Review criteria for women to receive assistance

THERE is a prevalence of women and the elderly heading households in the B40 category of families. They are also most reliant on government assistance such as the National Economic Recovery Plan (Penjana) during this pandemic.

Using data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia, Khazanah Research Institute (KRI) shows that out of the 19.4% female heads of households in the B40 category, 72.9% are widows, divorcees or had never been married.

The call by Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff for women whose applications for Penjana assistance had been rejected to apply again will be a waste of time unless the criteria for eligibility are changed to include women who are head of households but have never been married or whose husbands have left them, are in prison or cannot be relied on to provide for their families.

Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor (PSWS) is concerned about the women whose application for Penjana assistance was rejected as they needed the monetary aid five months ago. A reapplication, without the government first reviewing the approval criteria, would only lead to further disappointment for them.

In a recent statement, the deputy minister said 25,000 applications have been approved while funds were set aside to aid 150,000 mothers. But she did not reveal the number of applications that were rejected nor the reasons for the rejection.

PSWS, an organisation that works actively with women workers, has received many complaints that applications that were entertained were only from those who had marriage certificates and could prove they were divorced. The fact is many women are not legally married while others are struggling to get divorced. They have been surviving on the goodwill of the public.

PSWS urges the ministry to enlist the help of the Welfare Department, NGOs and associations that work with marginalised women to help make house calls to confirm the claims of the applicants and speed up approvals.

The ministry should also contact the service centres of state and federal political representatives, heads of villages, resident association committees and other grassroots leaders. The ministry should inform women who are applying for aid to approach these groups, organisations or individuals to help validate their claims.

PSWS urges lawmakers who will be debating the Covid-19 Bill to introduce temporary measures to reduce the impact of the pandemic, with special consideration to assisting women in the care economy and their re-employment. There needs to be a systematic assistance for quality child and elderly care to enable women to stay in employment and work in productive jobs.

In 2018, 60.2% of women who did not participate in the labour force cited housework, including child and elderly care, as the main reason for not seeking work.

While the heads of households typically must ensure that the needs of their members are fulfilled irrespective of their gender, the means available to do so may not be gender neutral.

While it was revealed in another KRI report that four out of 10 workers in Malaysia are not entitled to employment-related social protection and benefits, in his 2019 report, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights Professor Philip Alston noted that women in Malaysia shouldered a disproportionate share of housework, have an exceptionally low rate of workforce participation, are disproportionately stuck in lower-level jobs, and are paid less than men. IRENE XAVIER Executive director Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor