By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 16: The Sarawak government is stepping up efforts to empower women by offering a fully funded annual scholarship for three Sarawakian women to pursue postgraduate studies at Asia Women’s Leadership University College (AWLUC) in Penang.
Minister of Women, Children, and Community Wellbeing Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said the first intake of the programme will begin in February, with participants enrolled full-time for one year.
“We are grateful to Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg for agreeing to allocate funds to fully sponsor three Sarawakian women at AWLUC each year,” she said at a press conference after the Sarawak Women and Family Council (MWKS) meeting here today, as reported by TVS.
Fatimah, who is also MWKS chairperson, explained that the selected candidates will pursue a Master of Arts in Leadership Development, aimed at strengthening women’s leadership capacity and participation.
She also called on members of the public to submit their applications and resumes for the next intake in 2027 through the official website of the Sarawak Women and Family Department.
Outlining the council’s priorities, Fatimah said MWKS’s focus in 2026 will centre on empowerment through education and skills training, alongside efforts to strengthen the D2E1 policy—Diversity, Equality, Equity, and Inclusion.
“In 2026, InshaAllah, we will strengthen the use of research and evidence-based data when formulating policies and improving the planning of community programmes in terms of effectiveness and sustainability,” she said.
Fatimah added that more than 268 programmes will be implemented this year, including the D2E1 initiative launched late last year to enhance the wellbeing of women and families in Sarawak.
“In terms of networking, we want to expand not only collaboration among agencies within Sarawak, but also partnerships at the national and international levels,” she said. — DayakDaily
