KOTA KINABALU: Women now occupy 42.22% of decision-making positions in Sabah, particularly within technical and professional fields, state Minister of Women, Health and People’s Wellbeing Datuk Julita Majungki (pic) announced.
Speaking at the 2026 Sabah-level Women’s Day Celebration, Majungki said the figure demonstrates that women have transitioned from passive beneficiaries to active contributors in the state’s development.
However, she stressed that empowerment efforts must expand beyond economic participation to encompass legal rights, physical protection, leadership, and overall well-being.
"An empowered woman knows her rights, has confidence in her abilities, and knows that she does not have to face a problem alone," Majungki said, calling for structured cross-sector collaboration between government agencies, non-governmental organisations, the private sector, and local communities.
To support legal protection, the Women’s Legal Aid Centre (PBGW) handled 889 cases between 2018 and July 2026, serving 1,237 individual clients across 1,625 related matters.
Leadership and skill-building initiatives have also been expanded across the state.
The Sabah Women’s Leadership Academy (AKWAN) has trained 1,215 participants, with 379 earning official certification.
Simultaneously, the Women’s Affairs Department (JHEWA) provided skills development and entrepreneurship programs benefiting 6,952 women from 2022 to 2026.
To embed gender perspectives across public administration, the state established the Sabah Gender Focal Point (SGFP) initiative, which has developed nearly 50 certified change agents to ensure gender-inclusive planning and service delivery in government operations.
