Our Approach
Teaching women how to fish, rather than giving them fish.
Women of Will believes that sustainable change happens when women are equipped with the resources, skills, and support to create opportunities for themselves and their communities. Rather than providing one-off assistance, we invest in women’s potential through a holistic entrepreneurship and leadership development journey.
Participants receive up to RM2,000 in business capital to start or strengthen their micro-enterprises, alongside structured training in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, digital marketing, product development, and business management. Each participant is also supported through coaching, mentoring, and regular engagement over a 6–12 month period to help build confidence, resilience, and sustainable livelihoods.
A unique feature of the Women of Will model is the Community Development Fund (CDF). Participants contribute 20% of the capital received back into a community-managed fund, interest-free. At the end of the programme, the women collectively identify community needs and utilise the accumulated fund to implement projects that benefit their neighbourhoods. These initiatives may include educational programmes, wellbeing activities, environmental projects, support for vulnerable families, or other community priorities identified by the women themselves.
This approach transforms individual entrepreneurship into collective community action. While inspired by the principles of Professor Muhammad Yunus’ Grameen Model, Women of Will has evolved the concept beyond microfinance by integrating entrepreneurship, wellbeing, leadership development, and community stewardship. The result is a model that not only helps women build sustainable livelihoods but also empowers them to become active changemakers within their communities.
Our Inspiration:
About the Grameen Banking System
Women Of Will's approach was originally inspired by the pioneering work of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus, whose Grameen Model demonstrated how access to capital can empower women to improve their economic circumstances and strengthen their families.
Founded in Bangladesh in 1976, the Grameen Model challenged conventional banking practices by extending small, collateral-free loans to women who were traditionally excluded from formal financial systems. The model has since been adopted and adapted across more than 150 countries, contributing to poverty reduction and financial inclusion for millions of women worldwide.
While Women Of Will draws inspiration from these principles of empowerment, trust, and community support, our model has evolved beyond micro-finance. Today, we combine entrepreneurship development, wellbeing, leadership cultivation, and community stewardship to create lasting change.
Participants not only receive access to business capital and capacity-building opportunities, but also contribute towards a Community Development Fund that enables women to collectively design and implement initiatives that benefit their wider communities. This shift reflects our belief that empowering women is not only about improving individual livelihoods, but also about strengthening the communities in which they live.
At Women Of Will, we see women not merely as beneficiaries, but as entrepreneurs, leaders, and change makers capable of driving sustainable and community-led development.