KUCHING: The establishment of a dedicated unit under the Sarawak Women and Family Department (JWKS), called D2EI (Diversity, Equality, Equity and Inclusivity), will be the first of its kind in Malaysia.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the unit has a clear purpose which is to empower and elevate the role of women in Sarawak.
“We cannot deny that women play an important role across all sectors, economic, social, and other fields that will shape their future contributions.
“The D2EI initiative is aligned with the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, and within the Sarawak context, women are recognised as key players in all sectors identified under the strategy.
“This includes public administration, education, healthcare, science and technology, law, modern agriculture, entrepreneurship, as well as digitalisation and innovation,” he said during the Sarawak Women’s Day celebration at the DUN Complex here Saturday (Aug 2).
This is one of several efforts spearheaded by Minister of Women, Early Childhood and Community Well-being Development, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, to elevate women’s leadership and create a more inclusive work environment and at the same time, achieve the goals of D2EI.
He also highlighted that the state government is working to improve household income, in line with Sarawak’s status as a high-income state.
“To raise income levels, especially for the B40 group and rural communities, we are developing infrastructure. Once infrastructure is in place, it creates opportunities to increase earnings.
“Rural household income can be enhanced through a holistic rural development approach, particularly by adopting modern agriculture and leveraging technology for social empowerment,” he said.
He added that starting next year, free tertiary education will be provided at Sarawak-owned educational institutions.
“In villages, even if a child is intelligent, financial limitations may prevent them from pursuing higher education.
“By providing free university education, we are giving these rural children a fair chance to continue their studies.”
He said that when these students graduate, they will possess the skills and talent to secure high-income jobs, which will in turn contribute to higher household income.
“This is our approach to reducing poverty. That is why the D2EI policy will help us lower poverty rates and increase earnings — ensuring household income keeps pace with the state’s growth,”he added.
