Gender inequality is one of the world’s most pressing issues. Discrimination against women and economic expansion are becoming increasingly important issues in academic, financial, and social spheres.
The success of the economy depends on gender parity, which also puts those aims in jeopardy. Lengthy economic strength is harmed by economic and societal systems that support gender inequality and create employment barriers for all socioeconomic classes.
The economic sector has the most harmful gender discrepancies, according to the World Gender Gap Report (2017). Care system, political involvement, financial freedom and many more fields still exhibit gender inequality, particularly in the Global South.
The average global income, for instance, is roughly US$11,000 for women, and US$21,000 for males (in purchasing power parity). It is likely that this gap will not be closed in the next 217 years if current trends continue.
Women labour-force participation rates are progressively increasing worldwide, particularly in emerging countries like Malaysia. However, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), when compared to Cambodia (76.9 per cent), Laos (76.5 per cent), Vietnam (72.7 per cent), Singapore (61.9 per cent), Thailand (58.8 per cent), and Indonesia (53.8 per cent), Malaysia’s (51.3 per cent) women labour-force participation rate is much lower than the regional average.
By encouraging female production, which improves the overall economic growth of a society and, ultimately, the country, one can achieve the dual aims of becoming an industrialised nation and accomplishing sustainable growth.
Policymakers in both developed, and emerging nations have expressed severe concerns about the ratio of people in the labour force. ILO states that while the participation rate for women climbed from 40.1 per cent in 1980, to 55.5 per cent in 2019, the participation rate for men decreased slightly, from 81.1 per cent in 1980, to 80.9 per cent in 2019.
The 15.4 per cent increase might seem optimistic for women. Nonetheless, there is a significant gender participation gap of 25.4 per cent due to the disparity in male and female engagement (80.9 per cent vs 55.5 per cent).
The data provided a grim image of Malaysia’s growing gender participation gap in the workforce, even though it didn’t explain why there is such a large one. The gender gap in Malaysia still exists despite this rise, which hinders the nation’s overall development.
It is imperative to concentrate on sustainable development if UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) are to be accomplished by 2030. Gender equality is Goal 5 of the SDGs, which jeopardises several SDGs, such as SDGs 1, 5, 8, and 10, if it is not met.
For emerging countries like Malaysia, gender imbalance makes obtaining ideal production levels even more difficult, which restrains their overall economic growth. This is a result of the mutually reinforcing nature of gender disparity and economic progress.
Trade openness, in general, makes a substantial contribution to increased job opportunities and higher incomes for people. This is a crucial issue in the context of developing nations like Malaysia, where employment development is essential as a result of policy reforms.
As a result, the government should establish efficient institutions to promote employment, enable job creation, and increase labour productivity. In addition, rules that encourage hiring personnel for the trade industry are required. If effective institutions are in place, a country’s trade openness will only increase the labour-force participation rate, especially for women.
Policymakers should improve institutional quality to promote economic efficiency and labour participation, according to the beneficial interactive effects and its relationship to institutional quality, which will ultimately enhance Malaysia’s overall development.
Comparable possibilities that can help women develop their talents and skills should be made available in society, so that they can compete on an equal footing with men. Without it, society won’t be able to experience long-term, stable financial development.
If women want to be more competitive in the job market, there must be equality in the availability of academic and professional possibilities for both genders. They must also be given the proper training and methods that inspire the everyday application of their abilities and talents.
To make it easier for them to access all employment opportunities in the various sectors, women should have privileges in every field, and allotted seats in both the private, and public sectors.
According to the Wage and Pay Survey, Malaysia has a gender wage gap. Based on average monthly salaries, the male labour force earns 6.6 per cent more than the female labour force (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2018). In the private sector, the gender wage disparity is particularly pronounced.
To reduce the disparity in female salaries, it is crucial to increase the number of women in executive positions within the private sector. A 30 per cent quota was proposed by the United Nations Development Programme Malaysia in 2018 as a provisional solution to improve the proportion of women in elder roles, notably in the private sector.
By bringing in more women into senior policymaking positions in native and international businesses, this plan will reduce the gender gap.
Generally, the Malaysian government’s measures to enhance women’s labour-force participation have been laudable, with it improving over time. Better policies and initiatives will enable women to realise their full potential and talents, contributing to the nation’s economic and social success.
As a result, it is envisaged that the country will continue to make significant efforts to minimise poverty and gender disparities to achieve the SDGs seamlessly.
Dr Rulia Akhtar is a research fellow at the Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies (UAC), Universiti Malaya. This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Twentytwo13.
