80% of Malaysian Women Aspire to be Entrepreneurs, but Wider Support Needed to Encourage Actual Action
Kuala Lumpur, 11 August 2020 – Premier global nutrition company, Herbalife Nutrition, released new findings from its second annual Global Entrepreneurship Survey 2020, which revealed that women in Malaysia have stronger entrepreneurial aspirations compared to women across the globe. According to the survey findings, four in five women (80%) in Malaysia aspire to be entrepreneurs, higher than the global average of 72%.
Conducted by OnePoll in March and April 2020, the Herbalife Nutrition Global Entrepreneurship Survey 2020 polled 9,000 women, including 2,000 women from Indonesia, Malaysia*, Philippines and Singapore on their attitudes towards entrepreneurship. Beyond uncovering the entrepreneurial ambitions of women in the country, the survey found that practical reasons took precedence as the top motivators for entrepreneurship during this time. When asked about their motivations for starting their own business, the desire for a career change (67%), the need to support their family (60%), and the desire to become their own boss (56%) emerged tops. These came ahead in comparison to other reasons such as solving problems/ improving the world (46%) and wanting more flexibility in their job (40%).
“The survey uncovered many interesting facts about Malaysian women and their views on entrepreneurship. Based on the results, it can be seen that the need to find alternative sources of income to support their families has become the top motivating factor for entrepreneurship among Malaysian women. Women in the nation have a strong desire to start their own business compared to the global average and we see opportunities for Malaysia to actively encourage women entrepreneurship,” said Steven Chin, General Manager/ Director of Herbalife Nutrition Malaysia.
