[ENGLISH VERSION BELOW] Kumpulan Daya Tindakan Wanita Sabah (Sawo) melancarkan program pemerkasaan gender dan politik melalui talian Zoom pada 5 Jun 2021.

Pemimpin wanita daripada lapan daerah di Sabah yang merangkumi Pitas, Sandakan, Tawau, Ranau, Keningau, Telupid, Penampang dan Kota Kinabalu mengambil bahagian. Mereka datang daripada pelbagai parti politik, organisasi masyarakat sivil dan kumpulan komuniti tempatan dan bersama-sama bergabung untuk mempelajari dan bekerja bersama memperbaiki kedudukan wanita di Sabah.

Terbukti kepelbagaian peserta dalam program ini kerana para peserta merupakan pemimpin wanita yang datang daripada 12 parti politik iaitu; PGRS, Star, PBS, Warisan, Umno, DAP, SAPP, Upko, PBRS, Muda, Amanah dan PKR. Manakala masyarakat sivil meliputi lima NGO, iaitu Soroptimist International Kota Kinabalu, Pergerakan Orang Wanita. Empowerment and Revolution (Power), Pacos Trust, Pewasa dan Sawo.

Turut tidak ketinggalan enam orang pemimpin tempatan yang mewakili ketua Kumpulan Sokongan Tempatan SKTK (Telupid), Pertubuhan Rakyat (PR) Kampung Batu Lunguyan Sook, Projek Pembaikpulihan Tadahan Air Komuniti Kampung Kadong (Pitas), serta wakil komuniti Tuntutan Tanah Adat Kampong Datong (Pitas).

Sawo merasakan penyertaan wanita dalam penggubalan polisi serta undang-undang adalah sangat penting. Pengundi wanita berasa kecewa dan marah kerana parti-parti politik tidak menghantar pemimpin wanita yang berkualiti; mereka berasa suara mereka tidak didengari dan dipedulikan.

Malahan di Sabah, tiada menteri wanita di kabinet negeri dan kurang daripada 10% ahli wanita di dalam dewan undangan negeri. Justeru, Sawo, organisasi yang menjadi perintis dalam perjuangan hak wanita dan kesamarataan gender di Sabah, telah mencipta program ini untuk meningkatkan kualiti ketua-ketua wanita bagi mewakili populasi 50% rakyat wanita di Sabah.

Sawo berkongsi bahawa matlamat jangka masa panjang program ini adalah untuk melahirkan pemimpin yang mempunyai kebolehan dan komitmen untuk memperjuangkan kepentingan wanita di negeri Sabah. Terdapat lima modul yang akan diketengahkan termasuklah kesedaran tentang gender, pembangunan, komunikasi strategik, pemerkasaan wanita dalam politik dan pelaksanaan aktiviti di kawasan mereka yang keseluruhannya akan menggunakan kaedah ‘participation and experiential learning’.

Para pelatih program pemerkasaan gender dan politik merupakan ahli pakar gender, pemimpin utama komuniti tempatan dan pertubuhan organisasi sivil. Program ini sebahagiannya ditaja oleh Women’s Fund Asia di Colombo dan penganjur masih lagi mencari dana untuk modul praktikal yang akan diadakan pada September hingga oktober 2021. SAWO menjemput individu atau organisasi yang ingin menyokong dan menyumbang dalam inisiatif ini serta menyertai kami dalam melakar masa depan yang lebih cerah kepada wanita, keluarga dan komuniti di Sabah. – Sawo

English version

Women leaders from politics, community and civil society organisations join forces to empower women in politics

The Sabah Women’s Action Resource Group (Sawo) has launched a gender and political empowerment programme through Zoom on 5 June 2021.

About 30 women leaders from eight districts in Sabah including Pitas, Sandakan, Tawau, Ranau, Keningau, Telupid, Penampang and Kota Kinabalu took part. The women leaders are from various political parties, civil society organisation and local community groups who gathered to learn and work together in improving women’s status in Sabah. The programme aims to bring together women leaders from different backgrounds to share their experiences and challenges in leadership and to gain an understanding of gender and development issues.

Sawo prioritises the diversity of participants in this programme, and this is proven by the participation of women leaders from 12 political parties: PGRS, Star, PBS, Warisan, Umno, DAP, SAPP, Upko, PBRS, Muda, Amanah and PKR. Five groups from civil society and are also joining: Soroptimist International, Women’s Empowerment and Revolution (Power) Movement, Pacos Trust, Pewasa and Sawo.

Also joining in are six local leaders representing the head of the SKTK Local Support Group (Telupid), Pertubuhan Rakyat (PR) Kampong Batu Lunguyan Sook, Community Water Catchment Rehabilitation Project Kampong Kadong (Pitas), as well as community representatives of Kampong Datong Customary Land Claim (Pitas).

Sawo feels that women’s participation in policymaking and legislation is very important. Women voters feel frustrated and angry because political parties are not putting forward quality women leaders; they feel their voices are not being heard and cared for. Even in Sabah, there are no women ministers in the state cabinet and women representatives only make up less than 10% of the state assembly.

Thus, Sawo, a pioneering organization in the struggle for women’s rights and gender equality in Sabah, has created this programme to improve the quality of women leaders to represent the 50% women population in Sabah.

The long-term goal of this programme is to produce leaders who have the ability and commitment to fight for the interests of women in the state of Sabah. Five modules will be highlighted, including gender awareness, development, strategic communications, women’s empowerment in politics, and the implementation of activities in their areas. These will all use the methodology of ‘participation and experiential learning’.

The gender and political empowerment programme trainers are expert members and key leaders of local communities and civil society organisations. One of the trainers is Winnie Yee, a gender and development expert.

The programme is partly sponsored by Women’s Fund Asia in Colombo, and the organiser is still sourcing funds for a practical module to be conducted in September to October 2021. We welcome any individuals or organisations who could support and contribute to this initiative and join us in shaping a brighter future for women, families and communities in Sabah. – Sawo

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AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama

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