Lee Jia Ping

An urban rejuvenator turned gender equality advocate, Lee Jia Ping brings an unconventional blend of skills to Malaysia's women's rights movement. With nearly three decades cultivating hope through economic, social and cultural interventions, Lee is the current president of the Women's Aid Organisation (WAO).

Founded in 1982, WAO has grown into Malaysia's largest service provider for survivors of gender-based violence, reaching over 3,000 women annually through its 24-hour hotline and TINA WhatsApp service. The organisation operates the country's first domestic violence shelter, providing refuge to over 100 women and children each year while professional social workers guide survivors through the justice system with police, hospital and welfare agency interventions.

Lee's expertise in urban rejuvenation stems from her tenure as programme director at Think City under Khazanah Nasional, where she led the regeneration of Kuala Lumpur's heritage core and developed the Think City Grants Programme framework which is now adopted across four Malaysian cities. In 2025, she convened Placemaker Week ASEAN and produced its highly successful edition, while coaching high-impact projects including Kebun-Kebun Bangsar—a community farm transforming underutilised space beneath electricity pylons into a source of fresh produce for homeless shelters and refugee kitchens.

Lee views safe cities and gender equality as interconnected objectives. Her leadership philosophy developed over years of establishing public-private partnerships for urban renewal. She promotes both physical and social communities by integrating various disciplines and fostering cross-sector collaborations.