Embracing equity and achieving equality so women do not remain the ‘second sex’

Equity means addressing the different needs of women for them to be able to access equality. Photo: StarGraphics

Malaysian girls outperform boys in school and more than half of undergraduates in Malaysian universities and colleges are women – in 2021, this figure went up to 61%. Why then are there so few women in the workforce?

Women’s labour force participation rate (LFPR) in 2021 was a dismal 55.6% (compared to 82% for men) – one of the lowest in the region. There are many reasons that keep women from fully achieving equality in the workplace: From discrimination in hiring processes, lack of affordable childcare services (which force them to leave formal employment to care for their family), sexual harassment, wage inequality, discrimination – the list is actually endless.