Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri emphasized the importance of increasing women’s participation in politics to ensure a more balanced representation in both state and federal legislatures. Speaking in Kuching after inaugurating a Power and Presence Bootcamp for women, the Women, Family and Community Development Minister highlighted the need to prepare a new generation of female leaders who can step into roles currently held by older women.

“Women like me are getting older. We need women who can take over one day, so they need to be trained and hopefully be recognised by the top leadership,” Nancy said, underscoring the urgency of developing female political talent.

She pointed to the proposed addition of 17 new state constituencies in Sarawak as a significant opportunity to improve gender balance within the state legislature. The Election Commission’s draft proposal to increase the number of state seats from 82 to 99 has been put on public display, following the Dewan Undangan Negeri’s approval of the Composition of Membership Bill in July 2025.

“Once the 17 new seats are approved, the ratio of women in political participation should also be increased,” Nancy said, stressing the potential for structural changes to boost women’s representation.

Beyond politics, she encouraged women to aim higher in leadership roles across various sectors, cautioning against self-imposed limits such as the commonly cited 30% target for female participation in decision-making positions.

“If we give women opportunities to lead, we can achieve more than 30%. So to me, let’s not set a ceiling for ourselves. Just move on so that we can achieve more participation by women,” she remarked.

Nancy’s comments align with broader efforts to foster gender equality in leadership and workforce participation, advocating for a more inclusive approach that supports women in politics, the economy, and other fields.