An alarming 67% women professionals in Malaysia are planning to call it quits in the next 12 months over the lack of family-friendly policies at their companies, reveals a new study by Monster.com.
We’re breaking down the top 3 reasons cited from the recently conducted survey:
Discrimination is rampant
Unfortunately, women in Malaysia are still subjected to discrimination at work and their biggest hurdle is “how they are perceived” by colleagues and clients (41%), followed by a lack of opportunity to advance or gain promotion (40%).
At the heart of the problem is the fact that their demands for equal opportunity and access to senior management are consistently overlooked.
What can you do?
If you feel that a colleague is being sexist or disrespectful – speak up! Pull him/her aside to discuss the matter privately. You don’t need to force an argument — just make your position clear. A friendly reminder about what is and isn’t OK may be all that was needed.
Toxic Work environment
One-third of women who responded to the survey said they “agree” or “somewhat agree” that having children affects their career goals and opportunities, while 30% of women with children believe they have been held back because of their decision to have kids.
What can you do?
Sexism in the workplace is more complicated, subtle, and dogged than many women realise. Infact, any job interview questions related to your family status are technically illegal, but employers often ask them anyway. If you’re uncomfortable answering these questions, politely steer the conversation away by saying “I’m not sure how this is related to the job”.
Nothing related to gender should be asked in the interview process or other related matters—at all.
Stereotypes are common
Being a successful career woman, wife and mother is a challenging task. 19% of women said they haven’t been given certain responsibilities at work because of their commitments at home.
What can you do?
To shatter workplace stereotypes, women must believe that they juggle their personal and professional lives. If you’ve been overlooked, bring it up with management, and make sure you produce a record of your achievements, big and small. Involving a trusted mentor will strengthen your case.
This Mother’s Day Monster Malaysia launches #SheMakesItWork, a campaign to support mums returning to work, and to encourage employers to consider more family-friendly work arrangements. Watch the full video below:
You can also see the infographic for a full breakdown of the survey findings conducted across Southeast Asia.
