KUCHING: The state government has allocated RM500,000 to be used as seed capital for start-up ventures run by women in Sarawak.

According to Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, her ministry realises that there are women who aspire to become entrepreneurs and produce their own products.

“Sometimes, they have the skills but no capital and fund to start the business. This is how the allocated (government’s) fund would be used — to fund the start-ups by these women entrepreneurs,” she told reporters after chairing a meeting with the committee members of the state Women and Family Council at Pullman Hotel here yesterday, where Assistant Minister of Women, Family and Childhood Development Rosey Yunus also attended.

Fatimah also took the opportunity to thank Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg for approving the fund, which signified his understanding of her ministry’s efforts in empowering women.

Adding on, she said her ministry would view ‘2018 as the year to empower women’, to be bolstered by seven core aspects.

“These core (aspects) are empowering economy, strengthening the family institution, leadership and decision-making, law and safety, harmonious life, cultural transformation and digital transformation,” said Fatimah.

The meeting yesterday included report presentation from Sarawak Women Aspiration Group Roundtable event held recently here, in Sibu and Miri, as well as public forums and discussions on the framework that would support the connection among enterprising women in Sarawak.

Later, Fatimah presented grants totalling RM180,000 to the Sarawak Federation of Women’s Institutes (SFWI), Sarawak Family Planning Association and Serakup Indu Dayak Sarawak.