Sarawak government committed to empowering women — Fatimah
KUCHING: Sarawak government is committed to empowering women with the ultimate aim of seeing women striking a balance between work and family.
In stating this, Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said women more often than not faced hurdles to gaining the necessary seed money to put their business ideas into reality.
As such, she noted that Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg had allocated RM1 million this year alone for the efforts to continue empowering women in Sarawak.
This allocation, she said, will benefit some 200 women entrepreneurs, adding the grant last year was RM500,000.
“We hope that with bigger allocation this year, more of our women entrepreneurs will succeed further in their respective undertakings,” she said when closing the ‘Empowering Women: Be Gorgeous’ programme at UCSI Hotel here yesterday.
Her text of speech was read out by Assistant Minister of Women, Family and Childhood Development Rosey Yunus.
Fatimah said the two- day programme was meant to empower women so that they could improve the economic aspect of their lives.
For many women, she said their chances of earning a decent income “is way lower than their chances of having a family”.
“Most women want both and those with family need more income especially if left to bring up their children on their own as single mother or look after their elderly parents on their own.”
She believed that participants had acquired knowledge through workshops and success stories sharing sessions during the programme.
She said the programme was also aimed at helping participants to unearth their true potential in order to achieve their goals.
“It is time we bring balance to the two spheres of women’s lives - work and family. With a better and secure income, women can find that balance.
“That they can care for their family’s practical needs and psychological needs, meeting their own personal aspiration and contributing to the community, attending to today’s basic needs and putting aside some money for their future,” she added.
Fatimah lauded the Women and Family Department Sarawak for successfully organising the programme, which had motivated participants to excel in life.
“Women empowerment is good for society, children, women and men. Balance between home and work benefits everyone.
“Together men and women need to work to achieve this balance,” she said.
Among those present was director of Women and Family Department Sarawak Noriah Ahmad.