Overview of the 2009 Women’s Summit
Taking a positive approach to the economic downturn was the order of the day when the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, Dato’ Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil welcomed over 1,000 participants to the 2009 Women’s Summit themed Can Women Turn Adversity into Opportunity?
It was evident that women attendees were not interested in wallowing in despair but were ready to tackle economic challenges head on by listening to how they could work in conjunction with government programmes to steer our economy back into healthy territory.
As in previous years, the day-long event was held at Sime Darby Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur. A plenary session was held in the morning, while four Learning Labs and the Summit Roundtable were held in the afternoon session.
“Adversity is nothing new to women and women have what it takes to get over it,” Dato’ Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said in reference to the economic pressure Malaysians are facing. In her welcoming address she highlighted the many Summit speakers from previous years that had demonstrated their resilience and ability to bounce back from setbacks.
She gave the example of Diana Rose who gave up her career in journalism in Kuala Lumpur, to return to her Melanau community and lead a revival of traditional Melanau culture and heritage. When Chong Sheau Ching found herself single with a child to support, she established eHomemakers, a community of homemakers and home-based workers. Since then, this movement has provided opportunities for many more women to provide financially for their families while upholding their roles as caregivers.
Throughout history, women have proven again and again they can pick themselves up after being knocked down and fight for what they believe in. The minister praised women for being “unbreakable.”
Dato’ Sri Shahrizat said the current economic downturn had impacted women particularly badly. In the Philippines, 70 to 80 percent of those who have lost their jobs are women. The Minister said in March this year, more than 19,280 people were retrenched locally and women made up about 51 percent of those who lost their jobs. This represents 36 percent of the labour force. The industries most affected by the current crisis were the export-related sectors such as manufacturing in textiles and electronics.
The Ministry recognised that the aftermath of women losing their jobs affects not only women but their families too, especially children. This is accentuated for women in the lower income groups. To cushion the impact of the economic downturn, the Minister is encouraging retrenched women to upgrade their skills. This will enable the women to be reabsorbed into the work force faster, as experienced in previous periods of financial turbulence. She also added that under the current Stimulus package, the Government would be spending more money on health and education. Funding is also being allotted to develop a target of 4,000 female entrepreneurs.
Dato’ Sri Shahrizat noted that many women in the work force are struggling to balance their family and career demands. She observed that when women are forced to choose, many give up their high-profile, well paying job and opt to care for the family. Such situations include non-existent childcare or childcare that is too costly. For many women, when there is no work life balance, going to work is a struggle and they suffer from stress, become unmotivated and less productive. The Minister added that it is unfortunate that many organisations, both in the public and private sector, do not view this issue seriously. Employees that are able to lead a balanced lifestyle are happier and work more efficiently; a win-win situation for both individuals and organisations. She therefore challenged the companies and governmental agencies represented at the Summit to evaluate how they can improve Work Life Balance and create family-friendly work places, not just for women but also for male employees.
The Minister said that although women have progressed tremendously, Malaysia’s Gender Gap index still shows women are lagging far behind. In the 2008 Gender Gap Report, Malaysia slipped to 96th place from 92nd in 2007. Female students in universities and schools have distinguished themselves and continue to outperform male students, but in corporate and political segments women are vastly under-represented. Despite strides made in educating girls, the number of Malaysian women in decision making positions is disappointing. Multi -pronged measures are needed to address the situation - these include formulating more effective policies, reviewing existing laws affecting women, incorporating women’s needs into national development policies and improving access to education and health care.
Dato’ Sri Shahrizat admitted there are many challenges facing women in the fight to reduce the gender gap, not only in Malaysia but also within the Asia and Pacific regions. Women tend to occupy lower paying or part-time jobs and there are fewer opportunities for training and promotion. A possible strategy to break this cycle is to set up a mentor-mentee programme to groom more women to take on decision-making positions.
As women only make up 47 percent of the labour force, their actual potential to contribute to national productivity has hardly been realised. Towards this end, the Summit offers an important avenue to collate recommendations and feedback on how to fast-track women into decision-making positions and establish networks to encourage the constructive exchange of ideas and enhance collaboration.
The Minister said another significant problem facing women is violence. Women encounter violence at home, in the work place and in public areas. When women’s safety is threatened, it means those under their care, especially the children, are affected. When women are abused and suffer physically, emotionally or spiritually, they are less likely to be financially secure and have less control over their own and their children’s health. Dato’ Sri Shahrizat firmly declared that violence at home is detrimental to nation building. “When women cannot feel safe at home, work without being robbed and girls do not fear being raped, there will be no peace in the country”.
The Summit provided a platform for women of varied backgrounds and educational levels to exchange ideas and set in motion policies to assist more women to contribute to the economic recovery and secure a better work environment for women. To start the ball rolling, the Minister posed a series of thought-provoking questions to the Summit audience.
- How can we work together to turn these tough times to our advantage?
- How can we ensure that women’s contributions to economic recovery and future growth are fully harnessed and the gender outcomes we all want are achieved?
- How can we work together to create a workplace of the future where people can marry both work and personal life that is fair to both employer and employee?
- How can we enable women to progress in the workspace and achieve their full potential?
- How can we work together to support and protect the needs of women in the informal sector?
- And to ensure that women have greater access to training and enterprise development? - What can we do together to change attitudes and behaviour in order to create safe environments in the private and public spaces in which our women live, work and carry out their daily lives?
“No one individual, organisation or entity has all the answers. But together we can - and will - make things happen that will ensure that women in Malaysia become full partners in the progress and development of this nation. It will take courage, determination, an unwavering commitment, and a constructive spirit.”
She added that women could not work in a vacuum, but by getting together as a cohesive group, and working with men, it was possible to create a safer environment and become full partners in the progress and development of the nation. Ultimately, she said, the tough times we face today can encourage us to turn adversity into opportunity. Women needed to be more united, and focus on new opportunities and update their knowledge and skills to better themselves.
Read the full text of Dato’ Sri Shahrizat’s speech here.
On hand to answer many of the tough economic questions was Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin who gave the Keynote Address for the first time. He gave his thoughts on Tough Times: Rebuilding with Strength and Integrity and later participated in a dialogue with Summit participants, gamely answering questions from the floor.
Rekindle national values; elevate the status of women in our society
Addressing the 2009 Women’s Summit, the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin, said that much more needs to be done to boost women’s participation in the labour force and in decision making positions in both the public and private sector.
In his Keynote Address, he said the progress women have made over the years in breaking the proverbial glass ceiling has been encouraging but there is still more to be done. For women to advance further, it is necessary to promote wider acceptance of the principle of shared responsibility. There has to be a change in our social environment, at home, in the workplace, and within the community. Both men and women need to work hand in hand to create a fairer society that is more supportive of women’s contribution to national economic development.
“To build with strength and integrity, we need to rekindle our moral, spiritual and ethical values. Today we need our corporate leaders and public sector senior officers to lay down strategies and policies on a strong ethical foothold. After all, the present crisis has been precipitated in part by excess greed, over zealous deregulation, willy-nilly application of free market principles, rapacious bankers, ignorance of consumers and the unfettered ruthlessness of the Wall Street. We also need a new kind of leadership that is committed to elevate the status of women in our society.”
Tan Sri Muhyiddin said that while the Government had set a 30 percent target for women in senior positions within the public sector, the corporate world has failed to match this commitment. In 2008, the percentage of women serving on boards of directors in the corporate sector declined from 9.9 percent in 2004 to just 6.1 percent. In government-linked companies (GLCs), women made up only 12.1 percent of top management. However, overall some gains had been observed in the private sector with the percentage of women in the position of General Manager, CEO or President almost doubling from 13.5 percent in 2004 to 26.2 percent in 2008.
“But women themselves must strive to earn these coveted positions based on merit, capabilities and experience. It is to our national advantage that women excel in various fields and continue to play an important role in socio-economic development of the country. The cost of women’s exclusion is too high for us to bear. Promoting gender justice and women’s empowerment is not only essential to our economic development, but also a great leap forward in nation building”, he said.
In keeping with the theme of this year’s Summit, Tan Sri Muhyiddin said that the current global economic crisis challenges us to turn adversity into opportunity. He expressed his appreciation for the Women’s Summit as an avenue to collate new ideas and recommendations that could improve the effectiveness of government programmes while promoting better work opportunities for women.
The DPM observed that the challenges faced by Malaysian women in closing the gender gap are not a Malaysian phenomenon; it is a global social injustice that calls for creative solutions. As such in today’s trying economic times, the idea of men and women working together can only bring about positive outcomes for the nation. Despite the economic setbacks faced, the DPM believed that there was cause for optimism. Although the country’s economy had contracted in the first quarter of 2009, Tan Sri Muhyiddin said that Malaysia’s prospects for the second half of 2009 and 2010 were already looking considerably better.
“We are already seeing a meaningful recovery. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are predicting a mild recovery next year. For Malaysia, this will surely lead to a rebound.” He added that the government’s RM67 billion fiscal stimulus package was expected to give our recovering economy greater bite.
The DPM devoted part of his speech to talking about the ways in which Malaysian men and women can work together to build equality and enhance cooperation, and also addressed a number of issues that are relevant to working women.
• Emerging areas of growth such as renewable energy, ICTs and ecotourism provide opportunities for women to rise to key positions and close the gender gap.
• Women must equip themselves. Even with all the right policies and framework put in place, women themselves must earn coveted positions of leadership by demonstrating their proven capabilities and experience.
• Today, talented men and women are committed to balancing career and family. However, the traditional corporate ladder makes fulfilling professional and personal goals unattainable. More needs to be done to improve work life balance for working Malaysians. The recent American Pew Research Report found that 60 percent of working mothers were interested in part-time work, up from 48 percent years ago. The same trend is reflected in Malaysia where a Population and Family survey conducted in 2004 reported 55.8 percent of female survey respondents resigned from their jobs due to family commitments.
• The government currently helps fund the setting up of childcare centres in several government offices and community-based organisations. The private sector should also show its commitment to developing a family-friendly work environment, and recognising that fathers too have a role in raising their children.
• Creating or embracing flexible working arrangements such as teleworking, part-time work, flexi-hours and job sharing would allow both men and women to reconcile family and careers and still deliver high quality work.
• Striking a balance between home and work is no longer a women’s issue as men are just as keen to reach those goals.
He concluded his speech by expressing his appreciation to the nation’s women for the vital role they play in so many different areas, from the home front to captaining industry and leading in government. He acknowledged the special qualities that they bring with them, including their perceptiveness, knowledge and skills and wisdom. On this note, the DPM declared the Summit open.
Read the full text of the DPM’s Keynote Address here.
The 2009 Summit also provided an opportunity for participants to dialogue with the DPM. Many seized this opportunity to seek answers to some of their pressing interests and concerns. A number of women participants were especially interested to know more about the governments plans to stimulate the economy. There was also significant interest in how the government planned to address the poor representation of women on company boards of directors in Malaysia. Tan Sri Muhyiddin impressed the audience with his thoughtful handling of each of the diverse questions that were posed to him, and he pledged to further investigate problematic policies that had been highlighted by Summit participants. To read an outline of the 2009 Dialogue with the DPM, click here.
Inspiration and insight from Summit speakers
The speakers and panellists at this year’s Women’s Summit 2009, did an excellent job of providing inspiration and encouragement to the mainly female Summit audience. Dato’ Dr Nirmala Menon took an upbeat and positive approach to weathering the economic downturn which she predicted could last at least another six to eight more quarters. She encouraged managers to take this time to look at improving the performance of their teams, and building their sense of ownership and responsibility towards the company. To read the full write up of her presentation Gearing for the Upside in a Downturn, click here.
Ms Shireen Muhiudeen, a passionate advocate of corporate governance, spoke on the need to have women on the boards of companies. She revealed some tantalising study findings from the US in which company boards with female Directors outperformed those with all or mostly-male Directors. She questioned why Malaysia continued to lag behind in this area, and offered some constructive suggestions to change the current scenario. Read more about Bringing Women on Board here.
The Panel Session on Opportunities for Enterprise was moderated by Datuk Rafiah Salim. It provided an opportunity for three viewpoints on finding opportunities even in challenging circumstances. Bobbi Dangerfield of Dell shared her view of managing an international ICT company, Christina Chia encouraged participants to use powerful affirmations to help them accomplish their personal goals, while Dato’ Kaziah Abdul Kadir provided a government perspective on what has been done to build a platform for Malaysian businesses in the global sphere. Read an overview of the Summit Panel Session here.
Learning Labs and Summit Roundtable
The afternoon session featured three Learning Labs conducted by experienced and professional facilitators and the key planning event of the Summit, the Summit Roundtable, at which women have the opportunity to give their input to improving government policies and better addressing pressing needs of working women, marginalised communities, the disabled and society in general.
Dato Sri Shahrizat, who was present to listen to the recommendations, thanked the 130 women that were involved in the 2009 Summit Roundtable. Acknowledging that the Women’s Summit was now in its seventh year, she said that the conference was first started in order to reach out to working women in the corporate sector, in business, as well as the public and non-government sectors.
She remarked that over the years, the Summit has amassed an impressive alumnus of women that bring with them in-depth perspectives and specialised experience and expertise. Having been given the opportunity to lead the Ministry once again, she believed that she needed to engage these women and organisations to speed up the process of developing policy and delivering effective programmes to the nation.
The Ministry’s role is especially challenging and wide-ranging - it looks after Malaysians “from the womb to the tomb” and this includes a wide range of groups and social issues, even natural disasters. She expressed her belief that the women present at the Summit, represented a tremendous resource to the nation and could help her and her officers reach out to the various groups with which she is tasked with helping - senior citizens and the aging population, the disabled community, single-mothers, and women entrepreneurs were just some examples.
Following this year’s Summit, an immediate task would be to work with the Women’s Summit Secretariat to gather all the recommendations from previous year’s Focus Groups and Summit Roundtables and draw up an action plan to address them.
It would also be important to hold smaller follow up meetings for key issues in the coming months and she welcomed the continued participation of the Roundtable participants. She also commented that it was vital to work across racial lines and perceived government-private sector divides if efforts are to positively impact our diverse society.
Ultimately, the objective in the next 12 months would be to implement policy developments by the next Summit or at least explain what had been done in order to advance these issues. In closing, she said that she looked forward to reporting positive gains for women in Malaysia at the next Summit.
Read more about this year’s Learning Labs here, and read highlights of the 2009 Summit Roundtable recommendations here.
VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE WOMEN’S SUMMIT 2009
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