Women play important role to State

Women play a very important role not only in running the household but also the nation. They provide the anchorage and support that working men seek for their success. They are not only good home-makers but also the caretakers of the culture and tradition. History has shown several brave women who have laid down their lives for the nation and have been freedom fighters. Today there is not a single field where women do not play a role. Due to natural reasons they bear and rear children which is very vital and time consuming. This puts them at a slight disadvantage when it comes to paving a career for themselves vis-a-vis men. It is upto the men to understand and respect the role of a women inspite of several adversity and reciprocate them with the support they need. Great men are actually created by women who teach them moral values including equality and respect for one and all.

In many prehistoric cultures, women assumed a particular cultural role. In gatherer-hunter societies, women were generally the gatherers of plant foods, small animal foods and fish, while men hunted meat from large animals.

In more recent history, the gender roles of women have changed greatly. Traditionally, middle class women were involved in domestic tasks emphasizing child care. For poorer women, especially working class women, although this often remained an ideal, economic necessity compelled them to seek employment outside the home. The occupations that were available to them were, however, lower in pay than those available to men. As changes in the labor market for women came about, availability of employment changed from only "dirty", long hour factory jobs to "cleaner", more respectable office jobs where more education was demanded.

Movements advocate equality of opportunity for both sexes and equal rights irrespective of gender. Through a combination of economic changes and the efforts of the feminist movement, in recent decades women in most societies now have access to careers beyond the traditional homemaker.

New Sabah Times news, Musa: Women play role in Sabah’s progress.

The State government is committed through the implementation of various initiatives to ensure that women continue to play an important role.

Among the initiatives are enhancing the support system as well as providing training and facilities to enable more women to contribute towards boosting the economy of Sabah and the country.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman said this at the launch of the State-level Women’s Day celebration here last night.

Musa, who is also Finance Minister, added that women played a role in the progress of the State.

“In fact, they have a strong influence on the economy, social and politics of a country. As such the Women’s Day celebration annually is a form of recognition and appreciation of the contributions by all women, especially Sabah,” Musa said.

He said the theme “Wanita Pencetus Ekonomi Baru” clearly reflected the high hopes of the government on women’s capability to contribute to the national economy and to make Malaysia a high-income nation by 2020.

“Today, the ability of women in helming government departments and corporate firms show they too are capable of carrying important tasks if given the opportunity.

“And, the emergence of women professionals, industrialists and entrepreneurs is a good indication for economic growth,” the Chief Minister added.

Musa said various incentives had been introduced in the 2013 State Budget to benefit the women.

He also hailed the call by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak that more TASKA be set up at the workplace.

The State government, Musa said, has taken the initiative this year through the Community Development & Consumer Affair Ministry to set up TASKA at Wisma MUIS here for civil servants working nearby to send their children for day-care.

He said several other locations had also been identified for this purpose.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister congratulated the award recipients and expressed the hope that they would continue to achieve success in the future.

Also present at the launch were Musa’s wife Datin Seri Hajah Faridah Haji Tussin, State Assembly Speaker Datuk Salleh Tun Said and Minister of Community Development & Consumer Affairs Datuk Hajah Azizah Mohd Dun.

Although a greater number of women are seeking higher education, salaries are often less than those of men.

Written by Smookiekins