KUALA LUMPUR: Focus needs to be given to increasing women’s participation in the labour force, particularly in the country’s digital economy industry, said Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching.
She said that even though women comprised 55.1% of Malaysia’s workforce in 2022, they only represented 35% of the digital economy industry.
Speaking to reporters after the International Women’s Day celebration organised by the Deputy Communications Minister’s Office and MyCreative Ventures here on Friday (March 8), Teo stressed the importance of combating gender stereotypes.
"Certain professions, such as teaching and nursing, have traditionally been dominated by women, but this is the gender gap we want to address. We also need to educate future generations to encourage women to pursue careers in fields like engineering and men to consider nursing.
"I believe that if we can break these gender stereotypes, we can see more balanced participation in all fields. When we have inclusivity from all genders, ethnicities and cultures, it will help us (the government) make more conducive and better decisions,” she said.
Earlier, in her special address at the event, Teo shared statistics from the Digital Economy Centre (PEDi), now known as the National Information Dissemination Centre (NaDi), indicating that 76% of the entrepreneurs mentored by the centre between 2021 and February 2024 were female.
Statistics from Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) showed that 57% of female entrepreneurs have participated in the eUsahawan Programme from 2015 until 2023.
"Active participation in the digital sector by women can be seen in the food and beverage sector (30%), beauty and health (16%) and fashion (10%).
"This indicates that women are now actively contributing to the economy, starting as small-scale entrepreneurs. The road may be long, but like every journey, it starts with a single step,” she added.
Therefore, in conjunction with International Women’s Day, Teo called for examining the need for inclusion, challenging stereotypes and dismantling discriminatory practices. - Bernama
