Sarawak delegation learns from Indonesia's achievements in promoting gender equality
KUCHING (June 26): A Sarawak delegation has visited Jakarta, Indonesia to explore strategic partnerships and strengthen regional collaboration to empower women.
Led by Minister for Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, the official visit yesterday sought to learn from Indonesia's innovative and effective approaches to promoting gender equality.
'The primary objective of the visit is to build meaningful relationships and identify opportunities for collaboration with successful women's organisations and key industry players,' Fatimah said in a statement.
'We also seek to learn from the Republic of Indonesia's achievements in promoting gender equality particularly through innovative approaches, effective development strategies and best practices introduced by the Indonesian government in empowering women across various sectors.'
She said this engagement added value to Sarawak's policy framework and would contribute to impactful programmes that support women's development and leadership.
The programme began at the Indonesian Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection where the delegation met with Minister Arifah Choiri Fauzi.
She expressed strong support for cross border cooperation and highlighted the importance of knowledge exchange in advancing gender equality in the region.
The Sarawak delegation also visited Permodalan Nasional Madani (PNM) Indonesia where they met with its president director Arief Mulyadi.
The delegates received a briefing on PNM's comprehensive data dashboard, which showcases real time insights into programme performance, outreach, and impact metrics.
The visit offered a strategic takeaway into inclusive economic development through effective microfinance models, grassroots women's empowerment, and community-based entrepreneurship strategies.
Additionally, the delegation's visit to the United Nations (UN) Women Indonesia provided significant insights into gender responsive policymaking, regional strategies for advancing women's rights, and impactful programmes supporting gender equality, women's leadership, and protection from gender-based violence.
The delegation met with UN Women Indonesia country representative Ulziisuren Jasmran.
The final visit was to the Indonesian Women's Congress (Kowani) where the delegation met Nani Hadi Hadjonto along with representatives from various member organisations.
It is understood that Kowani unites over 100 women's organisations in Indonesia and plays a critical role in shaping public policy, promoting leadership among women, and preserving cultural values while advocating for gender equality.
Among the Sarawak delegates were Deputy Ministers Datuk Rosey Yunus and Datuk Mohd Razi Sitam, permanent secretary to the ministry Datu Felicia Tan, and Women and Family Department director Salmah Jobeli. fatimah abdullah gender equality lead UN Women Indonesia
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