KUCHING: The women’s ePreneurs application was officially launched during the entrepreneurship handover ceremony today at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), Kuching.
In conjunction with International Women’s Day, Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said that the application is necessary for all female entrepreneurs as it helps to grow their online businesses.
The application, developed in collaboration with Sarawak Department of Women and Family (JWKS) and Socoe Sdn Bhd, is a digital economy platform that helps the women entrepreneurs, especially in promoting and marketing their products online to local and global markets.
Apart from that, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg has allocated RM500,000 for the JWKS entrepreneur grants in 2018 as a seed capital to scale up their business. The grants have benefitted100 women entrepreneurs.
Fatimah noted that the 2019 International Women’s Day theme is focused on “Balance for Better” which is accurate and corresponding with big aspirations to develop themselves, their families, and society as a while.
“Women represent half the population in the world and in Sarawak, women want to work with men to help build and contribute to our state,” she said.
She added the ministry is now focusing on social issues which include drug abuse, sexual offences towards women and children, domestic violence, property crime, identification documents, marriage and divorce, sexually transmitted infections (such as HIV) and mental health.
“Today, at this state-level event, we are now focusing on empowering women in order for them to improve the economic aspect of their lives,” she told.
She mentioned that many women have a lower chance of earning a decent income than their chances of having a family, as most women want both and those with families need more income.
“It is time we bring balance to these two spheres of women’s lives, work and family. With a better and secure income women can find that balance,” she said.
