Following the
Fourth World Conference on Women organised by the
United Nations in
Beijing,
China in 1995, efforts to establish a cabinet-level body to aid the Malaysian Government in realising its aspiration towards elevating the status of women were made. KPWKM was officially established on 17 January 2001 as the Ministry of Women's Affairs with
Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil acting as the first cabinet-level Minister to solely focus on the development of women. The scope of the Ministry was widened to include family development and the name was changed to the Ministry of Women and Family Development on 15 February 2001. In 2004, the scope was further widened to include social welfare and development and the Ministry adopted its current name on 27 March 2004. Following the 14th General Elections, the Deputy Prime Minister, YAB Datuk Seri
Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (
PKR), was appointed Minister of Women, Family and Community Development on May 21, 2018. She succeeds YB Dato Sri
Rohani Abdul Karim (
PBB). The following departments and agencies are under the purview of the KPWKM: • '''Department for Women's Development (
Jabatan Pembangunan Wanita)''' :In 1975, the Government set up the
National Advisory Council on the Integration of Women in Development (NACIWID) as the machinery to ensure the involvement of
women in development. In 1983, the '''Secretariat for Women's Affairs''' (HAWA) in the Prime Minister's Department was established to take over the tasks of the NACIWID Secretariat. From 1997, HAWA functioned as a department under the former Ministry of National Unity and Social Development. In 2001, the Department was placed under the then newly established KPWKM and restructured as the Department for Women's Development (DWD). By 2002, the DWD had set up branch offices in every state in Malaysia. • '
Social Welfare Department (Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat
)' :Initially set up in 1946 as the Community Welfare Department of Malaya, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) has evolved in fulfilling its role in national development. From initially being involved in mitigating the social problems brought about by the immediate
post-war period, the role and functions of this department have expanded to cover prevention and rehabilitation services in social issues as well as community development. • '
National Population and Family Development Board (Lembaga Penduduk dan Pembangunan Keluarga Negara
)' :The National Population and Family Development Board (NPFDB) was established in 1966 to improve the reproductive health status of women and men and encourage family planning. It has since evolved to include policy and advisory roles by assisting planners and programme managers to integrate population and family development into sectoral development programme planning as well as facilitate policy makers to consider population and family development factors in the formulation of national development policies and strategies. • '
Social Institute of Malaysia (Institut Sosial Malaysia
)' :The Social Institute of Malaysia was set up to promote professional and semi-professional training in the field of training and research as well as social education to all social workers from various levels and groups from within and outside the country including
non-governmental organisations. It currently operates from a campus in
Sungai Besi that was completed in 2001. • '
Counsellors Board (Lembaga Kaunselor
)' :In the 2004 Cabinet reshuffle, the Counsellor Board and its administration was placed under the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development. The unit was then led by a Registrar in the Board's Management Unit. The Board is responsible for all matters pertaining to the enforcement of the Counsellors Act 1998 [Act 580]. ==Organisation==