Civil society and the state government have come together to launch the Penang Women's Development Corporation (PWDC), first in the country to have the equivalent of a Women's Ministry at state level.

The PWDC, formed in November last year, started operations in January, is fully start funded and works as a private non-profit company to raise awareness, nurture women leadership and empowerment.

NONE State executive councillor Lydia Ong (right)  said the organisation started from scratch with the aid of several NGOs as there had been no human power or funds for such a structure in the past.

"When we first took over the state government, the Women's Development Department (Jabatan Pembangunan Wanita) withdrew its financial and personnel support within months," said Lydia, at a press event yesterday.

"I was then the newly appointed exco member for Youth and Sports, Women, Family and Community Development, and was left with virtually no resources in terms of mechanisms or funding," she added.

"We then set up an advisory group of various women's organisations and started asking for state funds, we finally got it. This is very important as we need many political workers to work hand in hand with the rakyat," she stressed.

Achieving gender justice

PWDC's office is situated at the 47th level of Komtar, the state's administrative building at the heart of George Town.

haze in penang 150805 komtar tower According to Lydia, the organisation has initiated many activities for about 500 women and men, including setting up the Pusat Perkhidmatan Wanita in Seberang Perai and two child care centres in Berapit and Rifle Range.

It is also supported by an NGO known as 3Gs - Good Governance and Gender Equality Society - chaired by Bukit Mertajam MP Chong Eng which contributed to women's capacity development in the state, said Lydia.

The NGO also helped implement the gender responsive budgetting (GRB) with the collaboration of the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) and Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP), she added.

In mid-2010, 3Gs held a conference in Penang, attended by about 100 participants, who urged local leaders to adopt recommendations of a Declaration of Gender Equality to achieve gender justice in the state, she noted.

"PWDC is first of its kind in the country's 55 years of independence, and unique," said Lydia, before the cake cutting ceremony to launch the centre," she said.

She also expressed thanks to two local councils - Penang MPPP and MPSP for setting good examples of governance by providing tremendous support for the GRB project.

So far, PWDC, commissioned until 2014 to carry out its activities, has held GRB sessions in two public housing areas - River Road and Ampang Jajar , where the communities came together to decide how to spend state allocations effectively.

Gender responsive budget

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who was present at the launch in Komtar, said the state was providing RM2.3 million towards women's development with RM1.5 million in funds parceled out to the PWDC.

"As a pro-women and sensitive government, we agreed to the formation of a women's council in Penang and the rest, they say is HERstory,"  he said.

NONE Lim ( right ) had only praise for the GRB project, saying "This is an admirable achievement for such a young organisation. Indeed it speaks volumes".

"That not only is there gender equality in Penang, an idea whose time has come, but also that women in Penang are no less than a force to be reckoned with," said the DAP secretary-general.

Lim was accompanied by several state leaders like Bukit Mertajam MP Chong Eng, State excos Chow Kon Yeow, Wong Hon Wai, Law Choo Kiang and state secretary Farizan Darus.

He gave special thanks to the women leaders who helped galvanise the project - women activist and academic Cecelia Ng, Women Centre for Change executive director Loh Cheng Kooi, Universiti Sains Malaysia's Women Development Research Centre director Rashidah Shuib and Young Christian Women's Association president Marina David.