KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 ― While women in the federal civil service have made great strides in holding senior positions, a Sabah minister said their peers in the state are struggling to close the gender gap.
The Borneo Post reported today state Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid saying the percentage of women holding decision-making positions in the Sabah public sector has dropped from 7.9 per cent in 2015 to 6.8 per cent this year.
Jainab was also reported citing analysis by the Gender Equity Index (GEI) that was published by OECD Development Centre 2012, Jainab was reported as saying that gender equality between male and female was still very much apparent and that Malaysia was at the bottom of the table together with Laos and Cambodia.
The GEI measures gaps in political empowerment and decision-making in Southeast Asia.
In the index, Malaysia was graded below 60 marks while neighbouring countries like the Philippines, Brunei, Thailand and Vietnam were all above 70 marks, the state minister reportedly said.
She was also reported expressing hope for more eligible women to be considered as potential staff for some of the 24 executive jobs in the local authority, which are currently held by men.
In contrast, women’s involvement at the decision-making level in the federal civil service reportedly reached 33 per cent as at June last year, exceeding the 30 per cent target set by Putrajaya.
