PUTRAJAYA, Dec 29 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) Srikandi (Women) chief Datuk Seri Rina Harun urged her members to champion the cause to uplift women through entrepreneurship.

In her policy speech this morning, Rina advised Srikandi members to help improve the status of women business owners in a global level.

"Women are synonymous as small and medium enterprise owners, Srikandi should change this status and make these women as world-class entrepreneurs’ like Saiditina Khadijah,” she said, referring to the first wife of the prophet Muhammad who was a successful caravan merchant.

She also revealed that women entrepreneurs consist of 340,000 from the Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, a fund set up to help low income families.

Rina also said the rise of the online market platform has helped small business owners to thrive.

She urged women entrepreneurs to take this opportunity and find ways to expand their business.

"The online marketing platform had made women entrepreneurs in villages to increase their income and allow them to bring their product and services to the global market.

"It is now impossible for a jar of pineapple tart priced at RM35 to be sold for US$20 (RM83) to a buyer in the United States.

"Everything is now possible if the marketing is done right. Even more, if the small-time entrepreneur is given the right online marketing training,” she said.