Advancing social protections to bring diversity and inclusion for women in Malaysia’s workforce

RECENTLY, Khazanah Research Institute reported that although females outnumbered males in terms of enrollment in higher education, higher shares of male enter work right after graduation when compared with their female counterparts. In terms of finding qualified jobs, female graduates are also disproportionately affected by over-qualification, with more than half of them employed in low or semi-skilled positions in 2021.

These are recent data suggesting that gender disparities persist in the transition from education to the workforce and hamper diversity in the workplace. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, as of February 2024, Malaysia’s female labour force participation rate stands at 56.5 percent, while the male labour force participation rate is 83.1 percent.