact, a special editorial initiative celebrating leadership, empowerment and collective action. Click here for our full story and watch the YouTube video above which features inspiring quotes chosen by women across the travel retail and aviation industry.
