KOTA SAMARAHAN: Efforts to empower women through formal and informal employment continue to gain momentum under the ‘Sarawak Women at Work’ initiative.

Sarawak Minister for Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said the initiative seeks to ensure women have access to opportunities, support and avenues to remain economically active, whether in formal or informal employment.

She said this would enable them to contribute to family finances, raise household income and in turn play a greater role in Sarawak’s economic development.

According to her, women’s labour force participation rate in Sarawak stood at 52.7 per cent in 2024, compared with 85.4 per cent for men, despite women making up between 50 and 60 per cent of students in institutions of higher learning.

“The main objective of Sarawak Women at Work is to increase women’s participation in the workforce, broaden access to inclusive economic opportunities, provide pathways for them to return to work and enhance their skills.

“Education is the foundation of social mobility and building a better future. The wellbeing of families and communities can also be enhanced when women are educated,” she said when officiating at the Samarahan Division Sarawak Women@Work programme at the State Farmers’ Organisation Sarawak Hall here on Wednesday.

Elaborating further, Dato Sri Fatimah stressed that every child in Sarawak should receive education from at least preschool through to Form Five.

She said the Sarawak Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) offers greater opportunities to build a better future while enabling women to earn higher incomes through equitable employment opportunities.

“Women must be assessed based on their qualifications, competencies, skills, experience and performance, not their gender,” she stressed.

The programme also places emphasis on capacity building and digital skills through collaboration with the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC), enabling women to become proficient in the use of applications and emerging technologies.

In addition, the Sarawak Women and Family Department provides Skills Training Centres to equip participants according to market needs, while the Sarawak Female Head of Household Assistance offers seed capital for businesses, including in high-demand fields such as spa and massage services.

Dato Sri Fatimah added that women’s actual participation in Sarawak’s workforce is likely higher than official figures suggest, as many are engaged in the informal sector.

She explained that women involved in small businesses, caregiving and informal services are often not captured in official labour force statistics.

She said this makes the participation gap between men and women appear wider, despite women making a significant contribution to the economy.

“Many women work in the informal sector, including childcare, small businesses and unpaid work, but their contributions are not recorded as part of the formal workforce,” she explained.

Meanwhile, in response to the prevailing weather conditions, she said special standard operating procedures (SOPs) have also been put in place at childcare centres and kindergartens during the haze season, including regular monitoring of children’s hydration levels.

Also present were Samarahan Division Resident Mohamad Irwan Bahari Bujang, Sarawak Women and Family Department Director Sharifah Zakiah Tuanku Pauzi, Pemanca Seli Hassan and other guests. -UKASnews