Sarawak forms special unit to advance gender equality, says Fatimah
KUCHING (April 22): A special unit on gender equality was established earlier this year under the Sarawak Women and Family Department (JWKS), said Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.
The Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister stated that the unit's formation reflects the Sarawak government's commitment to addressing gender equality issues, particularly in efforts to empower women.
'There are many others who are doing this, so we benchmark best practices within the country as well as outside the country.
'So basically, what will be the main role this year? The main role, as I said, is about looking at gender equity. Gender equity in various fields, in education, in politics, from every perspective,' she said after the International Women's Day (IWD) 2025 celebration at hotel here yesterday.
She also shared that her Ministry will collaborate with Asian Women's Leadership University College (AWLUC) as a strategic partner.
On another matter, Fatimah said the women's leadership chair at Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak Campus has been approved to support research and policy development on women in leadership.
'We are fine-tuning its operations and programmes,' she added.
In her speech, Fatimah highlighted that women now make up over 47 per cent of Sarawak's labour force, with significant representation in the services and public sectors.
She further noted that the number of women in senior leadership positions – both in government and in the private sector – is steadily increasing, although there is still much room for growth.
'Despite this progress, we are also aware of the persistent challenges. Gender pay gaps remain an issue, particularly in the private sector and informal employment,' she said.
The event was organised by Sarawak Centre of Performance Excellence (SCOPE) in collaboration with Asian Women's Leadership University College, the Sarawak Department of Women and Family and the Leadership Institute of Sarawak State Civil Service.
Also present were Women's Leadership University College co-founder Tan Sri Zarinah Anwar and SCOPE chief executive officer Joseph Lim.
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