MALACCA: The practice of putting female workers in the lower or unimportant section in an organisation is no longer relevant, and would only lead to gender discrimination, says Malacca PKR representative, Kathy Tan Hooi Lian.
She said discrimination and gender stereotypes were a major barrier for women to be considered on par with men.
“Male-dominated organisations have a tendency to practice gender stereotypes in the job sector, thereby reducing women’s chances of being promoted or climbing the corporate ladder on the grounds that it is not the norm for women.
“The concept of a ‘glass ceiling’, by placing women in a lower and insignificant work structure, does not help the individual’s performance and productivity,“ she said during a debate at the 2019 PKR Annual Congress here today.
Speaking in front of about 500 delegates, Tan said a special law should be enacted to stop gender discrimination in the workplace, as such practice was unacceptable in a democratic society and against the principles of the Federal Constitution.
“The enactment of this special legislation is believed to be able to reduce gender discrimination so that the court can more effectively define and prosecute the offences,“ she said.
Meanwhile, Sabah representative Dayang Rusimah @ Raynie Mohd Din wants PKR, which is part of the current government administration, to push for an increase in allocations for women-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) nationwide.
Dayang Rusimah, who is also Labuan PKR Wanita chief, said this was because the amount of funding received by women NGOs currently was not enough to carry out effective campaigns.
“We hope that the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development will provide more funding to NGOs to facilitate our work to achieve the goal of defending and uplifting women, especially in rural areas.
“In Sabah, for example, we carry out a lot of activities in the interior, and it certainly costs a lot of money, but as an NGO, we do not have the financial resources and only hope for the government’s contribution or allocation,“ she said. — Bernama
