Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and Fatimah (fourth left) with the Sarawak Premier Award honourees in a photo-call taken on stage after the presentation ceremony.
KUCHING (March 18): The Sarawak Ministry for Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development has highlighted seven subject matters up for consideration by the state government.
According to minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, these are regarded as efforts in dealing with issues related to equity, equality and quality among women and families – the two key areas under the jurisdiction of her ministry.
The first matter would be the allocation of a Capital Grant Assistance for Women’s Empowerment at RM2.5 million, set to benefit 2,500 eligible women.
Fatimah said this represented the effort to empower women’s participation, especially the single mothers and those from Bottom 40 Per Cent (B40) households, in various fields in the economy.
“The Women and Family Department Sarawak (JWKS) has trained 24,580 women in the fields of culinary, beauty, spa and massage, and tailoring, since 2015.
“Realising that empowering women not only involves training to generate income, but also entrepreneurial capital grants,” she said in her speech for the state-level Women’s Day 2023 at the Penview Convention Centre (PCC) in Demak here today.
Fatimah said for this purpose, the state government had allocated RM500,000 in 2018, RM1 million in 2019, and RM2 million in 2020.
Secondly, she requested for JWKS offices in all the divisions.
“Since JWKS was upgraded to a (government) department status on Jan 15, 2015, it has established seven community sewing skills centres (PKJK) – each in Kuching, Serian, Sarikei, Sibu, Dalat, Bintulu and Limbang.
“I would like to suggest that each PKJK be used as a JWKS office for their respective divisions to expand our reach to women outside Kuching.”
Third matter, said Fatimah, would be to prepare Sarawak to have an ageing society – namely, those aged 60 and above.
“The ministry wishes to obtain an approval of RM1.4 million under the mid-term review of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) to conduct a research on ‘Preparation for an Ageing Nation: The Profile of and Ageing Issues Affecting the Elderly in Sarawak’, which would cover 45 districts.”
Fourthly, the ministry requested for the Social Development Council (MPS) to be a coordinated entity.
Fatimah added: “Social development is vital for balanced development, where physical, economic and social developments are given the appropriate attention.
“Social issues and problems are too complex to be addressed in silos. Integrated, collaborative and holistic approaches are required from all walks of life, be it government agencies, private and commercial organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and kind hearted-individuals.”
The fifth subject matter, said Fatimah, would be her ministry’s involvement in the State Planning Unit.
“In order to take into account evidence-based input for social development in development planning, the ministry is requesting for the Premier’s approval for my ministry to be involved in the State Planning Unit,” she said.
Fatimah then moved on to the sixth request – the establishment of a Sarawak Women’s Leadership Development Chair at a state-government-owned university.
She said this meant to strengthen the capacity and involvement of women in leadership, enable research works on women’s leadership and its relevant issues, and to develop programmes aimed at improving the ability and capacity of women in leadership.
The seventh request would call for the government to make community activity centres available in any large new housing area.
“In order to provide support for family institutions, especially those with working couples, the ministry requests for the provision of nurseries and care centres for the elderly folks in every housing estate in Sarawak,” added Fatimah.
Meanwhile, on this year’s Women’s Day themed #EmbraceEquity, the minister highlighted the importance of focusing and celebrating the contributions of Sarawakian women into various fields such politics, sports, arts, health, law, education, security as well as research, meant towards empowering women and their families as well as making the community prosperous.
At the event yesterday, five successful women were named the ‘Sarawak Premier Award’ honourees. They are Norjanah Razali (Women’s Leadership Award), Natasha Nasa Douglas Uggah (Women’s Entrepreneurship Award), Manjeet Kaur Sidhu (Women Social Activist Award) Christina Mamora (Special Achievement Award) and Bernadette Geikie representing the Society for Kuching Urban Poor (Outstanding NGO Award).