56% women report discrimination at workplace

KUALA LUMPUR – More than half of local female employees in Malaysia, or 56%, said they have experienced at least one form of gender discrimination at the workplace, from being passed over for promotions that are given to less-qualified male colleagues to being asked to make coffee for the office.

A survey, called “Voices of Malaysian Women on Discrimination and Harassment at the Workplace”, undertaken by the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) in collaboration with research agency Vase.ai, polled 1,010 women aged between 24 and 55, and quota sampled according to census statistics on race and region.

WAO head of campaigns Natasha Dandavati said 47% of respondents said they were asked about their marital status during a job interview, while one in five was questioned on her ability to perform certain tasks as a woman.

About 55% of women said their husbands were given less than a week of paternity leave or none at all, with the same number of respondents believing this is insufficient.

The poll showed a critical need for policy change, she said, including passing amendments to the Employment Act 1955 when Parliament reconvenes.

“There is a need for provisions to protect against (gender) discrimination, as well as for greater maternity leave, paternity leave and other policies that allow for the more equal sharing of care responsibilities that facilitate women staying in the workforce,” said WAO executive director Sumitra Visvanathan.

Citing the World Bank, she said the female labour force participation rate last year stood at 55%, far below the male rate of 81%.

“Discrimination, harassment and the greater unpaid care burden on women are among the common reasons for women’s low participation in the workforce. These affect both women employees as well as women seeking employment.”

She said WAO reiterates its call for five key amendments to the Employment Act, namely:

1) Introduce at least seven days of paid paternity leave in the private sector;

2) Extend paid maternity leave in the private sector from 60 to 90 days;

3) Introduce prohibitions against discrimination based on gender, race, religion and disability status for employees and job seekers;

4) Introduce the right to request flexible working hours and be protected from discrimination as a result of doing so; and,

5) Strengthen protections against sexual harassment in the act, in addition to passing an independent Sexual Harassment Act. – The Vibes, October 30, 2020