As we celebrate International Women’s Day, it is important to recognise the critical role of research in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment. Associate Professor Grace Lee Hooi Yean, Dr Juliana Angeline French and Dr Sharon Koh Geok May from Monash University Malaysia have been working to promote equity, diversity, and social inclusion through research on vulnerable and marginalised communities in Malaysia and India. Their research focuses on systemic issues that highlight continuing inequalities within nations.
“We specifically focused on vulnerable communities and economic inequalities, growth mindset, and complexities surrounding race and religion.”
COVID-19 continues to affect lives and livelihoods globally, women micro-entrepreneurs are disproportionately affected and often carry the burden of unpaid care. Using the results of their research, the team consult with key stakeholders on domestic/regional policy development and coordination for gender-specific entrepreneurship. Their focus is to create an enabling environment to strengthen the voice of women entrepreneurs in policy processes influencing e-commerce and the digital economy in developing countries.
“Our research addresses the complexities surrounding race and religion, and social hierarchies demonstrated in the marketplace. The context for the study is Malaysia and India. Our research highlights how women are often the casualties, ranging from larger-scale custody battles to religious ideologies in the media implicitly infringing on women’s everyday life and consumption behaviour.”
For Grace, her inspiration for her research came from her personal experiences growing up in Malaysia. It was here she witnessed the impact of cultural norms and gender equity on women’s lives. Her research examines gender role attitudes towards employment in Malaysia, revealing a prevalence of gender role beliefs that fuelled her desire to empower vulnerable and disadvantaged women.
Juliana’s research aims to build awareness and generate interest in issues of gender discrimination and inequality in the marketplace and society, ultimately leading towards a change in attitudes and behaviour among various stakeholders. Her work focuses on how socio-cultural-political forces inevitably marginalise communities and contributes to ongoing dialogues on continuing inequalities within nations.
Finally, Sharon’s research aims to understand and improve the economic and social conditions of communities in developing countries. It addresses the root causes of discrimination and inequality, including poverty and gender inequality. To promote inclusive growth, she designs and evaluates interventions for vulnerable communities in Malaysia, particularly among indigenous groups and rural communities.
The three researchers have been invited to participate in commissioned reports, media and public engagement activities, and speaking opportunities. These opportunities have allowed them to engage and positively impact vulnerable and marginalised societies.
International Women’s Day is an important day to celebrate women’s achievements and reflects on the progress towards gender equality. However, there is still much work to be done to promote equity, diversity, and social inclusion, particularly for vulnerable and marginalised communities, including women.
“Our research highlights these issues and works towards creating an enabling environment to strengthen the voice of women entrepreneurs in policy processes influencing e-commerce and the digital economy in developing countries. We will continue to engage and positively impact vulnerable and marginalised societies through our research and collaborations with key stakeholders.”
The team have taken significant steps towards empowering women in Southeast Asia through various initiatives. They have organised a regional conference that brought together global experts, policymakers, academics, and stakeholders to discuss the role of entrepreneurship in promoting effective collaboration among vulnerable communities. A roundtable discussion was also held to address this topic, highlighting the importance of empowering women entrepreneurs.
Furthermore, the team conducted training programs for women micro-entrepreneurs in Malaysia and Indonesia, focusing on building a growth mindset and entrepreneurial self-efficacy intervention. With a focus on moving women from vulnerable communities to thriving ones, the program has already benefited over 1000 women. In addition, the team collaborates with the 30% Club, a global business campaign aiming to boost the number of women in board seats and executive leadership of companies, to investigate the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (DEI) practices of Malaysian public listed companies and incorporates these practices into their classroom curriculum to raise awareness among future leaders.
The team is also working closely with Women of Will, a local non-governmental organisation (NGO) that aims to transform the lives of disadvantaged women in Malaysia through microfinancing, business development, and mentoring. They are measuring the impact of microfinancing interventions in these women’s lives to track the program’s sustainability, ensuring that it continues to make a positive impact in the future.
Grace, Juliana and Sharon were awarded the 2022 Dean’s Award for Equity, Diversity and Social Inclusion Research Excellence (EDSI) as a team. The award was in recognition of their exceptional contribution to supporting diversity and fostering inclusion through research endeavors over the year.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day and embrace its theme of #EmbraceEquity, it’s essential to remember that true gender equity is still a distant reality for many women worldwide. This day is a reminder of the work we still need to do to achieve a world where every woman can thrive and reach her full potential. It’s a call to action to ensure women have access to education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and social justice. Let’s continue to fight for gender equality, challenge gender bias and stereotypes, and celebrate the progress we have made. Together, we can create a better, more equitable world for all women.
