Girls encouraged to explore entrepreneurship early

KUCHING: Girls below 18 should be introduced to entrepreneurship, money and economic thinking from a young age to prepare them for future economic opportunities.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, said young girls should be taught to see the economic potential in the products and skills they develop.

“It’s time for us to also empower children. Girls, before they become women, they are girls.

“Therefore, it’s time for us to get them to also learn and make sure that they are taught about money as well, economy,” she said at the PERANTIS PENDAYA 2.0 (2026) at the Dayak Chamber Tower here today.

Nancy said girls should also be taught to think beyond simply making products, but understand how their skills and creations could eventually generate income.

“They must be trained to have that vision to monetise what you do. What you do here at the end of the day will help you economically,” she said.

She said such training should begin while they were still young so they would understand the purpose behind what they were doing rather than lose interest.

“So we need to train them so that they all just don’t do something for the sake of doing,” she said.

Nancy said the ministry was already looking at initiatives involving children below 18, but government processes could take time.

“Children is below 18, 18 and below. So actually we are planning to do that, but you know if we as ministry want to do, there are so many processes,” she said.

She therefore encouraged non-governmental organisations to take the initiative and start such programmes themselves.

“I’m sharing, this is the first time I’m sharing with an NGO, I leave it to you to start. If you want to start on your own, I’ll be the first one to be very proud of you because you are helping them,” she said.

Nancy said she hoped to see more women entrepreneurs emerging from the younger generation through such early exposure.

“So I see that there’ll be more women entrepreneurs from the girls to the adults,” she said.

She said she wanted to see more such initiatives developed in Sarawak.

“I want to see more of this happening in Sarawak,” she said.