Women's role in society

Giving equal opportunity to women in various fields is an imperative that will always remain critical for any society to harness the potential of all individuals capable of contributing to nation-building. It is a real issue and not a buzzword.

Here in our country we have always known the contributions that women have made in all spheres of public life, including in the policy mills of the government. Women have silently contributed to the making of some policies that recognise equal opportunity. This does not, however, make it less of an achievement that we have seen new developments that apparently pave the way for greater participation of women at home, in the workplace and in the formation of public policy.

One more positive box needs to be ticked as we note the Special Committee on Women and the Family Institution that is soon to be established in the Sultanate. The body is envisioned to assist the ministerial level National Council on Social Issues in addressing matters concerning women.

We note this development not because we want to see Brunei open the doors wider to women in the workplace. For throughout the years we have already seen women being conspicuous figures in the workforce. It has never been an issue.

The creation of the committee is relevant because it seeks to elevate the issue of women's participation in nation-building beyond the basic levels of non-discrimination. Once established, the committee will push for the review of existing policies that have direct bearing on the ability of women to optimise their contribution to society without undermining the stability of the basic unit of society called the family.

Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports Datin Hjh Adina Othman recently noted that female university graduates outnumber their male counterparts in Brunei Darussalam. The same trend is observed from enrolment figures in higher learning institutions.

While this represents a favourable factor in the bigger Women In Development issue, it also points to questions of how public policy takes care of women's capabilities to balance the challenges of work and home. In other countries, governments have supported the provision of facilities that help them attend to their roles as mothers even as they pursue further career improvement. For without this intervention, women can be torn between realising their potential as individuals capable of actively contributing to development, and performing their cherished role in nurturing the development of children and the stability of the home where the pursuit for greater social development begins.

The same concern has been noted in Brunei Darussalam, based on the findings of a study by the National Council on Social Issues. The survey showed the need for family-friendly centres to be set up in offices as this would aid productivity increase.

We support the enhancement of the policy regime that affects women's contribution to society because every society that looks forward to seeing positive growth and development needs to create an environment that is conducive for both men and women to work together in helping to build a prosperous nation.