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GENDER DISCRIMINATION IN
EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES: A CASE
STUDY OF THE MALAYSIAN CIVIL
SERVICE
Syaza Shukri
1
(syazashukri@iium.edu.my)
Rabi’ah Aminudin (rabiahamin@iium.edu.my)
Norhaslinda Jamaiudin (linda@iium.edu.my)
Nur azzura Mohamad Diah (azzura@iium.edu.my)
Kuliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Science
International Islamic University Malaysia
Abstract
Gender discrimination and disparity have been rampantly discussed at
all levels of society, from household to education to government
institutions. Without discounting the others' importance, this study is
interested in discovering possible discrimination according to gender
at the workplace. The authors believe this is an important area of
study because a healthy workplace would lead to healthy employees
and a more balanced household and nation. On the other hand, if
employees are discriminated against by their genders, this would lead
to lopsided work arrangements that might burden certain people over
others. This study was conducted to discover whether gender
discrimination exists in employment practices in the Malaysian public
sector. Unfortunately, from the individual and focus group interviews
that were done with public sector employees working in local
authorities and the State Secretary of one state in Malaysia, it was
found that gender biases continue to exist due to the lack of
understanding and misconception of what constitutes gender
discrimination. Therefore, this paper proposes four steps that could be
taken by the public sector immediately to tackle this issue of gender
discrimination in employment practices.
Keywords: Gender discrimination, gender disparity, employment practice,
Malaysian civil service, public sector.
1
Corresponding Author
2
Introduction
Over the years, there has been increasing interest and discussion over the issue of
gender equality. Part of the debate has been regarding the need to reduce the gender
gap at work. In more concrete terms, it is argued that females, making up half of the
population, should also make up half of the number of employees. Emphasis should
be put on bringing women into the workplace, and more importantly, keeping them
at work by providing an opportunity for women to climb up the proverbial ladder.
Based on data from 2019, Malaysia has been making an encouraging stride in
the representation of women in top positions in the corporate world (Ho, 2020).
Malaysia is the best among Asian countries in terms of women's ratio in the top 100
public listed companies at 26.4 percent. Moreover, at 33 percent, Malaysia also has a
higher-than-average ratio of women in senior management teams. However, when it
comes to the decision-makers, female board members among public listed companies
in Malaysia only account for 16.6 percent (Saieed, 2019). It shows that while women
are relatively active in the workforce, they are still unrepresented where it matters
most.
Overall, Malaysia has room to improve in terms of gender equality. Based on
the 2020 Gender Global Gap Index (World Economic Forum, 2019), Malaysia is
ranked 104th out of 153 countries with a score of 0.677, which is considered
moderate. A score of 0 indicates perfect inequality, whereas a score of 1 indicates
perfect equality. At 0.677, Malaysia shows a marked improvement compared to 2006
when the country scored 0.651during the first year that the World Economic Forum
measured gender-based gaps. Nevertheless, when comparing Malaysia with its close
neighbors in the region, Malaysia is faring worse than Singapore in the 54th position,
followed by Thailand at 75th position, Indonesia at 85th position, and Brunei
Darussalam 95th position. It shows that there is still much work to be done to reduce
the gender gap in Malaysia further.
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Malaysia received the highest educational attainment score at 0.989, which
shows that there is almost perfect equality between the genders in education. With
equal opportunity towards attaining education, logic would dictate that females
should then be equally represented in the workforce following graduation. Alas, that
is not the case. In the same report, Malaysia scored 0.639 in economic participation
and opportunity. While this number is above average, there is still a pronounced
score drop of 0.35 from educational attainment to economic participation. Where do
female graduates go? Another peculiarity appeared when one realized Malaysia
scored a paltry of 0.256 in women's participation as legislators, senior officials, and
managers. In other words, only one in four senior officials in Malaysia is females.
If women are equally equipped as men when they left tertiary education to
enter the labor market, what explains the discrepancy in the number of women
holding influential positions? Were women discriminated against when employers
were choosing who to hire, promote, develop, and retrenched? What can the
government do to address this issue? What are the challenges faced with eradicating
gender discrimination in the workplace?
In tackling these questions, this article looks at the Malaysian civil service as
a case study to understand gender discrimination in the workplace. Following a short
literature review in the next section, there will be a discussion on the structure of the
public service and gender stereotypes in employment practices among the Malaysian
civil service. Next is a discussion on the Malaysian government's experience in
overcoming these challenges and suggestions for the government to implement in the
near future. The conclusion will stress the importance of gender inclusivity in
employment practices for a more conducive working environment.
Literature Review
Workplace gender discrimination
Gender discrimination in the workplace is a widely written issue in the
literature. However, there are many strands to it. Scholars have been writing about
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gender discrimination from an economic perspective (i.e., Oster, 1975), a
sociological perspective (i.e., Bielby &Baron, 1986; Cohen &Huffman, 2003;
Charles, 2011), and a law and governance perspective (i.e., Thornton, 2010; Mercat-
Bruns, 2016). Based on the literature, gender discrimination at work can refer to
labor market discrimination, gender-based wage discrimination, or even sexual
harassment at the workplace. This issue is not unique to Malaysia as research has
been done in other parts of the world.
Bielby and Baron (1986), for example, used data from 290 economic
establishments in California from the years 1964 to 1979 to test whether different
gender traits and turnover costs are the reasons for gender segregation within mixed
occupations. It was found that gender discrimination does exist in the workplace,
especially among men and women who hold the same occupation but work in
different establishments or have different job titles within the same organization (p.
777). However, there are no efficient or rational differences in skills and turnover
costs.
Oster (1975) argued that employer-based discrimination against women is
unstable. Nevertheless, discrimination in the workplace is ongoing and prevalent
because of employee discrimination. In other words, employers segregate workers
based on gender due to discriminatory attitudes held by male employees. It was
discovered that by minimizing women in the workplace, employers could maximize
male workers' productivity. This finding is similar to findings by Miller (1997). From
observations made within the United States army, it was concluded that sexual
harassment happened because men felt threatened by women's presence in the
barracks.
In a cross-national survey, Charles (2011) found that while the gender gap in
institutions such as education and the labor market has indeed narrowed, the
trajectory differs between vertical (hierarchical) and horizontal (inter-occupation)
discrimination. Developed countries have more women in managerial positions,
which is following modernization theory. However, there is still gender segregation
across different occupations. Based on neo-institutionalism, Charles (2011) argued
that the state plays a vital role in addressing gender discrimination in the workplace.
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Since some states are more conservative (North African countries) than others
(Scandinavian countries), females still find themselves working in different
occupations than males, despite holding similar managerial positions.
Workplace gender discrimination in Malaysia
In Malaysia's case, Othman and Othman (2015) discuss the forms of
discrimination faced by women at work. While more women are part of senior
officials and managers, jumping from 4.8 percent in 2000 to 5.4 percent in 2005, the
number is still relatively low. The reason given for this slow development is that
women are discriminated against from being promoted due to their gender (p. 27).
Malaysian organizations practice a "male managerial model," whereby males are
preferred for leadership roles. This discriminatory practice also explains the gender
pay gap in the country.
If one is to look more specifically at the female board of directors in
Malaysia, the situation is less sanguine. Using a sample of 250 public listed
companies, Abd-Mutalib, Yahya, and Shaari (2018) examined females' proportion in
the boardroom and their qualifications. It was found that despite the government's
announcement to have private companies have at least 30 percent females in the
boardroom, 38.4 percent of public listed companies still do not have even a single
female in the boardroom.
Despite the gap, Goy and Johnes (2012) made another observation using a
dataset from the Malaysian Population and Family Survey 2004. They found that the
higher gender segregation in Malaysia, the less likely wages are to be unequal. They
argued that women face less discrimination in female-centric occupations. It is in
stark contrast to research by Cohen and Huffman (2003), which found in the US that
females are penalized in terms of wages if they work in female-centric occupations.
Nevertheless, the gender pay gap exists in Malaysia within the same occupation due
to hierarchical segregation by gender, supporting Othman and Othman’s finding.
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While Goy and Johnes (2012)'s findings paint a better picture, there is still a
general gender wage gap in Malaysia. Lim (2019) argued that this pay gap could not
be explained by education as female adult literacy is almost universal, and females
make up more than half of undergraduates in public universities. According to Lim
(2019), this segregation can be explained as follows: females tend to major in the
social sciences and arts, more likely to work part-time, and seldom negotiate for
salary increments. All of these result in the lower pay of female workers compared to
male workers in Malaysia.
Of course, females' burden is that they are usually more involved in care
work such as taking care of the elderly and childcare that results in less time for
market work and thus less income (Khazanah Research Institute, 2019).
Unfortunately, since the Employment Act 1955 only covers minimum working
conditions, work-life balance is not met across Malaysia's various industries,
affecting women more because of their more 'traditional' role as the caregiver (Noor
& Mohd Mahudin, 2015). Interestingly, Mustapa, Mohd Noor, and Abdul Mutalib
(2018) argued that to some women, success is not based on her position in an
organization, but when she has mastered the work-life balance between the office
and home.
Finally, Kadiresan and Javed (2015) asked respondents from private
organizations in Kuala Lumpur to identify demographic characteristics that cause
discrimination at work. Using SPSS analysis, they discovered a .349 coefficient
between gender and discrimination. While this is a moderate outcome, it shows that
there is gender-based discrimination ongoing in Malaysian workplaces.
All the scenarios, as mentioned earlier, perhaps explain females’ preference
to work in the public sector due to perceived gender equality that is better guaranteed
by government policies which ensures similar wages and promotion (Musa, Maulad
Abdul Razak, Haris& Ab. Rahman, 2018; Noor & Mohd Mahudin, 2015). From a
survey of female civil servants at the Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment, Musa et al. discovered there is a correlation between respondents’
career choice and perception of gender equality. This study hopes to add to the
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literature on gender issues in Malaysia’s civil service by focusing on employees in a
single state.
Structure of the public service in Malaysia
Although Malaysia practices federalism, the Malaysian government structure
is replicable either at federal, state, or local levels. This is due to all three
government levels following standardized employment practices set by the Public
Service Department (PSD) at the federal level. Thus, these practices' effectiveness is
of utmost importance as there are 1.71 million Malaysians employed by the
government as of March 2019 (Abas, 2019).
Malaysia's civil service includes employees from diverse sectors such as
teachers, doctors, and nurses, which are not usually included in other developed
countries' civil service. Unlike the police and the army, these professions are
generally filled with more females than males. However, there is no official data to
corroborate this assumption. All of the above frontline occupations make up almost
two-thirds of the country's civil servants (Yeap, 2019). The percentage of women in
the public sector has increased from 18.8 percent in 2004 to 35.8 percent in 2016
(Kanyakumari, 2017). Based on available data from 2005, not including the police
and armed forces, there are about 0.18 percent employees in top management, 21.2
percent in management and professional groups, and 78.6 percent in the support
group (Centre for Public Policy Studies, 2017). Among the top level of management,
women make up 35.6 percent or 1,419 of them (Bernama, 2017).
According to the 2019 World Bank report, Malaysia’s civil service is ‘over-
centralized’ as the central government has a high control level, especially in matters
related to human resources (Malaysia Economic Monitor, 2019). Despite that, the
state and local governments have leeway to determine certain aspects of
employment, such as the appointment and selection of personnel as they are the
paymaster for the civil servants at state and local levels.
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This research identifies the dynamics of gender with four aspects of
employment in civil service, namely: 1) hiring, 2) training, 3) promotion, and 4)
termination of service. This study aims to discover how gender affects and influences
women's and men's opportunities differently in these four aspects of employment.
While sexual harassment is, without a doubt, a glaring problem at the workplace, we
believe that it requires a separate study of its own. This study's finding was derived
from in-depth interviews with 22 officers in civil service at state and local levels,
both male and female. Despite the high percentage of female employees in civil
service, as women make up half of the civil service population in Malaysia,
traditional gender roles persist in the four employment areas mentioned above.
Gender biases in civil service
Gender bias in the recruitment process can be divided into two categories: 1)
explicit and 2) implicit biases. Explicit conscious bias refers to individuals'
awareness of their prejudices in the form of their thoughts, feelings, and attitudes,
which can be translated into physical, verbal, and psychological harassment or
through exclusionary practices. Implicit bias is more subtle as one may not be aware
of their own prejudices and can be in contradiction with their beliefs and value
system. As such, implicit bias can seep through one's action and behavior without the
person realizing it. This may affect the assessment, decision-making, and relationship
between the superior and subordinates in the employment process.
Methodology
Research approach and design
This research is a cross-sectional study on gender discrimination in the four
phases of employment practice, namely recruitment/hiring, promotion, self-
development, and retrenchment, along with questions about treatment and
interference. This study employs qualitative methods, more specifically focus groups
and purposive semi-structured interviews.
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Sample of the study
Overall, 22 individuals included professional officers in grade 41 and above
in seven local authorities, the State Secretary, and the Mufti's Office of one state in
Malaysia involved in this study. We do not divulge the information of the particular
state to protect the state government and its employees' privacy.
Data gathering technique
The interviews and focus groups were conducted until the researchers
reached data saturation, whereby the information gathered does not provide further
insight into the research objectives (Fusch & Ness, 2015). This follows three months
of data collection. During the final focus group with four participants, the researchers
discovered that the answers given resemble data from previous focus groups and
interviews.
Analysis technique
The results of the interviews were analyzed thematically based on the
answers given by the officers.This study also analyses government circulars,
especially by the Public Service Department, in public service employment practices
for triangulation purposes. Salkind (2010) forwards that triangulation is particularly
useful for qualitative research as it allows researchers to examine data from various
sources such as interviews, focus groups, written archives, and government
documents.
Findings
Gender stereotypes refer to "generalized view or preconception about attributes or
characteristics, or the roles that are or ought to be possessed by or performed by
women and men." (United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner,
n.d.) These stereotypes can have detrimental effects on employment areas, especially
in the recruitment process. It is derived from society's consensus on men's and
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women's roles based on the distribution of men's and women's tasks at home and at
work.
The first stage of the employment process is recruitment, which involves
identifying the vacant position, reviewing and selecting rightful candidates to fill the
organization's position. Gender bias can occur in the employment process as early as
during the recruitment stage. Recruiters might be influenced by gender stereotypes,
especially when it comes to specific job skills. The perception of women performing
better than men in specific job skills and vice versa may influence recruitment's final
decision.
This study discovers that gender stereotypes are still prevalent in the
Malaysian civil service recruitment stage, especially when it comes to technical and
administrative jobs. Women are perceived to be more competent and suitable for
administrative and desk work. In contrast, for positions that require technical
knowledge and face harsher work conditions such as shifts and on-site jobs, male
candidates are given preferences. Below are examples from interviews whereby
gender bias is observed in these responses.
“I think [I prefer] men. Because of several aspects. For example,
depending on their position, job scope, if [I have] male subordinates,
they can go to the site at 10pm at night. If women, they have to ask
permission from their husbands, and it feels inappropriate. But if in
the operation division they have women, I am not sure.” (Participant A)
“If for jobs that require deskwork, I prefer women because they are
tidier, more detailed, [and they] are more punctual compared to men.
But for heavy tasks [that] requires a lot of physical strength, I prefer
men.” (Participant B)
Not only is women unemployment in Malaysia higher by 18 percent than
their male counterpart, more worryingly is the trend that the more educated women
are (with tertiary education), the more likely they are to be unemployed at 4.3
percent (Khazanah Research Institute, 2017, p. 5). Our interview data support the
quantitative data as we can deduce that females are more appreciated for lower-level
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jobs. In contrast, men are preferred for more technical jobs during recruitment
despite the fact that both may possess the same qualification.
Apart from gender stereotypes of male and female abilities at the workplace,
it is also applied to generalized characteristics attributed to men and women.
Khazanah Research Institute (2018) also found that when women are employed in
the Malaysian workforce, 29.2 percent are employed in services and sales, 19.8
percent are professionals, 18 percent are clerical support workers, and on the
opposite end, only 3.1 percent are managers (p. 102). There is no doubt that gender
segregation does exist between the genders. In addition to that, women’s
participation as decision-makers in the public sector is still limited, as the public
sector still functions as a male-dominant organization. Therefore, there are
continuous obstacles for drastic institutional reforms to include women’s voices in
the decision-making process (Sharifah Syahirah, Norfarhanis & Mohd Faizal, 2016).
Women are seen as emotional and less competent than men, who possess
more masculine traits that are more attractive at the workplace, such as being
charismatic, intelligent, and in control of their emotions.
“[I prefer to have] Men because working at this unit, women do not
liketo receivereports and have to investigate.” (Participant C)
“There are two situations...if she is the only candidate, she will be
selected. [But] I will not recommend women because I know their
intellectual and physical limitations.” (Participant D)
“To me, I will talk about my unit, I prefer men. Sometimes [men]
they are problematic also when they have their ‘menstruation’, they
are lazy but easier to be scolded. If women, they will have talk
back.” (Participant E)
“During the interview, [I] have already aimed for male candidate.
However, during the interview session, there was a female
candidate who is excellent and hadbetter experience, and skills.”
(Participant F)
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Based on the study's findings, women have to overcome the gender
stereotypes associated with them as early as during the recruitment phase. Because of
the lack of preference by superiors to have more women in their unit, especially in
areas considered having harsher and more challenging working conditions, women
have to overcome invisible barriers.
Gender stereotypes also are harmful to female civil servants in the promotion
exercise. As highlighted earlier, female civil servants occupy half of the public
service population in Malaysia at the federal level. The percentage may differ for
state and local governments due to the nature of Malaysia's federal system. However,
the presence of women as civil servants is prominent regardless of the governmental
levels. The study discovers that despite the absence of systematic and
institutionalized gender discrimination practices, gender stereotypes influence
decision-makers at the stage of promotion due to the belief that men have better
leadership qualities compared to women. The traditional gender role that men hold
the responsibilities to be the primary breadwinner of the family also resulted in a
preference for men to be promoted.
“There was an opening for new branch’s managerial position...that
Iam eligible[for]. However, the opportunity was given to Senior B
(man) who is not really asenior. In the end, there were more men
given the offers. I was curious about thereasons.Itistrue [that
promotion exercise was not done objectively].” (Participant G)
“My perception has changed and when I investigate and discuss
[with people who were involved], the woman who was supposed to
get the post was not offered even though the position was helmed
by a [female] officer who manage events. Why do superiors have to
be male and subordinates, female? The correct criteria selection
for employees was not carried out correctly. The decision to
promote someone can be influenced by others” (Participant H)
“The first time I was interviewed, my name was on the highest in
the list ofcandidates and Mr. Z were number two. However, Mr. Z
was given the positionbecause I am a woman. The [problem] exists.
I inquired on the reasons I did notget the position and when there is
another vacancy, they immediately [putforward] my name. If
amongthe superiors they want men, if we fought back, weas
women must have our own stance why we want to be leaders.”
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(Participant I)
Gender stereotypes also are harmful to female civil servants in the promotion
exercise. As highlighted earlier, female civil servants occupy half of Malaysia's
public service population at the federal level. The percentage may differ for state and
local governments due to Malaysia's federal system's nature. However, the presence
of women as civil servants is prominent regardless of the governmental levels. The
study discovers that harassment, the absence of systematic and institutionalized
gender discrimination practices, gender stereotypes influence decision-makers at the
promotion stage due to the belief that men have better leadership qualities than
women. The traditional gender role that men hold the responsibilities to be the
primary breadwinner of the family also resulted in a preference for men to be
promoted.
More than mere perception, a study by Khazanah Research Institute (2019,
pp. 11-12) also acknowledges that while males and females are working almost
similar hours and bringing in similar income between the ages of 25 and 29, there is
a definite shift in gender gap during childbearing age of 30 and 39. Women are
allowed back into the workforce later in their careers after taking time off to care for
children. It would result in a wage penalty whereby women would make less than
their male counterparts who were their equals a few years prior.
Apart from gender bias due to gender stereotypes, female employees are also
seen as a burden to the organization due to their biological function primarily related
to their mothers' reproductive role. At times, superiors see married female employees
as a burden instead of an asset for the organization. This is due to their main role as
caretakers of the family, which is not shared equally by their male partners from the
perspective of their superiors. In the report by Khazanah Research Institute (2019), it
was found that 60.3 percent of women work outside the labor force due to housework
and family responsibilities, while 31.5 percent of women are underemployed.
Women's biological nature and their reproductive role as mothers are viewed as
troublesome for their immediate superior and colleagues. The responses below show
superiors' negative perceptions towards their female subordinates who have to take
leave after giving birth.
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“When they give birth, [they are] unproductive, three months
before and after. [We] lost six months in total… we cannot let them
go to site.” (Participant H)
“If [they go for] maternity leave, now I have one, it is already like I
lost a leg.” (Participant I)
Women in the public sector also were found to have low levels of well-being
as they reported high levels of stress due to their dual responsibilities at work and
home. In a survey conducted by Sharifah Syahirah et al., 74.8 percent of the
respondents consists of women in the public sector experience work-family conflict,
and 58.6 percent opine that the higher management does not understand their
situation regarding family commitment (Sharifah Syahirah et al., 2015).
A common theme derived from this study is that traditional gender roles
attached by society play a significant role in limiting women's advancement in their
careers in public service. It is observed that strong gender stereotypes have resulted
in implicit gender bias manifested in attitudes and beliefs that men and women's
ability in the workplace is dependent on their gender. Civil service has already
pioneered gender empowerment practices by introducing several initiatives such as
Flexible Working Arrangement (FWA). However, the policy's introduction may
result in the reinforcement of traditional gender roles for women to work from home
rather than empowering men and women. The rigidity of employment practices also
is seen as a hindrance for women to be recognized as equal to their male
counterparts. This has resulted in feminine traits, especially matters related to their
reproductive roles, to be seen as burdensome instead of beneficial for the state and
society.
Discussion and Recommendations
Governments across countries have become the determined champion in gender
equality through programs and policy strategies. In some countries, the government
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is more proactive in providing legal protection and taking preventive actions,
including enacting a gender equality act that guarantees equal legal work rights for
all. Similarly, the Malaysian government is committed to eliminating any forms of
discrimination, especially gender discrimination, in the workplace. This initiative can
be seen through the proposed amendment of Employment Act 1955 to tackle
discrimination issues in the workplace more comprehensively. Such an initiative is
crucial to safeguard employees’ rights in different employment practices.
Malaysia is among a few developing countries that have undertaken many
encouraging steps to promote gender equality. Chronologically, this can be seen
through the ratification of the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1995. The government is committed to
advancing women's rights in all aspects through a series of forums, declarations, and
initiatives at national and international levels. Over the years, a series of initiatives
were implemented through the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community
Development (MWFCD). This is in line with article (8) of the Federal Constitution
that prohibits discrimination based on gender. For instance, in 2003, the government
had established a cabinet committee on Gender Equality. Next, in 2004, the
government introduced a policy of at least 30 percent involvement of women at the
public sector's decision-making levels. This was followed by a women's financial
initiatives program to enhance women's skills and capability in 2005 and gender
budget projects, which were introduced in 2006.
The government has embraced this contemporary reform paradigm that
centered on the gender equality agenda. However, none of these initiatives were truly
meant to address discrimination in employment practices. Recently, many non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) have renewed calls for the government to
propose and implement a gender equality act. The ministry of human resources
agreed to revise the employment act of 1955 to ensure more comprehensive
measures to tackle discrimination at workplaces. This is equally important for those
who are working in the private as well as public sectors. Legislative amendment is
vital to ascertain gender equality in the workplace and minimize gender
discrimination in public and private employment practices.
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In the case of the Malaysian public sector, personnel management is under
the Public Service Department (PSD). Central policy planning is followed for
personnel-related matters with some discretion cascaded down to state civil service.
In general, recruitment and selection, an opportunity for training and development,
promotion, and assessment is based on a merit system. Embedded in the Performance
Management System (PMS), public personnel practices emphasize knowledge, skills,
competency, merit, and performance. For instance, training and promotion are
applicable for qualified based on stipulated criteria as outlined in the service circular
(PSD Service Circular, No. 2, 2005; PSD service circular, No. 7, 2010).
Similarly, performance appraisal and salary increment are determined solely
based on merit and job performance (PSD service circular, No. 2, 2009; PSD service
circular, No. 4, 2002). This has been the highlight in recruitment, promotion, and
performance appraisal. On this ground, gender discrimination could be avoided as
much as possible as decisions shall not be made based on gender but preferably on
the employee's merit. However, things could be different in practice. In the decision-
making process, superiors' priority arguably manifested in some elements of gender
discrimination without them realizing it like the examples from the previous section
have shown.
The provision on gender equality in employment practices has been narrowly
interpreted in practice in the public sector. The government has well-embraced
gender equality as a concept, but the practice is not apparent on the ground.
Considerable attention to gender equality issues is apparent as the government,
through MWFCD, has implemented different types of programs and initiatives
throughout the years. However, such endeavors were less translated into employment
practices. Employees are rarely held accountable for discrimination in employment
practices.
As far as public personnel policy is concerned, no emphasis was made on
gender equality aspects in all circulars related to personnel practices. Gender
discrimination is not the focal point in personnel practices; hence, everything is
enfolded in an employee’s merit and performance. However, since the entire
selection process, promotion, and performance appraisal must be endorsed and
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verified by superiors, adequate knowledge on gender discrimination related matters
is imperatively inevitable. Awareness of gender equality seems inadequate without
practical knowledge. This somehow explains why awareness about gender equality is
improving but not explicitly oriented in the workplace.
As revealed in the study, respondents believed that assigning tasks according
to gender is not a sign of discrimination. Well, indeed, it is. Employees hardly
distinguish an act of discrimination based on nature, credibility, and strength between
men and women, especially in work assignments. So, what can be done to minimize
gender discrimination in public employment practices in the future? These are some
of the interventions:
1) Integrated gender awareness workshops need to be conducted. This is
directed to upper management groups, especially those in the professional
and management categories. Increasing awareness and knowledge among
officers involved is essential as this could minimize unintended
discrimination practices in employment practices.
2) To widen women’s opportunities in the workplace, gender-based audit in
recruitment and promotion for selected positions, especially in professional
and management positions, must be conducted yearly. This would help to
identify the gender gap in recruitment and promotion practices. Thus, this
would enhance transparency and ensure that public personnel practices are
free of gender biases.
3) Integrated gender-based policy in employment practices must be introduced.
Gender equality provision should be adequately highlighted and integrated
into all employment practices, including recruitment and selection, career
development, promotion, and performance appraisal. Apart from merit, some
related aspects of gender discrimination must be equally emphasized.
4) Proper monitoring systems need to be established by establishing a gender
equality bureau at federal and state levels to oversee the entire process and
implementation. A gender equality bureau is an administrative unit under the
Public Service Department (PSD) or the Civil Service Commission (CSC) at
state levels. Job applicants and civil servants have the right to lodge
complaints on matters related to public personnel practices. This specific
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body would supervise matters related to gender and other forms of
discrimination that might occur in employment practices.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, as the study has shown, gender discrimination still prevails in
employment practices among Malaysian civil servants, especially at the recruitment
and promotion levels. However, gender discrimination is difficult to detect except for
those who personally experience it, as these things happen outside of the system.
Gender discrimination is just as accepted by the interviewees and, sadly, by all
Malaysians as many view women and men as having naturally distinct characteristics
and capabilities. They refuse to use the word 'discrimination' to describe the
differences in their behavior towards men and women. However, they will try to
justify their actions due to the 'nature' of gender differences.
It is sad to say that some civil servants consider gender to be a Western
agenda that is incompatible with local Malaysian culture. One officer said, "Gender
discrimination has never existed because it is ideologically Western. For the authors,
the movement that calls this discrimination is actually 'feminism' and that does not
follow the teachings of Islam." These views make it difficult to improve the
employment practices among professionals in Malaysia. Therefore, the government
needs to raise awareness among professionals about the importance of gender
perspective in employment practices for the country's welfare and sustainability.
Acknowledgment
This paper is prepared under the support of the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme
(FRGS) from the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia entitled “New Framework
to Enhance Women's Leadership and Political Empowerment in Achieving Inclusive
Development” (ID: FRGS/1/2018/SS02/UIAM/03/1).
19
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