Women’s Work: Gender and Labour Relations in Malaysia
Author(s)
Kaur, Amarjit
Abstract
In 19th century Malaysia, labor, rather than land, was the principle source of wealth in society. Because of the low natural population growth and the increased demand for labor, millions of workers immigrated into Malaysia to fill open positions. In the post-WWII era of global trade, the internationalization of the Malaysian economy brought about a new division of labor, leading to the mass mobilization of women into labor positions formerly held exclusively by men. In this article, the author looks at the effect this “feminization of labor” had on the Malaysian economy and social/labor relations in the country.
