MARCH 8 is International Women’s Day.
It is a good occasion to see how far women in Sabah have progressed in 2020. We fully agree with Chief Editor of Daily Express, James Sarda, that women development goes beyond having a Wisma Wanita. (“Sabah Can Lead In 30pc Women Quota” on Jan 24, 2022)
Yes, Sabah’s Wisma Wanita was the envy of many other Malaysian states when it was officially opened by the wife of then Prime Minister, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, in July 2010.
Notably, Sabah is the first state in the country to have a Wisma Wanita of such magnitude, thanks to then Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman.
Musa had envisioned Wisma Wanita to be a tourist attraction by getting indigenous women handicraft makers to be based at the building.
Economic activities involving the public were held on the grounds of the building but response from patrons wasn’t encouraging, probably due to lack of promotional efforts or little media publicity.