Work.com.mm, a Myanmar-based online job portal, said up to 50 percent of its users are female, and these women are applying for skilled jobs with equal pay grades to that of men.
The portal, which is a part of Asia Pacific Internet Group (APACIG), said in a statement that Myanmar’s culture of innovation is on the rise and women are a driving force behind economic growth.
Events such as the Connected Women Conference, Geek Girls Myanmar, and the upcoming ASEAN’s Women Forum demonstrate the public focus on women in the workforce and the increasing investment it is receiving.
Work.com.mm said it surveyed over 1,000 professionals in Myanmar and the results highlight a cultural shift that is occurring alongside economic inclusion.
“Women are motivated to work hard for themselves, developing careers in their own rights as opposed to a solely focusing on supporting a family,” Work.com.mm said.
Two-thirds of women in Myanmar are working and the number of girls and boys receiving secondary education is equal, the portal’s survey showed.
Women currently represent 51 percent of the population and as their participation in the workforce increases, they will continue to drive the development of Myanmar’s economy, it added.
Myanmar’s economy grew more than 6 percent in the last year, and it is expected to increase further in the future. While construction and agriculture still form the backbone of Myanmar’s GDP, the service and technology industries are rapidly catching up.
These are the industries that have been motivating many women to join the workforce. Moreover, international organizations such as Consultancies, NGOs, and FMCG firms are moving to Myanmar, drawing top talent (male and female) to the region.
Work.com.mm said female entrepreneurship in Myanmar is thriving and a new culture of innovation in Myanmar is focusing on gender inclusion.
