Women, Poverty and Economic Development
Madeline Berma Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia The status of women in society is a good indicator of a dynamic and progressive country. Women are the cornerstone of happy families and the essence of a successful nation. Prime Minister Dato SriMohd Najib Empowering women is key to economic development
Increasing gender equality and womens empowerment, as a means of accelerating growth and development, is an end in itself Asha-Rose Migiro Deputy Secretary-General Malaysia one of the emerging Tigers in Asia in terms of its economic achievements. Economic Growth Income: USD3,380 Social: Educational level has risen,
Equal opportunities provided for both males and females. Improvement in health conditions Economic Growth Change in size and structure of households.
Predominance of nuclear households in place of extended households, Emergence of: single member households female-headed households Ibu tunggal vs Ibu tinggal Indai blues (Sarawak?) Economic Shocks Poverty Women, Poverty and Economic Development
Economic Participation Globalisation Economic Shocks Poverty (a) Economic Participation
Labor force participation Women - 47 percent Men - 80 percent Employment Manufacturing Otherservices Labor Force Participation Rate, 2004-2008 (%) Employment Distribution by Sectors and Gender, 1995 - 2005 (%)
2000 2005 Male Female Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock & Fishing 20.3 15.9 17.3 11.9 15.2 9.0 Mining & Quarrying 0.5 0.1 0.6 0.2 Manufacturing 20 30.1 24.5 33.5 27.0 31.7 Construction 0.8 11.8 1.5 10.2 1.4 Electricity, Gas & Water 10.7 1.8 1.1 1.2 0.3 Transport, Storage & Communications 7.2 6.7 7.8 2.4 Wholesale & Retail Trade, Hotels & Restaurants 16.3 19.3 16.0 19.0 17.0 18.7 Finance, Insurance, Real Estate & Business Services 4.3 5.6 5.0 6.1 Other Services 19.9 25.2 25.8 14.9 28.6 Total 100.0 Employment Distribution by Gender within Sectors, 1995 - 2005 (%)
2000 2005 Male Female Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock & Fishing 71.4 28.6 73.2 26.8 75.4 24.6 Mining & Quarrying 82.1 17.9 87 13 91.6 8.4 Manufacturing 57.2 42.8 58.9 41.1 60.7 39.3 Construction 93.5 6.5 94 6.0 93.0 7.0 Electricity, Gas & Water 90.4 9.6 90.5 9.5 87.9 12.1 Transport, Storage & Communications 86.9 13.1 85.5 14.5 Wholesale & Retail Trade, Hotels &restaurants 61.3 38.7 62.2 37.8 Finance, Insurance, Real Estate & Business Services 60.1 39.9 58.6 41.4 Other Services 60 40 54.7 45.3 48.5 51.5 Total 66.1 33.9 65.5 34.5 64.4 35.6 Women, Poverty and Economic Development
Economic Participation Globalisation Economic Shocks Poverty Globalisation Market Fragmentation (niche)
Outsourcing, downsizing, subcontract Use of ICT New jobs functional flexibility (multiskilling) numeric flexibility (adjusting quantities by task) financial flexibility (wage rate adjustment) More part time, short-term, temporary jobs (a) Globalisation Competitiveness
women are now a permanent part of the global workforce women workers are the engine of globalisation Preponderance of women in export oriented industries Increase in women in the workforce Economic independence vs double burden Women workers suffer the worst working conditions, poorest pay and have to care for children and other dependants. Global Subcontracting Network
Source: Oxfam International, 2004; Women workers in a Nike production factory, Vietnam Women, Poverty and Economic Development
Economic Participation Globalisation Economic Shocks Poverty (b) Economic Shocks Women are high risk
Concentrate in export-oriented industries (electronics, garment) and services; men in construction. women as buffer workforce - concentrated in non-regular employment, in unskilled and semi-skilled jobs, and in low pay levels. unlikely to be covered by social insurance Will be the first to lose their job and to suffer heavily from a decline in level of living. Very limited alternative job prospects (b) Economic Shocks High social costs to families of workers
Male-breadwinner, female-caregiver bias Increased demand for women: a cheaper labour substitute for mens labour? Unpaid care work & womens double burden: heavier for the poor in hard times, their time will be stretched between paid work and unpaid care work at the cost of the welfare of young children and the sick and their own personal health. Malaysias Real Gross Domestic Product, 2004-2008 MALAYSIA'S REAL GDP & INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION, 2000-2008 Percentage of Surveyed Manufacturing SMEs Response to Crisis, 2008
Source: Adapted from Hafsah, 2009 (Public Lecture at UKM) Source: Adapted from Hafsah, 2009 (Public Lecture at UKM) Surveyed SMEs Response to the Global Crisis, 2008
Source: Adapted from Hafsah, 2009 (Public Lecture at UKM) Retrenchment of Workers from 1st October 2008 30th June 2009
Type of Action Employer Involved Local Total Foreign Overall Male Female Permanent Retrenchment 1,088 11,473 10,465 21,938 4,288 3,189 7,477 29,415 Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) 231 4,273 3,940 8,213 476 259 735 8,948 1,319 15,746 14,405 30,151 4,764 3,448 8,212 38,363 Temporary Lay-off 11 1,844 2,644 4,488 95 170 265 4,753 Pay-cut 490 15,026 15,386 30,412 5,475 4,534 10,010 40,422 501 16,870 18,030 34,900 5,570 4,705 10,275 45,175 Source: Ragayah & Faridah (2010) and Gender, January July 2009 Category of Occupation
Retrenchment by Category of Occupation, Citizenship and Gender, January July 2009 Category ofOccupation Local Foreign Male Female Total Administration and Management 1,301 1,108 2,409 50 9 59 2,468 Professional 1,016 698 1,714 42 12 54 1,768 Technician and Associate Professional 2,076 464 2,540 154 166 2,706 Clerical Workers 399 919 1,318 8 1 1,327 Service and Shop and Market Sale Workers 519 383 902 38 80 982 Skill Agriculture and Fishery Workers 162 68 230 Craft and Related Trades Workers 132 150 282 Plant and Machine Operators and Assemblers 1,467 2,950 4,417 2,621 2,158 4,779 9,196 General Workers 635 608 1,243 590 477 1,067 2,310 Source: Ragayah & Faridah (2010) Women, Poverty and Economic Development
Economic Participation Globalisation Economic Shocks Poverty (c) Poverty Poor and vulnerable Children Elderly Handicapped
Indigenous female-headed households (c) Poverty Micro-finance for micro-businessess : valuable lifeline for women Fear reduction in supply of loans for microfinance. Withdrawal of subsidies Income Per Capita, 2000 (US$) Incidence of Poverty in Malaysia, 1970 2004 (c) Poverty Emerging households (single-headed, nuclear family) important in a study on poverty Invisibility in statistics: An older woman living with adult children is more likely to be listed as a household head rather than a younger woman who has to bear economic responsibility for herself and her children. A woman is seldom listed as the household head in the presence of a regular adult male of the same generation (Tey, 1991, p. 11). Malaysia targetted poverty (c) Poverty Female Headed Households:
Households with no male spouse or partner present at any time; Households where the male partner is a transient resident; Households from which the male spouse or partner is temporarily absent; Households in which the male spouse or partner is present, but his contribution to the economic maintenance of the household is marginal; Households from which the male spouse or partner is absent, but one or more adult males are in residence. (c) Poverty Social issues: Ibu tunggal vs ibu tinggal
Indai bluesand family breakdown (Indigenous communities, Sarawak) (c) Poverty The government targets to create 4,000 women entrepreneurs among the hardcore poor, who are those with a household monthly income of less than RM440, by (Bernama, 17 March, 2010 Women in Development Plans
Sixth Malaysia Plan: Since women constitute a vital economic resource, the Governments goal is therefore to integrate women as equal partners in nation building. Eighth Malaysia Plan: Women constitute an important resource that can be mobilized as equal partners in national development Ninth Malaysia Plan:important resource that can be mobilised to achieve the national development agenda Tenth Malaysia Plan: Empowering women a key agenda by increasing numbers in decision making, labour force, support for widows, single mothers and low-income womenEliminating all forms of discrimination against women Putrajaya Declaration
Survey Output Substantial Action Taken Irrelevant to Malaysia
SURVEY OUTPUT : EXPERT GROUP SURVEY ON PUTRAJAYA DECLARATION Section COMMITMENT % SubstantialAction Taken Some Action Taken No Action taken Irrelevant to Malaysia 1.1 Integrate womens interests and concerns into national economic policies and reforms on a basis of equality with men taking into consideration the effect of global economic trends - 62.5 1.2 Strengthen the role of public sector in ensuring and providing comprehensive health services to women as well as education and social security services to enable their full integration into economic activities 25 12.5 1.3 Enhance the gender-analytic capacity of economists at all levels and in all institutions 37.5 1.4 Develop and institutionalize gender-responsive, monitor gender budget analysis and the utilization of these gender budgets Substantial Action Taken Irrelevant to Malaysia
Section COMMITMENT % SubstantialAction Taken Some Action Taken No Action taken Irrelevant to Malaysia 1.5 Ensure that womens contribution in the unpaid and informal sector is quantified and duly included in the national accounting systems - 12.5 50 1.6 Develop and enforce policies that recognize and value the contribution of women in the economy that would increase their productivity and economic and social security 25 1.7 Involve women actively in the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of macroeconomic policies, strategies and programmes 1.8 Develop programmes to increase womens productive capacity which includes accessibility to technology related knowledge and skills Substantial Action Taken Irrelevant to Malaysia
Section COMMITMENT % SubstantialAction Taken Some Action Taken No Action taken Irrelevant to Malaysia 1.9 Promote research on the impacts of globalization and trade liberalization on womens economic status to develop better understanding and mainstreaming of womens issues in decision- making processes 12.5 25 - 1.10 Formulate strategies to effectively address circumstances causing negative impacts of globalization on the situation of women and girls worldwide 1.11 Provide women, especially marginalized and vulnerable categories of women, access to financing, in particular micro-credit and marketing facilities, and provide corresponding capacity-building programmes in gender awareness, fund management, and other appropriate skills 1.12 Provide an enabling environment that removes gender specific barriers and creates opportunities for womens entrepreneurial development 62.5 Substantial Action Taken
Section COMMITMENT % SubstantialAction Taken Some Action Taken No Action taken rrelevant to Malaysia 1.13 Strengthen the incentive role of the public sector as employer to develop an environment that effectively affirms and empowers women 12.5 50 - 1.14 Include gender perceptiveness in finance and trade negotiations at all levels 37.5 1.15 1.16 Include gender perspectives in finance and trade negotiations at all levels 1.17 Strengthen networking and communication at all levels to broaden and enhance womens potential in economic activities Substantial Action Taken Irrelevant to Malaysia
Section COMMITMENT % SubstantialAction Taken Some Action Taken No Action taken Irrelevant to Malaysia 1.18 Facilitate creation of sustainable jobs and livelihood opportunities to improve womens position in the labour market and ensure favourable working conditions for all women, including migrant women, consistent with all their human rights - 50 12.5 1.19 Enact and enforce legislation to guarantee the rights of women and men to equal pay for equal work or work of equal value 37.5 1.20 Make adequate provisions for child care services and formulate policies that will enable parents to balance family responsibility with work responsibilities 25 1.21 Demand the fulfilment by developed countries of the commitment of 0.7% of their Gross National Product to be devoted to Official Development Assistance, which is one of the key elements for the development of economic policies towards women 1.22 Promote the collection of gender disaggregated data both qualitative and quantitative for nationally monitoring and evaluating the impact of globalization and trade liberalization on women. Key Questions Key issues raised in the Putrajaya Declaration
Other key questions What is the role of womens income in total household income? Does the male breadwinner-female caregiver model fits reality? Family coping mechanism in times of crisis who will do what? How to respond with a gender perspective? How to engage women insocial dialogue and participation in managing and addressing economic crisis Womens voices? Why is there a need to conduct gender-dissagregated analysis of labor impact. Thank You