The lack of access to affordable childcare services is a barrier for women to contribute towards increasing their total household income, and addressing the issue of income inequality.

In particular, the problem affects women from families that falls within the lowest 40 percent of income earners in a country - categorised by the United Nations as the "B40" households.

This was one of the issues highlighted during a discussion between representatives from the Malaysian Civil Society Organisations-SDG Alliance, and members of Jalan Hang Tuah Public Housing Project Rukun Tetangga.

Out of 10 women that participated in the discussion led by Society for the Promotion of Human Rights (Proham) secretary-general Denison Jayasooria, only three of them were in paid employment.

The remaining seven were housewives, several of whom were forced to quit their jobs after giving birth. One of them operates a tailoring service, while another offers baby sitting services.

According to those present, the average single-income household survives on less than RM2,000 a month.

From the discussion, it was summarised that women would benefit from access to government funded childcare services, in order to facilitate their entry into the workforce.

Having a secure space to drop their children would also assist women keen to start up their own home businesses, as another means to boost the family's income.

This is more so, it was noted, in situations where the husband as the sole breadwinner, has no other options to increase his own income, due to age constraints or other limitations.

"Providing childcare for women should be a matter of priority...," said Jayasooria, in reference to policies to support the Sustainable Development Goals, in this case, reducing income inequality.

On the perceived poor response to existing policies or programmes targeted towards low-income households and women, Women's Aids Organisation executive director Ivy Josiah said: "These are women with things to do at home.

"If they want to go and attend any courses or programmes elsewhere, they need to pay for taxi, bus fares...These are all barriers. Such things should be held here itself," she said.

A former Malaysian coordinator for the UN, Lin Mui Kiang, told Malaysiakini that the government's main challenge would be to translate their commitment to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals into the drafting and implementation of policies or programmes.

"All government agencies should be made aware of the goals," said Lin, a Proham member with previous experience of serving in the Prime Minister’s Department Economic Planning Unit.

The day's discussion was held in conjunction with one year since Malaysia joined the ranks of nations that collectively endorsed the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Among others, it aimed to gauge public's awareness on the government's progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The theme for this year is reducing income inequality, particularly among UN'S B40 households, and the country's top earners.