The real test is whether people can make that journey too.

That was the central message from Women, Family and Community Development Minister Dato ' Sri Nancy Shukri as the 7th International Sustainable Energy Summit( ISES) 2026 ended at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre after two days of discussions on the future of energy.

And within that transition, Nancy made clear that women should not merely wait at the receiving end of change. They must help shape it. " The aspiration is that women should not be seen only as beneficiaries of the energy transition. Women must also help shape it," she said.

That means women being present where policies are designed, investments decided, technologies developed and industries led.

It also means ensuring people with disabilities and other groups vulnerable to exclusion are considered from the beginning rather than included as an afterthought.

Nancy ' s message followed a special women ' s plenary, " Energy Transition Through Women Leadership ", which

brought together experienced representatives from government and industry.

The session reinforced one of the broader messages emerging from ISES 2026: the transition towards sustainable energy is as much about people as it is about technology.

MORE THAN MEGAWATTS

The summit, themed " Envisioning Sustainable Energy Beyond Borders ", brought together policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, innovators, investors and development partners from Malaysia and abroad.

Over two days, discussions ranged from technology and investment to energy security and regional cooperation.

But Nancy sought to bring the conversation back to something much closer to home.

" The energy transition is not only about systems, targets and new technologies. Ultimately, it is about improving how people live, work and build their future," she said.

It is about whether families can build more secure futures, whether communities can withstand economic and environmental changes, and whether today ' s generation can leave its children a healthier country with better opportunities.

Sustainability, she stressed, may be an environmental and economic priority, but at its core it is also a human one.

That distinction matters.

Malaysia ' s energy transition must therefore be ambitious and economically viable— but it must also be socially inclusive.

" Progress cannot be measured only by how quickly we move, but also by whether people can move forward with us," Nancy said.

TALENT IS NOT THE PROBLEM

The numbers illustrate why the inclusion of women requires more than good intentions.

According to figures cited by Nancy from the ASEAN Energy Database System, women account for 15.7 per cent of graduates in Engineering, Manufacturing

and Construction in Malaysia.

Yet educational attainment does not necessarily translate into equivalent participation in the economy.

Malaysia ' s female labour force participation rate stood at 56.6 per cent in 2025, compared with 83.3 per cent for men.

More tellingly, of the 7.03 million Malaysians outside the labour force, 4.89 million— or 69.5 per cent— were women.

Among them, 42.8 per cent cited housework and family responsibilities as the principal reason for remaining outside the workforce.

For Nancy, the numbers point to a fundamental issue.

" Talent is not the problem. The issue