Female immigration and permanent settlement
Large numbers of Cantonese women came to the Malay Peninsula by ship from the mid-19th century onwards to join their husbands.
Female immigration to the Malay Peninsula from the Malay Archipelago, China and India increased dramatically in the early 20th century, changing the l9th-century demographic profile of a predominantly male immigrant workforce. Many women contributed directly to the economy, as paid and unpaid labour, in tin mines, the agricultural sector, and in various types of work in urban areas. They played an even larger role as wives and mothers, nurturing families and transforming a transient male workforce into settled communities.
- Information in the full article includes
- 19th-century immigration
- 20th-century immigration
- Economic and social contributions