-Bernama filepic
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has faith in the capabilities of women and believes they can achieve as much as their male peers in various social and economic sectors, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
He said women today hold high positions in fields that were once monopolised by men, such as in the security forces, the state cabinet, and in private and government departments and agencies.
"There are also many who are in aviation as pilots, astronauts, doctors, lawyers, engineers, and other career paths," he said during the state-level Women’s Day celebration here on Friday (Aug 23).
Hajiji said Sabah would always support and acknowledge the abilities of women in policy and decision-making positions.
His speech was delivered by Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya, who is also Sabah Works Minister.
At the event, he said Sabah has allocated RM1.5mil to women's associations and non-governmental organisations to hold more programmes beneficial for women's development.
This is a form of support from the government, which appreciates the contributions of women as a whole, said Hajiji.
The RM1.5mil is to be coordinated by the Sabah Women’s Affairs Department (JHEWA), he said.
He added that women are important contributors to the state’s social, education, administration, political, and economic development, among other sectors.
Additionally, the state has allocated RM6.36mil to the JHEWA and RM700,000 to the Sabah Women Advisory Council (MPWS) for this year’s projects and women’s development activities.
"I want the MPWS, as the think-tank and advisor to women’s issues, to be more aggressive and proactive in contributing ideas to boost women’s development and participation in various fields in the state," he said.
He also urged JHEWA, which acts as the state agency tasked with handling women’s affairs, to continue conducting effective and efficient development programmes for women to achieve targets and objectives.
