E-commerce best platform for women to build career - Rosmah

The e-commerce industry or online business is the best platform for women to show their capability in order build a career, the prime minister's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor said.

She said commitment and passion in entrepreneurship through the platform could be a catalyst to their success, not only locally but also globally.

"For women to be successful, they should inculcate competitiveness, sustainability, optimism and creativity.

"Being courageous and not afraid of taking risks are the first step toward success," she said when launching the Malaysian Chinese Women's Economic Convention themed 'E-trade-Global Fortune' here today.

Rosmah said that trade via the Internet was not only efficient and effective, but also lowered operating costs, saved business transaction time and widened strategic alliance among entrepreneurs.

She said global companies such as Alibaba, Amazon, eBay and Walmart were among leading companies that flourished through the Internet and optimised the opportunities to generate income through the platform.

She said a similar scenario was seen in the country with e-commerce beginning to dominate the domestic market with more and more consumers turning to the Internet to make purchases.

"Looking at the marketability and potential of e-commerce, online business has become a phenomenon among entrepreneurs, especially women entrepreneurs.

"They use popular applications to market products like clothing, women's accessories, handicrafts, educational materials and food on Instagram, Facebook and blogs," she said.

She said e-commerce was being preferred as it was more flexible in terms of time and space, cost-effective, emphasis on creative and innovative thinking, and low risk.

The one-day convention, organised by Wanita MCA with the cooperation of the Women Development Foundation and Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation, is aimed at empowering women in entrepreneurship through the use of Internet and information and communication technology.