The author places much emphasis on women’s factories in Malaysia due to the frustrations that they undergo in addressing various concerns in the region. The approach becomes clear through the lens of the social relations approach, which is a crucial platform for exploring key occurrences in society. Through the approach, there exists an institutional analysis relating to gender inequality on matters related to remuneration as well as employment opportunities for women in various sectors of the economy.
A comprehensive exploration of the article depicts the fact that women factory workers in Malaysia suffer some challenges that negatively impact their relationships. One of the causes of such challenges is the character of institutions, which is a big deal in the region. Moreover, there are also different levels of difficulty that women face in the adoption process and when internalizing the various elements related to empowerment.
In contemporary society, a shift is recorded, and women are constantly improving their participation in the labour market. It is noted that most developing nations have a larger percentage of people working in low-skilled occupations. There is also a significant number working in the informal sectors. That should never be the case, and the implication has a negative impact on economic growth and development. The main cause of such challenges is the high level of gender inequality as well as discrimination. The economy needs the contribution of every individual, and it is imperative to offer a standard platform for competition in securing various positions.
The issues are different at the moment. It is apparent that nations are currently implementing some international efforts to enhance economic growth and development. That is feasible once women are empowered to address various concerns in the best way possible. According to Elias (2005), “Women play a crucial role in every nation, and the ability to improve their participation on matters related to economic participation is one of the surest approaches to improve living standard, raise the level of empowerment and improve in children’s well-being as well.” Women are known to be home-oriented and play a crucial role in laying a strong foundation that plays a crucial role in improving relationships.
The choice of a study niche is also a factor to consider in most instances. It is apparent that the particular design was right since the focus was on Malaysia. The region presents some low-skilled female workers, and their contribution to the growth and development of the economy should not be thwarted in any instance. The manufacturing industry is one of the sectors of great importance to the case study. It is apparent that women play a crucial role in such a sector. Even though they play such roles, it is evident that the level of inequality, as well as discrimination exhibited, is a challenge to economic growth and development. “The main focus should be on key processes that promote equitable power sharing (Elias, 2005).”
That brings the issue of empowerment in which individuals must get a space to exercise their skills. How does empowerment have a positive impact on the lives of women? It is known that empowerment helps women gain the capacity to execute various strategic forms regarding agency. Mostly, that applies to their lives and makes them ambassadors in society. Parenting is better once women are empowered to improve on key aspects of society. It is not prudent to place women as subordinates since the instance makes it hard to engage women in various activities related to economic growth and development. The article banks on the approach of an agency. The instance denotes the need for women to have clear goals and have the willpower to act on such deals. Moreover, there is also the need for resources. The aspect mostly relates to the capability of making choices and acting based on the choices.
The instance is of much importance since it makes good use of cognitive ability and helps in deriving meaning in various instances. In such occurrences, the outcome becomes the achievement, which plays a crucial role in building society. People hold to the fact that handing over empowerment is a simple task. However, it is known that the instance must be generated through some steps. It is necessary to have a platform that fosters transformation through learning and sharing. The most important thing is to build on perception. It is key to improve how individuals see themselves and relate the same to the necessary steps to have a positive impact on the lives of individuals on various occasions. To empower women, it is imperative to start from within and work on the way women see themselves in various spaces.
Having a collective action is also a crucial part of matters related to empowerment. There is a need for various organizations that will make it possible to share the needs of women and make it possible in addressing the concerns of such women. Through such platforms, women can get the necessary approach to challenging various institutions as well as the ability to create various spaces to create policies that address their demands. There is also the possibility of pushing for various policies that help in power distribution. It is not necessary for women to only get a share of the existing resources in the society. Instead, the existing platform should make it possible to make women part of the mix and spearhead key actions related to economic growth and development. Realities happen on the ground, and the same requires women to remain closed on the execution of various tasks related to the growth and development of society. It is prudent to tailor strategies that fit the local needs of the population and improve engagement.
How do women impact in the manufacturing industry? Malaysia is the best platform for consideration, as it has a high level of industrialization in the region. The focus in the region is the export-oriented nature, and that began way back in the 1970s. The instance was not fair due to the emergence of rapid feminization, which was evident in the labour force. Women are always suffering since they lack unity on most occasions. That limits their bargaining power, making them likely to settle for almost every aspect presented to them. According to Elias (2005), the number of women who entered the manufacturing sector was unprecedented. The main group includes the young as well as unmarried ones. Those of Malay origin were the main target, and the treatments were not fair enough to improve key aspects of their lives. The ability of the female labour force to stabilize in Malaysia took the intervention of key stakeholders in the region, and the impact is beneficial in some ways. The main sector of importance is manufacturing, which is indeed helpful in fostering the growth of key sectors of the economy. At one point, the global recession presented some challenges. That, however, did not thwart the same growth, and it has since been on the rising edge with the increase in the number of women employed in the sector.
Analysis of gender inequality in Factory Production
The manner in which institutions operate is helpful in understanding the steps towards discrimination against women in various factories in Malaysia. That is also helpful in providing more insight into matters related to inequality in the region. Since the focus was on increasing the level of exports in the region, it was prudent to embrace technology and make it possible to address the concerns of individuals in the sector. The perception of women in such a space relates to being malleable as well as passive. Moreover, the author posits that women remained a passive workforce, and most institutions regarded their labour as being flexible and cheap. Ideally, that is just a form of discrimination that should not apply in any given space. It is imperative to always give a fair ground for every member of society to enhance growth and success. Due to the conditions in the region, various labour laws emerged to improve the relationship between individuals. Through the various policies, the state found it imperative to implement flexible policies, which made it possible to address the concerns of most individuals in society. Due to such movements, it was also evident that the existing tension that resulted from the level of discrimination also contributed to the negative treatment, and women remained the target.
The manufacturing sector is also crucial for the study due to the gender wage differentials, which justified the low pay given to women based on their qualifications as well as education. Ideally, empowerment should start with the ability to give women the best education to have a positive impact on their lives. It is not right to regard women as domestic and major in home-based duties. Even though such roles are also helpful in building the family, it is necessary to give women a space to grow themselves and contribute to sharing the national cake. Elias (2005) believes that women can bring about the transformation needed in various sectors. It is the responsibility of society to work together with such women to achieve the set plans. The allegation that was apparent in the lower leadership skills of women was attributed to various parts of Malaysia (Elias, 2005). That was such an act of stereotyping since it is possible to have women in leadership and experience the best transformation ever. How many women currently take leadership positions in contemporary society? Are they different from the ones during the period articulated by the author? Ideally, the answers to such questions justify the fact that women, just like men, can bring a positive impact in leadership positions and create change in society.
The pay in most industries in contemporary society still presents elements of distribution, and women are likely to get lower pay compared to men with the same competencies. There is also limited hope for promotion, and that limits economic growth and development. Even though such a struggle exists, it is still ongoing, and very soon, gender equality will be apparent in every part of the world. What is needed is some level of empowerment, which most organizations in contemporary society have implemented. Women should not be seen as child-bearing individuals but instead work as partners with men in various sectors of the economy. That is the surest way to limit the authoritative approach, which is evident not only in homes but also in various working environments. There is the aspect of patriarchal hierarchy in which women are seen as better placed to nurture children. Such women lack the urge to seek jobs outside their homes since they wish to give the best attention to their children. Men should be able to offer help in such an instance since growth requires the contribution of every stakeholder.
Women in every part of the world, including Malaysia, should be supportive and work as partners with their husbands on home-related tasks. That should also be inclusive in the workplace as well as in various political arenas. Currently, it stands out that young females are exploring the various fields that women dominated in previous cases. It is apparent that the subordination related to women does not conform to cities. Men in rural setups also have a voice on matters related to land and other resources. It is through the various women’s groups that it is possible to address key concerns in society. Due to the rampant fight for equality in various instances, violence against women is on the rise as well since men are not willing to be subordinated in various positions held by women (Elias, 2005). The aspects of globalization and diversity do not support such moves, and it is imperative to understand that things have taken a different paradigm. Men should be willing to work with equally able women to foster economic growth and development.
In conclusion, it is evident that women still face some challenges in terms of employment. It is also apparent that the various state control mechanisms play a crucial role in fostering such levels of discrimination as well as inequality. Most employers subscribe to the fact that most women lack the necessary discipline to make them relevant to the premises. That is never the case since men are equally lazy in various departments and become a nuisance on most occasions. It all comes to the personality as well as the competency of individuals. The act presented in Malaysia is purely an act of discrimination and should not get any support. The author agrees that such a perception is purely a mirage and should not be applied in any part of the world. It is also known from the article that everyone wants to make a profit and will strive to implement the best approaches to realize such dreams. It is within the realm for women to be part of decision-making and improve their well-being on various occasions. Failure to take such approaches into consideration is the main reason for discrimination, which impacts negatively on the development of economies.
References
Elias, J. (2005). The gendered political economy of control and resistance on the shop floor of the multinational firm: a case-study from Malaysia. New Political Economy, 10(2), 203-222.