The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development is accelerating a series of nationwide measures to lift women’s participation in the labour market, with a target of reaching 60 per cent by 2033.
Deputy Minister Lim Hui Ying said Malaysia’s current female labour force participation rate stands at 56.9 per cent, a level that underscores the need for consistent and intensified efforts to close the remaining gap.
She said the ministry is rolling out skills enhancement and reskilling programmes, with particular focus on helping homemakers re-enter the workforce. While the numerical difference to the target may seem modest, Lim stressed that translating it into real participation requires sustained policy support and behavioural change across sectors.
“Our benchmark is 60 per cent. Even though the margin appears small, achieving it is challenging. That is why we are pressing on with comprehensive efforts towards 2033, including initiatives to encourage homemakers to return to work,” she told reporters after officiating the Penang-level International Women’s Day celebration in Kuala Lumpur today.
Also present were Datuk Baderul Amin Abdul Hamid, Mayor of Seberang Perai, and Dr Faridah Awang, deputy director-general of the Department of Women’s Development.
Lim said initiatives under the Women’s Development Plan have been mapped out and will be implemented nationwide through state-level mechanisms to ensure wider reach and consistency. She added that the official 56.9 per cent figure reflects women registered in the formal economy, while many others remain unaccounted for as they work in the informal sector or are full-time homemakers.
In response, she said the government is placing stronger emphasis on expanding the care economy and the caregiving industry, which are seen as viable avenues to create more employment opportunities for women while addressing growing social needs.
Earlier in her speech, Lim highlighted that Penang recorded a notable rise in female labour force participation, climbing to 57.6 per cent in 2024 from 46.7 per cent in 2022 and 47.3 per cent in 2023. She said the upward trend reflects Penang’s role as a hub for industry, technology, education and the creative economy, and reinforces the view that the state’s development trajectory depends heavily on the active contribution of women.
