Why Educated Women in Malaysia Are Leaving the Workforce
Malaysia has advanced the women education. However, a large number of well-educated women are stopping their professional careers or not getting into the labor market at all. The economic impact of this phenomenon is the female participation in the labor market becoming less than before and it is going to be a long-term challenge of the economy.
The primary cause for women quitting is the mixture of poor societal support systems for care work and inflexible employment structures that do not take family responsibilities into account. Even women with university degrees are frequently subjected to the same barriers blocking their career and work participation.
The availability of childcare and eldercare services is very small. The task of managing a full-time job alongside taking care of children or elderly parents simply becomes too much for a woman in many cases. If the companies do not provide flexible working hours, reliable caregiving options, and supportive leave policies, then women often feel that they have no choice but to quit and take care of their family. This situation drives skilled women out of the formal workforce.
For a long time, women in Malaysia have had a lower labor force participation rate compared to men. The statistics indicate that millions of women have given up their jobs to stay at home or take care of the family. The same pattern exists in other countries too, but the extent of the problem in Malaysia draws attention to the existence of the issues in the system. Even when there are job openings, the poor work-life balance together with the non-existence of part-time or remote options discourage people from getting employed in the first place.
Company culture is another factor influencing this issue. The majority of the companies are not prepared for the return of the women who have taken long leaves. Promotion gets blocked most of the times and women are less frequently appointed to management positions. Gender-based pay differences and discrimination practices along with all these factors lead to women’ s negative feelings about the job. The experienced female workers don’t see any future in the organizations and that’s why they quit.
Safety and transport problems are another reason for leaving the job. Women usually are the main ones taking care of the kids or other family members’ moving around. Besides that, the scarce public transport, which is both safe and affordable, makes it even harder for them to commute to work. One reason for the low acceptance of childcare services among some families is that they prefer mothers to be at home.
Ages of 30 and above is the most dangerous for quitting among women, according to research. The majority of them go for looking after the kids during the most crucial period of their careers and find it difficult to make a comeback later. Interruption of jobs has a long-lasting effect on both salaries and progression of careers.
The impact of this phenomenon goes beyond the affected individuals. A decrease in the number of female workers leads to a decline in economic output and, hence, the slowest women’s liberation through equality in the workplace. Companies are left with no or less talented, creative and diverse leaders. Malaysia’s economy would reap the greatest gain if women were more visible in the workforce and progressed in the career hierarchy.
Experts and advocacy groups are in unison to demand change in the policy. The changes in work shifts, the availability of reasonably priced childcare and the enforcement of anti-discrimination laws would positively affect women’s attachment to work. In the absence of such changes, educated women will perpetually move out of the job market, which would not only ruin their dreams but also the economic goals of the country.
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