KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 15 — There is a need to establish a payment system for housewives to acknowledge their contributions and sacrifices in managing households, said Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
Referring to housewives as “unpaid labour”, she noted that this was because many of them were not financially supported by their husbands.
She said this mechanism also serves as a method to empower women economically.
“We hope the government, possibly through the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso), can find a mechanism to compensate wives for this unpaid labour.
“It goes beyond simply calculating the cost of household chores, there are husbands who still don’t provide financial support to their wives,” she said when appearing as a guest on the Selamat Pagi Malaysia programme today.
To boost women’s participation in the workforce, Nancy said employers have a vital role in motivating the group to join their organisations.
“Due to the greater loyalty displayed by most women towards an organisation, it is essential to have women as employees to ensure the smooth and effective functioning of an organisation.
“With a higher number of women, there is an increased loyalty within an organisation. This allows employers to plan more extensively and support the economy in a more organised manner.”
— Bernama
