By Yasmin Ramlan
SHAH ALAM, Jan 15 — The Selangor government will introduce a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) framework in collaboration with the private sector to promote gender equality in hiring practices.
State executive councillor for women empowerment and welfare Anfaal Saari said an upcoming initiative is the Women Career Convention (WCC) this year.
She said the collaboration with the private sector aims to significantly contribute to the national objective of increasing the female labour force participation from 53 per cent to 60 per cent by 2030.
“This year, the Selangor government, through Wanita Berdaya Selangor, will launch a new initiative to promote workforce inclusivity.
“These initiatives will include programmes supporting women’s return to the workforce and combating gender discrimination within the workplace by introducing the DEI framework, focusing on collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors,” she told Selangor Journal when contacted recently.
Anfaal said the framework reflects Selangor’s proactivity in eliminating gender bias, improving inclusivity, and ensuring a sustainable, diverse workforce.
She said this in response to World Bank senior economist Shakira Teh Sharifuddin’s statement highlighting the importance of increasing workforce inclusion by hiring more women and senior citizens to boost the economy.
Speaking at the Addressing Malaysia’s Talent Gap forum, held in conjunction with the Malaysia Economic Forum at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on January 9, Shakira stressed the importance of recognising the skills and experiences of older workers while addressing ageism.
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Participants peruse products on sale during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Women’s Cooperative Symposium at the Summit USJ Hotel in Subang Jaya, on November 8, 2024. — Picture by FIKRI YUSOF/MEDIA SELANGOR[/caption]
Closing gender gaps at all levels
Anfaal explained that under the Selangor Women’s Plan 2024-2026, the state government has emphasised the importance of closing the gender gap at all levels, including in the labour market.
“Under this objective, three main plans of action have been outlined, namely, to encourage flexible work arrangements, increase the accessibility of early childhood care centres, especially near the workplace, and encourage women to return to the workforce after career breaks — usually after maternity,” she said.
According to the International Workplace Group report, Advancing Equality: Women in the hybrid workplace, 75 per cent of women achieve work-life balance through flexible work arrangements and 44 per cent claim it brings positive mental health benefits.
The report highlights how hybrid working models benefit women, particularly by helping them balance professional and personal responsibilities while enhancing their career prospects.
Anfaal said it is important to have more accessible early childhood education and care centres for working mothers to ease the burden of commuting to and from these centres, enabling them to better balance work and family.
“Without these two initiatives, working mothers may quit the workforce.
“To this end, we have made significant progress in increasing the number of early childhood education and care centres in Selangor through the Special Committee for the Improvement of Care Services to standardise, and therefore, ease, the registration of said centres.
“We also have the Early Childhood Care and Education Caretaker, or Impak, programme to train home-based early childhood caregivers, with the latest number of participants having gone up to an even 1,000,” she said.
Anfaal added that other incentives for working mothers include the newly introduced MamaKerja, which gives RM1000 to working mothers with three children. To date, 4,538 mothers have received this incentive.
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State executive councillor for women's development Anfaal Saari delivers her speech during the launch of the MamaKerja childcare incentive at Mardhiyyah Hotel, Shah Alam, on October 26, 2023. — Picture by FIKRI YUSOF/SELANGORKINI[/caption]
Developing senior citizen policy
During the forum, Shakira said workplaces must promote anti-discrimination, especially when it comes to hiring older workers.
While there is evidence of employers being willing to employ senior citizens, she said they often face discrimination.
She suggested increasing the minimum retirement age and making it flexible to draw more senior citizens to the workforce.
In response, Anfaal said the Selangor Women’s Plan 2024-2026 outlines strategies to prepare for an ageing state.
She said one initiative towards this objective is the Selangor Silver Workforce Employment Platform, which started last year.
This plan aims to develop an employment platform for senior citizens in Selangor with supplementary brick-and-mortar centres.
“Under my portfolio, we are developing a Senior Citizen Policy, which is in the research phase.
“Through thorough research with experts, policymakers, and stakeholders, we aim to enhance the quality of life of Selangor’s elderly population,” she added.
