By Nini Tan, Co-founder and Executive Director of dobiQueen
In its pre-budget statement, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) outlined its goals to restructure the economy for greater competitiveness and higher value-added activities, improve quality of life and inclusiveness of opportunities, and strengthen governance and public service delivery.
In an effort to build a better Malaysia together, we applaud and concur with the Government’s Ekonomi MADANI framework which comprises a key pillar, “Raise the Floor” of Malaysians’ quality of life by aiming to provide respectable jobs and decent standards of living, as well as equality and inclusive opportunities for all.
As a leading self-service laundrette in Malaysia, dobiQueen is eager to share its wishlist aimed at fostering a supportive environment addressing gender inequality, double burden and enhancing mental health support for the median household income.
Addressing the Gender Inequality and Double Burden Faced by Women
A working paper that was recently published by Khazanah Research Institute (KRI) entitled, “Gender Gap in the World of Work: Status and Progress”, has revealed women’s constraints on the labour force participation. 62.1% of women outside the labour force cite household chores and family responsibilities as the primary reason for not working.
While women’s educational attainment has improved and is on par with men, with 52% of those possessing tertiary education, only 37.7% of women are in the labour force.
The persisting traditional gender roles where men are commonly seen as the primary breadwinners while women are expected to be the caregivers leads to gender inequality and contributes greatly to a woman’s limitations in career aspirations and opportunities.
At dobiQueen, we echo this with a consumer survey that revealed that 75% of laundromat users are women. Most of its demographic consists of women with 50% in full-time employment and 50% being homemakers. This indicates that a majority of women take on a load of household chores such as laundry, cooking and others.
“There is a need to address, challenge and change societal norms regarding gender roles and to promote shared responsibilities in households. Women shoulder the double burden, as they handle both work in the formal economy, and also manage household and caregiving responsibilities when at home.
“Lack of support and flexibility in the workplace prevents many from fully participating in the labour force, “ said Co-founder and Executive Director of dobiQueen, Nini Tan.
“To encourage more women to participate in the workforce, the Government can look into evaluating policies that encourage affordable and accessible childcare services as well as enabling companies to support work-life balance such as parental leave policies that support both parents and flexible work arrangements.
On the business front, dobiQueen supports women shoulder the double burden by providing our Express Same Day Delivery which delivers clean and perfumed clothes back to our customers within six hours or with our Drop-off & Pickup service where our customers can have up to an hour or more leisure time while our Outlet Supervisors handle their laundry. Such services that take it up a notch can positively elevate household chore burdens that are constantly faced by women.
Mental Health Inclusivity and Support for the B40 Community
The B40 category in Malaysia represents the bottom 40% of household incomes, consisting of 3.16 million households earning less than RM5,250. This demographic and urban poor, along with Kuala Lumpur residents, are particularly susceptible to mental health challenges like depression and anxiety due to various contributing factors.
dobiQueen goes in line with this by providing jobs for the B40 community to improve the quality of life of Malaysians.
“Vacancies are always open and we are proud to offer employment for single mothers and the B40 community who are also happy to work with us.
“We also provide bonuses for our top-performing employees and for our employees to provide demonstrations. It is important that we do not discriminate against those who are in need. It is also of utmost importance that we encourage them and provide career progression within the company.”
During the pandemic, dobiQueen offered job opportunities to those affected by the Movement Control Order (MCO) and managed to provide additional cash aid to single mothers. dobiQueen had successfully employed eight single mothers during the pandemic.
“I urge the Government to boost funding to empower working mothers in all areas, particularly in enhancing their knowledge and supporting further education. Since mothers typically care for children, their growth and development will be able to foster children who are resilient and who will be able to compete globally”, Nini added.
dobiQueen is also dedicated to supporting women by purchasing festival gifts from NGOs. Through this initiative, we aim to empower women while also contributing to the meaningful work of these organisations. Some of the NGOs we have collaborated with are Dignity for Children Foundation, Kintry, The Asli Co., and Komuniti Tukang Jahit (KTJ).
Since its establishment, dobiQueen strives to serve as a platform for raising awareness about mental health issues. Highlighting the link between household chores and mental well-being is a recurring focus in our efforts to educate and remind our customers.
“Awareness is the first step toward any meaningful change. To address mental health issues effectively, we urge the Government to launch public awareness campaigns. These are crucial initiatives that can educate the community about mental health challenges and available resources, helping to reduce stigma and encouraging individuals to seek help”.
“Additionally, investing in job creation programs, especially in sectors that employ single mothers, and low-skilled workers, can provide more employment opportunities, thereby improving economic stability and enhancing their overall well-being”, Nini emphasised.
“Overall, we are optimistic towards the Government of Malaysia’s Budget 2025 progressive goals that aim to build on these positive developments and drive the implementation of reforms towards realising the goals of Ekonomi MADANI.
By intensifying the efforts to enhance the standard of living, this will promote the creation of employment opportunities with respectable jobs and decent wages, which afford all Malaysians an improved quality of life and a higher standard of living”, concluded Nini.
