Kota Kinabalu: Developing the care economy will be one of the main focuses of the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM) in Budget 2024 to be tabled in October, said Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
“We want to grow this market as there are not many caretaking jobs for those who need it, such as people with disabilities, children and the elderly.
“We are also heading towards an ageing society, hence this (care economy) is greatly needed. This is one of our focuses, and we also want to produce skilled caregivers,” she told reporters after officiating the closing ceremony of the 2023 Women Income Creation Programme (Wejana) at The Palace Hotel, here, Tuesday.
Nancy added that her Ministry will also focus on improving existing welfare programmes.
SPONSORED CONTENT Daily Express members: Enjoy 1 for 1 signature cocktails and more at Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu: DAILY EXPRESS is partnering with Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu to offer an exclusive deal for our members. Read more On the Wejana Programme, she said it trains housewives and caregivers in e-commerce so they may be able to generate income from home with flexible hours and remain in the labour market.
She explained that women with families often face constraints in their career development due to their responsibility with domestic and unpaid care work.
“According to a 2018 International Labour Organisation (ILO) report, care work comprises direct and indirect care activities. Direct care activities are like babysitting or taking care of a sick spouse while indirect care activities are like cooking and cleaning the house.
“This work is mostly done by women who are traditionally seen as the primary caregivers of children, the elderly and the sick, as well as the caretakers of the home.
“Women, compared to men, are forced to leave their careers, not by choice, but due to the high cost of care or because there are no flexible work options that allow them to continue as carers while remaining in the workforce,” she said.
Recognising this, Nancy said Wejana was implemented last year so caregivers and housewives will be empowered to set up their home online business. Wejana has successfully helped increase participants’ income by an average of RM1,000 a month.
The programme provides upskilling and reskilling training in four key aspects, namely financial management, sales and marketing, business branding and customer service.
Wejana 2023 involved 200 participants, of which 35 were from Sabah.
Nancy said the programme is also in line with the Madani Economy’s framework which involves the initiative to increase women’s participation in the country’s workforce to 60 per cent in less than a decade from now.
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