WOMEN’s participation in the country’s labour market is still low compared with other Southeast Asian countries, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said. 

He said although women make up 47.7%, or almost half of the Malaysian population, in 2020, women’s participation in the labour force last year was only 55.5%. 

“This rate is low compared with other Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore with 69.7% and Thailand, 66.8%. 

“The enrolment rate of girls in all levels of education, whether primary, secondary or tertiary, was high, but in terms of participation in the labour market, women’s involvement is low,” he said at the 60th National Women’s Day celebration at Dewan Perdana Felda in Kuala Lumpur today. 

The ceremony was graced by Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.

Ismail said the government at the National Social Council meeting had agreed to set up a Gender Focal Point and a Gender Focal Team at all ministries and agencies to increase women’s participation through gender mainstreaming in the planning and implementation stages of government policies and initiatives.

The prime minister stressed that efforts to empower women should start with their basic needs, like their ability to generate income to ensure the survival of themselves and their families. 

Elaborating, he said several initiatives have been implemented, including the TekunNita programme under the National Entrepreneurial Group Economic Fund involving an allocation of RM19.9 million for 2022, which has benefited 1,264 female entrepreneurs so far. 

“As of July 31, 265 participants received funding through the DanaNita programme with an allocation of RM10 million under Majlis Amanah Rakyat.

“Meanwhile, the MyKasih Kapital programme was implemented to provide one-off business capital assistance of RM500 to encourage women to do business,” he said, adding that the programme has benefited 10,496 women from the B40 group during its implementation from April 2021 until July 2022. 

The government has also introduced the Wanita Bangkit@KPWKM programme, which involves strategic cooperation with over 50 public and private agencies, to offer employment opportunities and entrepreneurial activities, and has benefited over 40,000 women across the country. 

The prime minister said he had instructed government-linked companies and government-linked investment companies to ensure at least 30% of their board members are women before their annual general meetings in 2023.

“Thankfully, to date, some 210 out of 900 private limited companies have more than 30% female members on their board of directors,” he said. – Bernama, August 25, 2022.