26pc pay hike likely if women get fair access to work

SINGAPORE: Malaysians’ income may rise 26 per cent if women are given equal access to economic opportunities, says the World Bank.

The rise in income per capita would imply a RM9,400 annual gain for each Malaysian on average, according to a report released by the Bank yesterday.

Three quarters of the rise would come from closing the gap in women’s participation in the labour force, which stands at 55.2 per cent, while one quarter would come from women becoming entrepreneurs.

The Southeast Asian country’s working-age population is set to start shrinking next year, increasing the urgency of bringing in more women into the labour force.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s administration will revise the employment law to extend paid maternity leave and introduce anti-discriminatory as well as anti-sexual harassment clauses to boost women’s labour participation to 60 per cent.