2007 SUMMIT ROUNDTABLE REPORT & RECOMMENDATIONS

CONTENTS
SECTION I
1 Preamble
2 Executive Summary
3 Roundtable Summary
3.1 - Work/Life Balance
3.2 - Flexibility at the Workplace
3.3 - Addressing Childcare Needs
3.4 - Whole Community Involvement
3.5 - Other Issues/Recommendations
3.6 - Moderator’s Comments

SECTION II
4 Recommendations from the corporate sector

5 Recommendations from the public sector
6 Recommendations from entrepreneurs and SMEs
7 Recommendations from NGOs

Section 1

1. PREAMBLE
In an effort to be more responsive to the issues affecting women in the workplace and to plan for this year’s Women’s Summit, the Ministry initiated several discussions with women beginning with a brainstorming session held in March 2007. The women participants suggested a need to create an opportunity for more women to provide input other than at the Summit itself. This would be a way for women to issues to they thought could be taken up by the Ministry that were of relevance to women in the work sphere.

This proposal was implemented in the form of four Pre-Summit Focus Groups held in July that helped to distill the main themes to be discussed at the Summit Roundtable in the afternoon session of the Women’s Summit 2007.

In view of the specificity of issues to women in different sectors, women were grouped according to these four categories:-
1. Corporate sector
2. Public sector
3. Entrepreneurs and SMEs
4. NGOs

The Summit Roundtable participants were specially selected from among the women that had registered for the Summit. They were allocated to the different categories based on their work background and portfolio of interests. Almost 200 women were involved in the deliberations and several others stayed on as observers. A detailed participant list is appended.

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Summit Roundtable session was structured around the issues and recommendations developed at the pre-Summit focus group discussions. The aim was for the four groups to deliberate on the outcomes of the pre-summit discussions, and to make recommendations for policies that might be developed and advocated by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.

The Corporate Sector
The corporate sector group emphasised that work-life balance should not be marginalised as a women’s issue. Work-life is actually critical to both women and men, especially those with families. Participants believed that the Ministry had a role to play in placing work-life balance firmly on the national agenda.

Participants supported the concept of flexible work options, providing childcare facilities at the workplace, empowering single mothers, as well as supporting women who needed time off to care for young children. However, they believed that most corporations, as profit-making entities would need encouragement, possibly in the form of tax incentives before they seriously took up the suggestions.

A further suggestion was for the Ministry to establish a Best Practice standard for family friendly work policies in the Malaysian context. Businesses should then be challenged and given incentives to aspire to better policies in support of work-life balance.

In terms of policy initiatives, the Ministry would have the most impact if were to propose and lead a review of Malaysia’s Labour Laws, 1955. Such a move is long overdue as the legislation is woefully outdated and is not gender sensitive or family-friendly, and out of step with changes in society.

Fundamentally, the corporate sector felt that the business case for work-life balance policies should be emphasised in different forums. Businesses that established the best workplace conditions would gain in terms of attracting and retaining the best talent, and this would translate into enhanced productivity and profits. They also felt that the media was an important partner in the bid to usher in a paradigm shift in the way we work.

The Public Sector
The public sector wanted work-life balance to be regarded as a national issue and also established that improvements should benefit their male counterparts as well. They made recommendations to enhance working conditions with the aim of improving productivity and efficiency.

Many women in the public sector are working mothers that need to juggle work and maintaining the integrity of the family unit, which in addition to parenting their children also included maintaining harmonious relationships with their spouses. For some this balance has been impossible to attain, due to the demanding nature of their jobs which might call for them to be on duty at numerous after hours functions or outstation trips. It was also alluded to, that the style of management in many government agencies requires them to be ‘on standby’ all the time. They suggested that more could be done to help managers and supervisors to manage their human resources more efficiently.

They were in favour of being afforded more flexibility, such as variable work hours, four-day weeks, and the opportunity to work from home occasionally if they continue to demonstrate commitment to their work and produce the necessary deliverables on time. Rather than leave the workplace altogether (as some feel pressed to do), participants requested that the Ministry investigate the option for women to job share or work part-time, especially during the most demanding years of mothering young or sick children.

They were supportive of the Ministry’s initiatives to establish childcare on premises for babies and toddlers (where suitable). The public sector also highlighted the need to improve the standards, availability and affordability of childcare provided within residential areas. They identified a need for after school care for older children that would be going home to an empty house (in cases where both parents work full-time are there are no members of the extended family available). This was discussed in conjunction with engaging neighbourhood communities in providing after-school activities and creating a conducive and beneficial environment for schoolchildren and young adults, lest they fill their time by being involved in undesirable activities instead. The lack of suitable supervision for young people was contributing factor for the increase in social ills being observed today.

Women entrepreneurs and SMEs
Both the pre-Summit focus group and roundtable discussions for women entrepreneurs established that choosing to run their own businesses was one of the ways in which they sought to have control over their own time and to have the flexibility to attend to their children. They highlighted the various shortcomings that currently hinder their growth and development: this included a lack of information on resources, lack of support groups, lack of mentoring programmes, problems with securing licenses, and financial assistance, and also perceived prejudice and discrimination by funding and other agencies.

They proposed setting up a virtual directory of women in SMEs, strengthening networks for women-run enterprises, establishing a database of available resources where women can gain access to relevant information, and setting up an official centre to oversee these matters.

As employers, many women business owners understood the value of affording more flexibility to their staff to help manage the demands of home and children. As support for women such as on-site child care and other benefits are a cost to them, they requested that tax incentives or rebates be investigated for small businesses that support family friendly work policies.

From the point of view of planning housing areas and townships that were conducive to raising children. They requested that community centres and designated areas for child care and enrichment be made compulsory in planning new areas. This would then create a more natural base for community-centred activities.

NGOs
The NGOs also took a broad view in terms of evaluating the unfavourable trends being observed in our society – this included a critical disconnect between individuals and the larger community in their place of residence. Voluntarism is at a very low level and there are many who have needs but insufficient support. At the same time, there are people that have time on their hands that are not being engaged in society.

In the spirit of reviving the dynamism of the interdependent community, the NGOs proposed more support in terms of resources for NGOs and residents’ associations to run activities in their areas. One of the suggestions was setting up a Resource Bank of Volunteers and a database linking all NGOs so that they would be able to share their facilities and combine their experience.

The new emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility was anticipated as a move that would help to invigorate NGOs in helping to address society’s needs. They expressed the desire to be involved such as potentially being matched with businesses looking to partner with NGOs for worthy causes within the community.

3. ROUNDTABLE SUMMARY
Clost to 200 participants attended the roundtable session which was sub-divided into four groups. The four groups comprised representatives from the corporate sector, the public sector, the SMEs and the NGOs. The groups spent about two hours deliberating the issues raised in the pre-summit focus group sessions. The designated Chairpersons for each category then presented the main recommendations that they believed the Ministry should address.

The moderator, Ms Naomi Youngman, provided the summary and some final words. Dato’ Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil was present for the summing up and recorded her sincere appreciation to all the women that has taken the time to contribute to both the focus groups and the Roundtable. She appreciated the high level of thought and consideration that had gone into the current workplace conditions for women, and pledged that the Ministry would do its best to put forward some of the recommendations that were raised in the Roundtable.

The main topics that all 4 sectors addressed were:

1. Work/life balance as a national agenda
2. Flexibility at the work place: the need to change outmoded mindsets of how work should be done
3. Addressing childcare needs
4. Engaging the community

3.1 Work/life Balance
• Both the corporate and public sector groups recommended that work/life balance be put on the agenda because it is not solely a woman’s issue. Businesses should take into account every employee’s responsibility to his/her family. It is also a national issue since it affects overall productivity.
• In the case of women employees, the public sector group recommended increasing maternity leave from 2 to 3 months. The corporate sector group recommended that women employees be given the option of taking unpaid maternity leave for 6 months – 1 year, after which they would have the opportunity to opt back in to work.
• The corporate sector group also recommended policy reforms to remove the gender bias inherent in outmoded employment policies and to reflect current work/life balance.
• Since businesses are also profit-making entities, it was also recommended that tax incentives be given to encourage employers to improve flexibility in the workplace.
• The SMEs group recommended that aid be given to underprivileged single mothers who run SMEs.

3.2 Flexibility at the Workplace
• The public sector group wanted departments to have a say in deciding how flexible working hours could be implemented.
• They also wanted a structure that would allow women who opt out of work to raise a family to return to work without loss in seniority and benefits.
• The NGO group fully supported flexible work options such as job-sharing, part-time work, telecommuting, as a way of easing the strain on mothers, and also as a way of retaining educated and experienced women employees in the workforce. In addition, they saw flexible work options as a way of freeing people to get involved in social work, which in turn enriches the experience of employees.
• The corporate sector group recommended flexi-time and job sharing within suitable hours.
• They also recommended tax incentives for companies that allowed and enabled employees to work from home by providing the necessary ICT facilities.

3.3 Addressing Childcare Needs
• The NGO group recommended that it be compulsory for the private sector to provide such facilities.
• The public sector group similarly recommended that it be compulsory for all government departments to have childcare facilities.
• In addition, the public sector group also wanted it to be made compulsory for large housing estates to provide child-care facilities and activity areas.
• The corporate sector group also recommended a community centre tailored to the needs of the family within each housing estate, but added that minimum standards should be maintained.
• At the same time, the group recommended tax incentives for employing caregivers and extended domestic help, as well as tax rebates for single parents.
• The SMEs group saw the need for professional bodies to set up child care centres, so that women entrepreneurs could work with peace of mind.
• Alternatively, they suggested that childcare provision could be part of a Corporate Social Responsibility programme, with large corporations sharing their facilities with small and medium enterprises.

3.4 Whole Community Involvement
• The NGO group felt that it was vital to engage all levels/groups in a community to address problems faced by disadvantaged members of the community. They suggested that resident groups and other community NGOs open centres for latchkey children to go to after school.
• Other establishments to ensure the security of children so that their working parents can have peace of mind could be safe houses for children to go to when necessary, or a Community Watch Network.
• Volunteers could be recruited from among retirees, housewives and unemployed graduates to help with homework and organising activities. This would be an avenue for housewives and retirees to contribute to the community while unemployed graduates may use the opportunity to gain some skills and experience.
• However, government support in the form of finance, resources and publicity is needed.
• Financial assistance for such projects could also be obtained from partnerships between NGOs and the corporate sector, possibly in the form of CSR programmes.

3.5 Other Recommendations/Issues
• The public sector group recommended the introduction of a wellness programme at the workplace: a gym and rest and recreation area would contribute to the well-being of employees. The corporate sector also saw the need to put wellness on the agenda, and recommended that the Ministry set up a Women/ Family Resource and Development Fund to support well-being courses.
• The SMEs group faced problems with obtaining licenses as well as financial support. Often the problem is lack of information about what to do and how to go about it. The group recommended that the Ministry provide clear signposts to assist women in SMEs.
• They also saw the need to establish a data bank of resources so that members setting up small businesses could easily get information through a centralised facility.
• The setting up of an official centre was important as that could facilitate networking of women SMEs, enhance the visibility of women entrepreneurs, and enable many activities such as training to be run for members.

3.6 Moderator’s comments

• Measure the baseline of what companies are doing now is important so that comparisons can be made at intervals after policies have been implemented.
• Participants should not wait for solely for the Ministry to implement your recommendations but exert influence with companies and communities.
• Initiatives should be carefully documented with the view to sharing successful strategies with others.
• Ensure that policy recommendations are all useful and relevant to changing times. Policies needed to be flexible to encompass the changing needs of future generations.

Section II
SUMMIT ROUNDTABLE
4 RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE CORPORATE SECTOR
The group concurred that work-life balance should not be seen as a women’s issue but a business issue. Participants felt it was important to emphasise that organisations that introduced more forward-looking work policies stood to gain ‘employer of choice’ advantages in terms of attracting the best talent and reducing costly staff turnover. The evidence from other countries is that more family-friendly work policies should not be considered a ‘cost’ as it contributed to increases in profits and productivity.

4.1 Putting work-life balance on the agenda
Participants felt that the Ministry was well-placed to represent the urgent need for better Work-Life balance among working Malaysians, particularly in cabinet level discussions. The Ministry could also boost awareness of other Ministries and agencies on these issues and seek their cooperation in adopting more supportive policies.

Participants’ recommendations:-
4.1.1 Establish Best Practice Benchmarks for Work-Life Balance
The Ministry should take the lead in establishing the Best Practice Benchmarks for Work-Life Balance in Malaysia that are specific to the local context. Corporations can then be audited according to these Benchmarks. If they comply, they can be awarded with Special Certification which could (as an incentive) accord specific tax rebates or exemptions. This has been done successfully in other countries.

4.1.2 Review and update the Labour Act 1955
The Labour Act that governs human resource practices in Malaysia is woefully out of date having been written at a time when it was the norm for men to work, while their wives managed the home and family. In the current day, both men and women are income-earners, and both have equivalent roles to play in the upbringing of children. The Labour Act needs to be reviewed and updated to recognise changes in society. It also needs to incorporate the current thinking on Work-Life balance and wellness, and the needs of the Next Generation of employees whose expectations are substantially different from workers a decade ago.

4.1.3 Promote discussion of Work-Life Balance issues
The Ministry is well placed to advance the discussion of Work-Life Balance issues among corporate leaders and decision-makers. It should undertake to actively engage CEOs and business owners in discussions on this topic.

4.1.4 Implement Best Practice guidelines in Government-Linked Companies (GLCs)
The government should lead by example by undertaking to implement Best Practice Guidelines in GLCs. Thus, Work-Life Balance Benchmarks should be among the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for any GLC alongside the other goals set for its top management.

4.1.5 Recognise companies that are doing their part
Many corporations in Malaysia have already committed to supporting women at work over and above what is required by law. Examples would be companies that offer the option to extend maternity leave with no loss in seniority, those that offer additional months off at half pay, and those allow women to work from home as long as they perform. The Ministry should consider ways of identifying and recognising caring corporations.

4.2 Enhancing flexibility
Because women continue to bear most of the responsibility for caring for children and aged relatives, they need greater flexibility to manage these roles, particularly when their children are young. Working@home, telecommuting, job-sharing and three-day weeks are some of the options that have emerged elsewhere in the world. The technology and connectivity to permit this have long been available; however, mindsets have not changed to embrace this paradigm shift.

There is a need for organisations to move away from the perception that ‘work can only be done at one’s desk’ and that working long hours are necessary to demonstrate one’s worth should be set aside.

Participants’ recommendations

4.2.1 Stimulate serious consideration of flexible work options by private sector
The Ministry should do a study on flexible work options and their relevance and suitability in the Malaysian corporate sector. Such a study can be used to stimulate discussion on flexible work options (job-sharing, telecommuting and working@home) with CEOs and leaders in the private sector. It should also critically evaluate the experience of companies in Malaysia that have already taken the lead on implementing flexible work options.

4.2.2 Hold a conference for Women’s Networks
The process of instituting change in company policies towards gender equity and flexibility has historically involved continuous pressure from Women’s networks within organisations. The Ministry can play a role in stimulating change by creating an opportunity for successful Women’s networks to meet and encourage others at an earlier position on this journey.

4.2.3 Tax rebates for purchase of ‘enablers’
The government should extend tax rebates to companies that are investing in ‘enablers’ in the form of telecommunications technology (mobile phones and internet set up) so that their staff can work remotely.

4.2.4 A role for the media
The media can be enlisted to play a role in highlighting the value of family-friendly work policies. They can showcase companies that have successfully employed flexible work options while managing to show benefits in terms of profits and productivity.

4.3 Child care facilities

The provision of quality childcare that is safe and accessible would alleviate one of the main anxieties of parents that work. The Ministry can assist by continuing its work of enhancing the availability of childcare in the community and the workplace, and the training of skilled teachers and carers.

Participants’ recommendations

4.3.1 Community centres in housing estates
Housing developers should be made to comply with a requirement for a community centre in each neighbourhood that would help cater to the needs of families, including childcare for both toddlers and older children.

4.3.2 Enforcement of standards
The Ministry should ensure that all childcare providers comply with minimum standards on hygiene, comprehensive facilities, staff-student ratios and number of trained staff. All care facilities should be audited regularly to ensure compliance with safety standards.

4.4 Putting wellness on the agenda
Work pressure in the corporate sector is exacting a heavy toll on today’s workers. This is showing itself in higher stress levels, and an increase in stress related health concerns in both men and women. These arise from work conditions that prevent workers from taking proper care of themselves (in terms of nutrition, exercise and spiritual well being). For businesses, this ultimately leads to lower productivity and higher health costs.

Participants’ recommendations
4.4.1 Adopt Wellness Index as indicator of progress
Participants suggested that as a country we need to be adopting a more meaningful measure of development and progress. A Wellness Index has been used elsewhere in the world and could be adopted nationally to complement GDP statistics. Companies should also Benchmark employee perceptions of wellness so that it can be included in each company’s KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).

4.4.2 Promote discussion of Wellness at a national level
The Ministry can urge the private sector to do more to encourage healthy lifestyles among employees. For instance, the Ministry could find ways to recognise companies that have adopted programmes to enhance wellness amongst their staff.

4.4.3 Promote wellness facilities
As an incentive to corporations that are being pro-active about wellness, tax rebates or exemptions could be offered for expenditure on gyms and sports facilities on the premises or for expenditure on wellness activities and programmes.

5 RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC SECTOR

5.1 Putting work-life balance on the agenda
Participants from the government sector emphasised that Work-Life balance was not just a women’s issue, but a national issue. In today’s society, both parents generally need to work to provide for their children’s needs. Therefore, policies that allow employees to continue to parent and be available to their children in spite of having to work are essential in order to ensure that the next generation is not neglected.

Participants’ recommendations
5.1.1 Evaluate how Work-Life Balance can be improved in public
sector
The Ministry should work closely with the Public Services Department (PSD) to develop a Best Practice Benchmark for Work-Life Balance in the government sector. All heads of department should be tasked with improving the work environment and worplace practices to better conform to Best Practice guidelines.

5.1.2 Enhance efficiency
All government agencies should look into ways to boost efficiency so that more can be achieved in a work day, rather than making it necessary for long work hours. This could include cutting down on the number and length of meetings. Supervisors can be sensitised to the need to be more organised so as to optimise the way they utilise their staff.

5.1.3 Create opportunities for consultation
Each agency should consult with its staff to find out how Work-Life Balance can be improved in line with the specific needs of differerent organisations.

5.1.4 Extend maternity leave, grant more paternity leave
The government was requested to boost maternity leave to three months. Fathers should also be allowed to have more time off to spend with the newborns and to assist their wives by looking after older children.

5.1.5 Avoid displacing families
In cases where women employees are promoted, they should not have to move especially if it involves displacing them and their family from their familiar support network.

5.2 Enhancing flexibility

Women in the government sector agreed that greater flexibility would definitely contribute to better work-life balance. This is a strongly felt need. In some cases, women had left or were planning to leave their positions as they could not find the flexibility needed to manage their children, households and relationships with their spouses.

Participants’ recommendations
5.2.1 Carry out a study on implementing flexible work options
The Ministry in cooperation with the Public Services Department (PSD) should conduct a study on the possibility of introducing more flexible work options as a means of enabling women to better juggle demands. Participants however cautioned that each government department should be given the scope to recommend how flexible working hours should be implemented so as to be most appropriate and meaningful within their specific work context.

5.2.2 Test new options in the Ministry
The Ministry can take the lead by trialling new forms of working within its five agencies. Recorded observations and feedback could be used to demonstrate the value of introducing flexibility in the workplace. These include a shorter work week, job-sharing, telecommuting and working@home or working on a project basis.

5.2.3 Allow women to ‘opt out’ and ‘opt in’
Women wanted to have a flexible system that allowed women with young children to ‘opt out’ of work to devote time to the family and to get back to work later without the loss of job benefits or seniority. Alternatives would include allowing women to work part-time (e.g. three days a week, or on a half-day basis) until they were able to resume full-time work.

5.3 Child care facilities for young children

Participants’ recommendations
5.3.1 More childcare facilities on premises
Participants felt that all government departments should establish child care facilities on their premises.

5.3.2 Affordable childcare in more housing areas
More childcare facilities supported by the Ministry should be made available in all housing estates.

5.4 After school care programmes
Participants identified a serious gap in the provision of after school care for school-aged children and young adults. School children whose parents work have no one at home when they return. This leaves them unsupervised for much of the day. The lack of positive activities and role models, in combination with excess time on their hands, is believed to be a contributing factor to problems among young people today.

5.4.1 Initiate community programmes for students
The Ministry should engage residents’ groups and community NGOs to develop after-school activities for ‘latchkey kids’ whose parents have to work long hours. This could also be a way of involving the underutilised members of the community, such as retirees and housewives. The activities could be held on school premises or at community centres.

5.5 Putting wellness on the agenda
Wellness is another facet of work-life balance that needs to be factored in. Overwork and the pressures of urban living are impacting people’s abilities to look after themselves. This affects workers’ health and productivity.

Participants’ recommendations
5.5.1 Government departments should implement wellness plan
All government departments should be invited to implement a wellness plan for employees. Having a gym, recreation spaces and sports facilities are important aspects of the programme.

5.5.2 Employees should be encouraged to take leave
Staff should be encouraged to take days off every now and again to refresh themselves and spend time with their families, instead of saving up their entire leave period to use in one go.

6 ENTREPRENEURS AND SMEs
Women’s entrepreneurship and the family
Women become entrepreneurs for different reasons: for some it is the fulfillment of a specific vision, for others it is a decision that is motivated by circumstances - the need to play the roles of both breadwinner and caregiver. Since small and medium enterprises will continue to be a strategy for women to fulfill these demands, they need to be better supported.

6.1 Improving the range of childcare options

Women discussed how small and medium-sized businesses address the issue of childcare – including whether it was more cost effective to create spaces for children in the workplace or leave childcare to businesses staffed by trained professionals. Domestic helpers were also seen as a resource that could be improved upon to provide safe and reliable childcare in the home.

Participants’ recommendations
6.1.1 Corporations can share childcare centres with SMEs
Childcare centres can be set up by professional bodies or by corporations as part of CSR either at work on within residential areas. Large corporations could share these childcare facilities with small and medium enterprises in order to take advantage of economies of scale.

6.1.2 Incentives to SMEs offering childcare support
As offering facilities for children affects the bottom line of small companies, tax incentives should be offered to companies that offer childcare facilities or subsidies to their staff.

6.1.3 Subsidise childcare for disadvantaged
Subsidise or offer free childcare to disadvantaged women such as single mothers so that they can venture out to work.

6.1.4 Require housing developers to provide facilities
New housing estates should be required to have a community centre that would benefit the neighbourhood and also be used as a childcare facility. In addition there should be sufficient play areas and fields for sports.

6.1.5 Improving the quality of foreign domestic helpers
Since women of SMEs may also be heavily dependent on foreign domestic help, there should be better screening of workers and additional training programmes upon arrival to better prepare them for their role as caregivers.

6.2 Harnessing the power of women’s networks

Small businesses have limited resources and lack certain specialisations that they need to grow. They need access to information and markets, and help with branding and product differentiation. Women’s business networks could help members to overcome these limitations by pooling skills, experience and expertise. Participants looked at how the Ministry could back worthwhile initiatives that would support them.

Participants’ recommendations
6.2.1 Virtual information databank
The Ministry can support the setting up and management of a virtual information data bank where women can obtain information and advice on setting up a small business. This database could provide clear and comprehensive guidelines for women entrepreneurs regarding matters such as how to secure licenses, where to seek loans, access to resources and other useful information. Many women entrepreneurs waste a lot of time and effort because they are unaware of the avenues available to them.

6.2.2 Directory of women in SMEs
A directory database of women in SMEs should also be set up to enable members to network more easily. This could be run in conjunction with the Databank mentioned in 2.2 wherein, experienced women can offer advice to others based on their own experiences.

6.2.3 Hold start-up workshops, skills training
Workshops could be conducted to expose women that are keen on starting small and medium enterprises to what they need to consider when beginning these ventures. (These workshops could be run like the weekly public investment workshops run by the Securities Commission).

Other workshops could also be held to improve various skills such as financial management, time management, business planning and development, human resource management and so on.

6.2.4 Mentoring programme
A mentoring programme could be set up where experienced businesswomen could partner with women who are starting up their own businesses. They can provide them with guidance and assistance. For example, rural women can be helped to commercialise marketable products. Such a programme could reward and acknowledge enterprises that offer women with disabilities opportunities for employment and self-determination.

6.2.5 Financial support and training for those most in need
Women that are disadvantaged such as single mothers should be given priority for financial assistance, together with training to build their business skills, so that this monetary help is not merely a handout. Expertise on effective micro-credit management should be sought to guide such programmes.

6.3 Building and strengthening women-owned enterprises
Women-owned businesses need to be better understood, so that their contribution to the economy can be better recognised. In addition, such research may be able to reveal how can this sector be energised and empowered.

Participants’ recommendations
6.3.1 Quality research and records
Good statistical records need to be kept and made available to track the progress of women’s businesses in conjunction with policies undertaken to support them.

6.3.2 Encourage women to break into new frontiers
More can be done to encourage women entrepreneurs to break out of traditional sectors into potentially more lucrative sectors such as manufacturing.

6.3.3 Portray positive images in the media
The media should be ecnouraged to portray succesful business ventures led by women (both large scale and small scale) in order to phase out negative and unrepresentative perceptions of women’s capabilities.

7 NGO RECOMMENDATIONS

Participants felt that there was a need to revive the way that communities and neighbourhoods used to function, when people looked out for and supported one another across racial and generational lines. They also noted the lack of voluntarism in today’s society, particularly among young people, even though the needs of the disadvantaged are great. Retirees are a valuable human resource, but they are currently not being productively engaged in society.
The discussions covered a wide spectrum of issues that all impinge in one way or another on work-life balance for both men and women.

7.1 Reviving the dynamism of the interdependent community
The NGO focus group felt that there was a need to revive the spirit of neighbourliness and a caring community. This could be achieved through encouraging more programmes that involve young adults and schoolchildren in community service, and developing after-school programmes.

Participants’ recommendations
7.1.1 Encourage young adults to be involved in charitable organisations
Conduct research to better understands the kinds of programmes and activities that would interest young people in order to construct more relevant and contemporary programmes.

7.1.2 Make community service a compulsory extra-curricular activity
The government, through the Ministry of Education could make community service at school level. This way, children would be exposed to such activities at a young age and would be able to develop the habit for caring for others and contributing to society.

7.1.3 More childcare support and after-school programmes
To assist single parents to balance the care of their children with the need to work, there were suggestions to set up more child-care facilities and creches at the workplace. The group felt that the government should do more to encourage the private sector to provide such facilities.

7.1.4 Support for children of single-parents
NGOs and residents’ associations could also organise programmes for children from single-parent families after school or during school holidays to ensure that they do not miss out or get involved in unsuitable unsupervised activities.

7.1.5 Launch after-school care programme
With the help of Residents’ Associations, NGOs could also be supported to run after-school activities for children that would otherwise be returning to an empty home. These ‘latchkey kids’ would be able to participate in interesting and beneficial activities in a safe and encouraging environment.

7.1.6 Involve retirees and homemakers
The development of after-school programmes could work in tandem with a more concerted effort to involve retirees or homemakers in community activities. These two groups have been identified as being greatly underutilised. They could make a significant contribution although they are no longer in the workforce. Funding could come partially from parents’ contributions. Parents could also take turns to volunteer for the programme during their days off.

7.1.7 Introduce the Anugerah Remaja Perdana Rakan Muda
In the proposed programme, young people (14 – 25 years) wouldl be Award Participants who could work on various community service projects with specific objectives. NGOs and Residents Associations could organise programmes for Award Participants and assist them to fulfill all criteria of the programme. This will provide an avenue for mentoring, training and skills-building, while building cohesive community relationships.

7.2 Tapping into the strengths of NGOs
Non-governmental organisations are an exceptional resources to the community because of the passion and commitment of their members. This is complemented with access to the community, a track record of successful activities, institutional experience and access to global networks and resources. Yet, NGOs are hampered in their reach by a shortage of financial resources and difficulty to plan long term.

Participants’ recommendations
7.2.1 Set up an updated central database of NGOs and volunteers
By setting up an updated central database of all NGOs, people would be able to easily identify and reach the organisation that could assist them. A database would also enable NGOs to network and share expertise and resources, as well as collaborate on common issues.

7.2.2 Support for NGO operations
The Ministry could help channel financial support to NGOs to cover operational costs thereby allowing them to focus on activities instead of fundraising. Fund management and business development training should be sought to lead NGOs to some level of self-sufficiency.

7.2.3 Encourage partnerships between NGOs and corporations
The Ministry can also help enourage networking and partnerships between NGOs and the corporate sector in line with the push for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives with meaningful impact on the community.

7.2.4 Recognise and support NGOs
The contribution of NGOs should be recognised and strengthened by the government through awards, incentives and grants. The National Council of Women’s Organisations (NCWO) is a good model of a successful collaboration as its programmes are funded by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.

7.3 Boosting the service delivery of Local Councils
The participants felt strongly felt that improving the safety and quality of our living environment, access to recreational spaces, and the availability of key services was important for work-life balance. Many of these are the responsibility of Local Councils that have fallen short in terms of accountability and accessibility to the community.

Participants’ recommendations
7.3.1 Have proper election process for Local Councillors
It was strongly recommend that Local Councillors be elected so that the strong non-political, independent representatives may be chosen by the public from respected individuals within the community. This would boost the accessibility and credibility of the Councils.

7.3.2 Hold ‘Open days’ or ‘Meet the people’ sessions
Local Councils can be made more accessible and ‘client-oriented’ by having Local Councillors hold frequent meetings and consultation with local residents. ‘Open Centres’ or ‘Open Days’ would provide opportunities for communities to interact with Local Councillors and officials.

7.3.3 Use the internet for better service delivery
Each Local Council could create an internet portal to enhance feedback and communications between local residents and Local Councillors and officials.

7.3.4 Be more consultative
Local Councils should also directly involve Residents’ Associations and local NGOs in any kind of planning and evaluation.

7.4 Matching willingness to serve, with real needs

Participants’ recommendations
7.4.1 Establishment of a Resource Bank of Volunteers
The proposal to establish a Resource Bank of volunteers and resource people was well received by the NGOs as they saw it as a good way of mobilising resources. Such a system, could also serve as a Social Development Marketplace by matching the right volunteers with specific causes.

7.4.2 Build a centralised website for linking the NGO network
It was suggested that the Ministry provide support to develop a website/portal to link all NGOs, their registry of volunteers, resources that can be shared (e.g. materials, facilities, expertise) and to centralise publicity for upcoming programmes and events as well as enhancing communications about their activities and community impact.

The Ministry could support this initiative by helping NGOs equip themselves with the necessary hardware, software and skills development to better utilise ICTs for outreach and for optimising networking and resource use.

7.5 Corporate Social Responsibility
Related to the previous question, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is increasingly being taken up by corporations so that they can initiate positive developments in the community. The NGOs critically evaluated how this involvement might best be optimised for meaningful long-term community impact.

7.5.1 NGOs to ensure programmes are better targetted
The NGOs felt that for meaningful long term impact, CSR programmes should impact positively on both the provider and the recipient. The involvement of the corporation’s employees to a community cause is what brings about positive impact, not just the financial contribution.

The NGOs believed that they had the experience and expertise to help CSR programmes become more targetted by surveying current needs of the community or target groups, and then working with corporations to tailor programmes to meet specific needs.

7.5.2 NGOs can also contribute to sustainability of the programmes
Involving NGOs is one way to ensure that the programmes supported by the corporate sector are sustained and are continued. They encouraged the Ministry to play a role in matching corporations with NGOs towards meeting community needs.

7.6 Enhancing flexibility in the ‘workplace’

Participants’ recommendations
7.6.1 Boost receptivity towards flexible work options
The Ministry was asked to play a role in creating greater receptivity for more flexible work options in both the public and private sectors (this includes job-sharing, part-time work, telecommuting and others). Flexibility is anticipated as a means of retaining educated and experienced women who would otherwise opt out of the workforce, and also ease the strain on single mothers.

7.6.2 Encourage more family-friendly work policies
The NGOs saw that more could be done to change traditional mindsets of what constitutes work and support more family-friend work policies. The media could also be encouraged to demonstrate how flexible work options have been successful in boosting profits and productivity, retaining talent and reducing staff turnover.

7.6.3 Create more time for workers to volunteer
Flexible work options can invigorate and expand the nation’s base of human resources and enable working people to participate in social work. Volunteers are the third work force in a country, and involvement in social activities will help in self-development, networking, and nation building.