A multitude of issues concerning women were raised in this year's Women's Summit, but ways to achieve work-life balance remained the topic of focus. CHAI MEI LING comes away feeling like the summit was a new year do served with last year's dishes

FLEXI hours. Job sharing. Working from home. Small office, home office.

We've heard all those - last year.

This year, the same needs and suggestions cropped up in, if not formed the bulk of, the Women's Summit discussion yet again.

Malaysia still needs to cash in on women capital, create opportunities for more women to work, provide childcare options, brace itself for talent shortage, and of course, review its Employment Act 1955 to cater to work-life issues.
In many areas, things haven't changed much.

As the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development points out in her opening speech to the 1,200-strong summit attendees three days ago, the country is still playing catch-up.

Less than half of the nation's women in productive ages are at work, whereas developed countries have more than 70 per cent.

It's a low figure for us, admits Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen.

Initiatives to get women into the highest decision-making level also fall short of the 30 per cent target.

So far, the public sector has 14 per cent and private only five per cent, of women in the boardroom.

Themed Teaming Up to Make a Difference, the summit's core message was that men and women must work together to bring about changes that will create a safe, conducive and satisfactory workplace.

A place that enables all, especially women, to have choices at work, that develops their talents and allows them to play their role in motherhood, says Ng.

To the Ministry's credit, things have been in motion, albeit at a not-so-fast-and-furious pace.

Five ministries and six agencies met on how to move forward in the trend of flexibility at work.

Six banks have expressed interest to put in place teleworking service for their employees, but need a proper framework first.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam has also promised to look into the legal entity of working from home in the Employment Act.

Implementation-wise, childcare is one groundbreaking area.

After years of encouraging the setting up of workplace nurseries to no avail, Ng's Ministry will now, with a RM10 mil grant, train women entrepreneurs to start up home-based childcare.

"We dream of the day when Malaysia has quality childcare homes. Mothers and fathers can drop their children off at a home near the workplace and work with great peace of mind."

With this, dependency on foreign domestic help should also start to decline, says Ng.

Local 'home managers' are to be trained to take over this service-providing role in another of the ministry's innovative plan, which hopefully will start by year-end.

Great ideas abound, but the one which drew the most rapturous response from the floor, is to have the Works Ministry sensitised in drawing up toilet designs for women.

"It's not about toilets. It's about giving enough space to women because we all know, and it's statistically proven, that it takes a longer time for women to come out of toilet," says Ng to cheers and claps.

Ng's suggestion in having nappy changing areas in neutral ground, and not just in female toilets, also chalked up favourable response from the crowd.

Novelty does work.

Ng has already made her call. It's up to the others, really.

"The Women Affairs Ministry cannot be the only ministry to champion the causes of women. It must be all ministries to champion women's causes."

Will we continue to hear smashing ideas? Find out in the next Women's Summit.