New ACCA report, Empowering the Advancement of Women in the Workplace, reveals critical gaps that limit women’s contributions and opportunities
 
KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 (Bernama) -- ACCA (the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants), in conjunction with the second anniversary of ACCA Malaysia’s Women’s Network* and the month of March where women all over the world are celebrated, unveiled the results of its Empowering the Advancement of Women in the Workplace Report which highlights prevailing attitudes, disparities and challenges faced by women professionals.
* The ACCA Malaysia Women’s Network was launched in 2018 to provide a platform for women members to network, share insights, offer support and create more opportunities for career advancements.
 
“Empowerment of women in the workplace is a cause that is highly relevant to ACCA Malaysia as women comprise 60% of our members, and we look forward to welcoming more. We also proudly acknowledge that the achievements of women leaders locally and around the world are significant contributors to economic and social development. This report underscores the importance of taking concrete steps to be more supportive and inclusive so that more women can achieve their full potential; in this way we can create a more diverse business environment that adds value to the nation,” said Datuk Alexandra Chin, former ACCA President and Chair of ACCA Malaysia’s Women’s Network.
 
Key findings from the ACCA Malaysia Empowering the Advancement of Women in the Workplace Report were:
 
Gender disparity increases at more senior roles – While recruitment of new staff is perceived as being gender neutral with regard to salaries, benefits and career opportunity development, distinct gender disparity was noticed as talents progressed in seniority, with the gap widening at higher levels of management.
 
Pervasive gap between perception of men and women on initiatives needed to support women’s career advancement – Far fewer men than women believe that female employees face any gender-based inequality at work. Given that most people in senior leadership roles are still men, it’s difficult to see how gender parity can be accelerated when many of those in positions of influence do not see any inequality. Women placed more importance on initiatives such as flexible working arrangement (80% vs 60%), supportive Immediate Superior (73% vs 59%), career development opportunities  (72% vs 59%), competitive wage and other financial benefit (67% vs 44%) and a good maternity leave policy (65% vs 50%)
 
Women who have taken a career break face difficulty in reentering the workforce – The majority of women (80%) who take a career break do so to raise a family (41%) or to have better work-life balance (39%). Most career breaks lasted less than a year but a significant proportion (38%) faced difficulties in their attempts to re-enter the workforce.
 
Sexual harassment is common and few companies have sufficient channels or formal mechanisms for reporting such incidents – One out of 4 women (25%) have experienced or witnessed sexual harassment in the workplace. Only 43% of the respondents’ organisations have policies on sexual harassment.
 
Women face the same challenges at every stage of career – The top three barriers are family commitments, inflexible work arrangements and a male-dominated environment.
 
The report concluded with recommendations from a roundtable comprising of CEOs, HR Leaders, Senior Finance Leaders and Senior Government representatives. Their recommendations were:
• Improve the design and availability of Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA). Establish FWA for both men and women to allow more equal distribution of family responsibilities
• Redesign renumeration packages to fit different working arrangements

• Provide more equitable leadership and sponsorship programmes to enable opportunities for advancement

• Redesign government policies and incentives to attract and retain women professionals in the workforce

• Develop clear framework and separate legislation to deal more effectively with reports of sexual harassment

 
“Around the world, ACCA calls for women as well as men to challenge their preconceptions and define their own route to success by learning to acknowledge their own efforts and accomplishments. In this way, we take greater control of our career, so we can make good decisions that shape our future and drive us towards the goals we envision for ourselves,” said Edward Ling, Country Head of ACCA Malaysia.
 
SOURCE: ACCA Malaysia 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Adeline Fong
Senior Manager, Public Relations
ACCA Malaysia
Tel: +60 (0)3 2289 0117 / +60 12 381 5589
Email: adeline.fong@accaglobal.com

--BERNAMA