KUCHING, April 7: Dr Angie Garet has succeeded Margaret Bedus as the president of Sarawak Women for Women Society (SWWS).
Angie was elected following Margaret’s decision to step down and give chance for others to lead SWWS at the recent annual general meeting (AGM).
“This is important and consistent with the organisation’s belief in spreading opportunities to women.
“I will still contribute as a committee member, and I am delighted that in the new line-up, Dr Angie Garet will be president, ably assisted by Kimberley Tan, a young member who has successfully led both the #bukansalahkamek and period poverty campaigns,” Margaret said in a statement today.
Margaret, who is one of SWWS’ pioneers, emphasised that the latest development reflects SWWS’ ethos of combining the vision, commitment and expertise of both older and younger women so the organisation can stay relevant across generations of women.
“Our newly elected committee members are much more diverse in age and ethnicity, which is exactly what we want,” she added.
Meanwhile, Angie thanked the previous committee members for all their hard work and passion in helping women and was especially grateful to Margaret for her outstanding commitment over the years and her willingness to continue to be active, particularly in combating domestic violence, which is a core concern of SWWS and one where new plans are afoot in terms of training and support.
Angie is a recently retired teacher trainer and counsellor who has been with the organisation many years and has been active in bringing SWWS’ child safety training across the State, including to teachers.
Angie and Tan are passionate that all children, boys as well as girls, should be taught in age-appropriate ways about good and bad touches and who to tell if anyone makes them feel unsafe, according to the press release.
“It is only through such preventive measures that parents can protect their children from this terrible abuse,” Tan said, adding that grooming, the method by which abusers approach children, can also occur on the Internet.
Furthermore, SWWS invites parents and children aged 5 to 8 to attend a ‘Child Personal Safety’ workshop this Saturday (April 9) for the English session at the #bukansalahkamek exhibition on Level 1 of La Promenade Mall from 2pm to 3.30pm.
The Bahasa Sarawak session was held last Saturday (April 2), and those interested in attending the Mandarin session should do so on Saturday (April 16).
As this is a free workshop, there are only a few spots available. Those interested can reserve their slots by contacting 013-8044285.— DayakDaily
