KUCHING: A public forum held in conjunction with International Women’s Day today (8 March) invited the public to rethink the role of women in society by framing their often unseen contributions as a form of “human infrastructure”.
Titled ‘Women as Infrastructure – A Public Audit’, the forum was organised as part of the ‘Seni Kita: Riang Raya’ programme at tHe Spring Shopping Mall.
The event brought together members of the public for a discussion on the unseen labour that sustains families, communities and institutions.
The programme was organised by HAUS KCH in collaboration with Koperasi Bintang Tujuh Sarawak Bhd, Sarawak Women for Women Society, and Dayung Warisan.
The forum encouraged audiences to expand the idea of infrastructure beyond physical structures such as roads and buildings to include the everyday human effort that quietly keeps society functioning.
Framed around the question ‘What collapses if women stop?’, the discussion examined how much of this essential labour is carried out by women through caregiving, emotional support, cultural continuity, and navigating institutions.
The conversation was created and moderated by president of Koperasi Bintang Tujuh Sarawak Bhd, Ellis Sebai Bandak, who highlighted how women’s work often forms an essential but unrecognised support system within society.
The forum featured three speakers who shared perspectives drawn from their personal and professional experiences.
Iban singer and entrepreneur, Melissa Francis, who also serves as Head of Public Relations at Koperasi Bintang Tujuh Sarawak Bhd, spoke about emotional infrastructure.
She highlighted the unseen care work, mental load, and relational labour that help families and communities function.
Community advocate, Mas Andika, discussed institutional infrastructure, stressing the importance of systems that recognise and support women’s voices, particularly those who struggle to be heard.
Mas is also actively involved with the Sarawak Women for Women Society and the Sarawak Storytellers Association.
Meanwhile, founder of Benang Studio, Eleanor Nandong, explored the idea of cultural infrastructure through her work empowering women through craft and heritage.
Through the ‘Stitching Hope’ initiative, she equips survivors of domestic abuse and women from low-income communities with textile skills that help build confidence, income and independence.
The panel highlighted how emotional, institutional and cultural forms of labour, often carried out by women, play a crucial role in sustaining communities, preserving heritage and strengthening social resilience.
The event forms part of the Seni Kita: Riang Raya initiative, which brings together arts, storytelling and community dialogue in accessible public spaces.
