KUALA LUMPUR: A care economy will be included in the national development and economic planning as many care activities done by women are often unpaid and unrecognised, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
She said the work burden on women often left many with little time to pursue opportunities and growth.
“According to the Department of Statistics, female graduates make up more than half of the current unemployment rate.
“This is one of the gendered effects of unpaid care and domestic work,” Nancy said in her speech at the United Nations Population Fund 50 Years of Progress celebration here yesterday, reported Bernama.
“In order to incorporate the care economy into national development, the barriers, data gaps, infrastructural requirements, legislative necessities and stakeholders need to be identified.”
Vital data is also necessary for the Recognition, Reduction, Redistribution (3R) approach to be implemented to address the issue of unpaid care work done by women.
“For example, an important data in the average time spent on providing care for both men and women in households.
“From this data, we are able to identify care deficits and what areas are needed to be targeted by relevant policies,” she said.
The minister added that it will also allow people to value the care economy in terms of time, expertise, opportunity cost and social merit.
On another matter, when asked about the sale of child-like sex dolls on an ecommerce platform, Nancy said the platform had already taken down the listing of sex dolls and the government was keeping an eye on the matter to ensure it would not happen again.
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