PETALING JAYA: More women are joining the workforce, and they are beginning to play a bigger role in the technical and corporate world. But even as we mark yet another International Women’s Day today, the fact remains that their contribution towards economic growth remains not so significant.
According to a study called “Women Matter: An Asian Perspective”, women in Malaysia have the potential to raise the country’s GDP by RM6 billion to RM9 billion — just 0.6% to 0.9% of the 2018 GDP of RM1.23 trillion. Overall, the GDP rose 4.7% last year.
More than three decades since Malaysian women began leaving the kitchen for the factory floor or the boardroom, they have yet to reach their full potential as a significant contributor to the nation’s economic development.
But it is not for want of trying. Work practices continue to favour men over women. Coupled with that is the age-old assumption that if one partner should quit their job to take on responsibilities at home, it always falls on the woman.
“This must change,” said Mastura M. Rashid, communications and outreach manager at Empower, an organisation that advances women’s causes.
She said men should share the home responsibilities to make it possible for women to stay in the workforce to contribute to economic growth.
Nonetheless, women who are already in the workforce play a pivotal role in driving economic growth, according to TalentCorp Malaysia CEO Shareen Shariza Abdul Ghani.
Women, she pointed out, account for half of the nation’s population. “Yet, girls make up more than 55% of enrolment in local universities,” she pointed out.
A study released by Khazanah Research Institute last year showed that women’s participation in the workforce stood at 53.5% in 2017, up 8% from 2010.
About a third of that increase has come through self-employment.
Malaysian Trades Union Congress president Datuk Abdul Halim Mansor said women showed a preference for the education, hospitality and tourism sectors. Many also run their own businesses.
But, he pointed out, women are also taking on bigger roles in the technical field and corporate world — segments that are traditionally male-dominated. “Here, they have excelled, too,” he added.
“Women also prefer to work in the private sector and they like companies that offer a decent work environment, social security and good incentives,” Halim said.
Women, he added, are also more realistic about employment opportunities. “They are more inclined to take the first job that comes their way instead of being choosy”.
