Abstract

Dual-career families in Malaysia began with the influx of women into the workplace. The involvement of women in the labor market became more apparent after independence. In 1985, the Government of Malaysia formulated the National Policy on Women as a guide for women’s participation in the development process. The stature of women became a primary objective of the 6th Malaysia Plan (1991-1995), where a special fund for the development of women became a significant and integral step towards empowering women in Malaysia. In fact, the number of dual-career families in Malaysia is expected to rise due to the increase in female labor force participation rate. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to understand the phenomenon of dual-career families in Malaysia. This paper will focus on the participation of women in the labor force before independence, after independence and an update of its current situation.

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