Abstract
The official declaration of the Movement Control Order (MCO) since March 2020 in Malaysia signifies a major step taken by the government to contain the COVID-19 pandemic effectively. This cordon sanitaire has devastating effects on all sectors and ordinary citizens, especially for women (United Nations, 2020). The socio-economic implications of MCO on women requires attention and proper handling. Using data from 841 women, the participants of Family and Community Empowerment Program (FACE), this study explores the extent of changes in the lives of women amid COVID-19. This study describes the socio-economic status (SES) and the well-being of respondents during the implementation of MCO. The Personal Wellbeing Index-Adult (PWI) is used to measure the well-being of these women. Results of the study highlight the immediate effect of MCO on the employment status and income of the respondents. Respondents reported lower mean scores on four domains, i.e. future security (M=7.21, SD=1.79); the standard of living (M=7.31, SD=1.88); achievement in life (M=7.36, SD=1.82); and community-connectedness (M=7.39, SD=1.85). The differences in PWI based on the SES of the respondents are also discussed. This study emphasises on the response and recovery efforts that are tailored to support women during this infectious-disease outbreak.
Highlights
According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), the gender ratio in Malaysia for 6th consecutive years (2015-2020) was at 106 men compared to 100 women (DOSM, 2020)
There are five types of Family and Community Empowerment Program (FACE) communities in this study, whereby 33% of them are living in people's housing project (PPR), 31% are from residential areas, 18% are from land settlements such as FELDA, 10% are from fishing villages, and the rest (8%) are from the traditional villages
Respondents have reported that their earnings are affected during Movement Control Order (MCO), whereby 39% of them have earned less than RM1000 per month compared to 27% who are earning the same amount before MCO
Summary
According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), the gender ratio in Malaysia for 6th consecutive years (2015-2020) was at 106 men compared to 100 women (DOSM, 2020). This record indicates that the number of men in Malaysia is at 16.4 million, while the women are at 15.3 million. The role, contribution and achievement of women in various industries is crucial due to the extensive contributions towards the development of the country and the community at large. The role of women shines through the fundamental position in a family unit and continues to shine through other aspects of life. A family is crucial in the construction of a developed and competitive country
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