KUCHING: The Social Development and Urbanisation Ministry was yesterday told to revamp the Women’s Bureau in order to enhance the economic participation of women.

Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud yesterday said the economic contribution of women in Sarawak had reached a level almost equal to men.

Even in the rural areas, he saw that women folk were very active especially in the cottage industry.

He was pleased that they would work together through their associations and also with the Women’s Economic Development and Agriculture (WEDA) section which is under the State Agriculture Department.

Taib believed that they would become more involved in the production of herbal products and cures and with the development of biotechnology, they would even venture into pharmaceuticals and food supplement.

Having said that, the Chief Minister felt that there was a need to better organise and coordinate women’s economic activities in the state to ensure their success.

“Maybe the Women’s Bureau should be revamped so as to expand it and increase its focus on the role of women.

“Zoom in to getting women more into the economic side,” he said when launching the state-level Women’s Day Celebration 2008, which was themed ‘Wanita Penjana Ekonomi Negara’ (Women, the generator of the country’s economy).

Taib said Sarawak commemorated its 45 years of progress within Malaysia this year and the state’s achievement was due to the contribution of both its men and women.

He pointed out that before independence, women probably made up less than 10 per cent of formal labour but in 2000, about one-third of the workforce was women and that number rose to about 40 per cent in 2006.

He added that women were now involved in almost all fields of the economy and he believed that women could one day outnumber men in terms of professional or skilled manpower.

And while he would like to see the economic participation of women grow, Taib believed that women had an irreplaceable and crucial role in raising children.

“The one role that men cannot beat women in is in raising children and nurturing the family. This is an important foundation to ensure that we have quality human capital which we really need for the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE),” he said.

“Sometimes I feel worried about the manpower requirements of SCORE. We need one million workers of various qualifications and skills, and this is all dependent on having quality human resources,” he added.

In this respect, he urged mothers to instill in their children the habit of lifelong learning by developing their children’s natural curiosity.

“Women should not think that their role in nurturing the family is lower than that of having a career.

“Actually, your role in educating your children is irreplaceable and must be maintained to ensure that we have the quality human capital to develop our country,” the Chief Minister said.

Taib said women had indeed come a long way in Sarawak, economically and even politically, adding that in many ways, women in Sarawak had achieved more than women in some countries. “One of the things I am proud of as a Malaysian is that in Malaysia, women have been able to reach a good level without going through a ‘lib’ (liberation) movement and without going through big demonstrations.

“Credit must be given where credit is due. Our women are playing a much better partnership role with our men than in some developed countries. So, we have achieved a very peaceful revolution.”

Taib yesterday presented the inaugural ‘Tokoh Wanita’ awards to Puan Sri Datuk Amar Laila Taib, Datuk Sharifah Mordiah Tuanku Fauzi and Datuk Ursula Thomas Dunpangol.

Various events have been lined-up to celebrate Women’s Day this year.

They include a family and community development programme at SMK Bandar Semariang today and in Kampung Belimbing, Krokong, in Bau later this month.