Kuala lumpur: Malaysia must strengthen its care economy to help more women enter or return to the workforce, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri. Delivering her keynote address at the 5th Malaysia Sustainability Leadership Summit today, she highlighted that 42.8 per cent of the 4.89 million women outside the labour force cited domestic responsibilities and caregiving as their main reason for staying out of the workforce.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Nancy Shukri emphasized that caregiving has long been treated as a private family matter, disproportionately borne by women and often lacking formal recognition, training, or adequate support. She noted that nearly one million women in Malaysia serve as both the primary caregiver and sole breadwinner in their households. Many of these women are single mothers, with only a fraction connected to formal social protection systems.
Nancy pointed out that this situation is not due to a lack of talent or capability, but rather a structural gap that prevents the economy from fully benefiting from women's skills and potential. She cited Malaysia's female labour force participation rate, which was 56.6 per cent in 2025, markedly lower than the 83.3 per cent recorded for men, as evidence of the need for change.
She stressed that addressing the barriers preventing women from fully participating in the labour market, particularly those related to caregiving responsibilities, is essential for realizing Malaysia's full economic potential. Women's economic participation is seen as a significant opportunity for the nation.
Nancy also revealed that the ministry is implementing the Malaysia Care Strategic Framework and Action Plan 2026-2030. This national roadmap aims to professionalize, regulate, and expand a sustainable care ecosystem, emphasizing the improvement of quality, affordability, and accessibility of childcare and eldercare, while also strengthening recognition and training for caregivers.
She argued that a well-structured care economy can create quality employment, professionalize caregiving, support women wishing to work, and open new opportunities for social enterprises and businesses. Addressing this issue, she added, requires stronger collaboration between the government, businesses, civil society, communities, and academia through a Public-Private-People Partnership (4P).
Nancy underscored the importance of businesses viewing family-friendly policies, care infrastructure, and flexible work arrangements as investments in productivity, talent retention, and sustainable business performance, rather than mere corporate social responsibility initiatives. She also highlighted the need for urgent and precise responses to Malaysia's ageing population, evolving family structures, and changing economic pressures on households.
In conclusion, she urged organizations participating in the summit to identify at least one concrete cross-sector collaboration with clear deliverables and measurable outcomes for the upcoming year. The 5th Malaysia Sustainability Leadership Summit gathered around 130 policymakers, government officials, business and sustainability leaders, civil society representatives, and community leaders to enhance collaboration and accelerate Malaysia's progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).