DPM's Wife Proposes Establishment Of Women Craft Association

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 (Bernama) -- The Deputy Prime Minister's wife, Puan Sri Noorainee Abd Rahman has proposed that a Women's Craft Association be established to take care of the development and welfare of women involved in the craft industry.

She said the association would focus on finding new opportunities in craft production, marketing strategy, training and guidance for its members to improve their skills.

"School leavers can also be encouraged to venture into the craft-making sector," she said when opening the National Craft Day 2001 at the Craft Complex, here Thursday.

Also present were Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, his deputies Datuk Joseph Salang and Datuk Maglin Dennis D'Cruz, the ministry's secretary-general Datuk Seri Kamaruddin Siaraf, Kraftangan Malaysia chairman Datuk Zakiah Ahmad and Kraftangan Malaysia director-general Mohd Kamil Mohd Ali.

Noorainee said women numbered 4,998 or 70 per cent of the total craft entrepreneurs in the country.

"The majority or 60 per cent of these female entrepreneurs are in textile-based and forest-based craft as it does not require heavy work and can also be done at home," she said.

She said the female entrepreneurs contributed about RM83 million or 31 per cent of the total market in 2009.

"I hope Kraftangan Malaysia will be able to help these entrepreneurs in the marketing and production aspects so that their enterprises can progress further," she added.

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