What women in Malaysia really think about workplace gender equity

In today’s competitive business landscape, achieving gender equity in the workplace is not just a moral imperative – it’s a strategic necessity.

Our Michael Page Talent Trends 2024: The Expectation Gap Report sheds light on the current state of gender equity in Malaysia’s workplaces, revealing both progress and persistent challenges.

Understanding these insights for hiring managers and leadership teams is crucial for creating more inclusive and equitable work environments that attract top talent and retain top performers.

The shift towards workplace flexibility in Malaysia

The pandemic catalysed a significant shift in workplace dynamics across APAC, with flexibility emerging as a new norm.

Our talent trends 2024 report shows that professionals in Malaysia now consider flexible work arrangements as the second most important factor after salary when job hunting.

This change, born out of necessity during lockdowns, has become a permanent feature of the work landscape in Malaysia’s compact urban environment and tech-savvy workforce.

While offering potential benefits for work-life balance, this shift also presents new challenges for gender equity in the workplace.

Gender equity focuses on fairness by providing support based on individual needs, recognising that different genders may have different starting points. In contrast, workplace gender equality means giving everyone the same rights and opportunities. Both approaches foster gender diversity, with equity ensuring individuals get what they need to succeed.

Gender stereotypes can hinder progress by reinforcing traditional roles and expectations, limiting opportunities for all genders to thrive equally in diverse environments.

Also, gender discrimination, which involves treating individuals unfairly based on their gender, creates further barriers to equal opportunities and undermines efforts to achieve both gender equity and diversity.

Together, these challenges highlight the importance of breaking down gender bias to foster a more equitable environment.

As organisations in Malaysia adapt to these evolving expectations, the impact on gender equity remains a critical consideration in fostering inclusive work environments.

Women’s satisfaction levels with workplace gender equity efforts

Our data reveals a nuanced picture of how women feel about workplace gender equity efforts in Malaysia:

Closing the gender pay gap

• 44% are neutral
• 29% are dissatisfied
• 24% of women are satisfied with their employer’s efforts
• 3% are uninterested

The high percentage of neutral responses suggests that many women may need clarification about their employer’s efforts or feel that more needs to be done. These data points indicate that while Malaysia faces ongoing challenges in addressing gender pay gaps.

Related: The role of salary transparency in reducing workplace inequality

Promoting equity and inclusion for women

• 60% of women are satisfied
• 18% are neutral
• 17% are dissatisfied
• 5% are uninterested

In terms of promoting equity and inclusion of women in the workplace, these figures show a more positive outlook for women in Malaysia. However, 40% of women who are either neutral, dissatisfied, or uninterested indicate ongoing challenges.

Female leadership representation

• 50% of women are satisfied
• 28% are dissatisfied
• 22% are neutral

While 50% of female professionals are satisfied with female leadership representation in their workplaces, the other 50% are either dissatisfied or neutral, perceiving a lack of opportunities for advancement to leadership positions and women's representation at the leadership or senior management level.

Related: Asia's female leaders: How to be more confident at work

Differing priorities in DE&I initiatives

Our report also highlights significant differences in how men and women prioritise various Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives:

Women’s top 5 DE&I priorities:

1. Promoting greater equity for and inclusion of people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds 
2. Preventing age discrimination in the workplace
3. Getting more people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds into leadership positions 
4. Closing the gender pay gap 
5. Promoting greater equity for and inclusion of women in the workplace

Men’s top 5 DE&I priorities:

1. Promoting greater equity for and inclusion of people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds
2. Preventing age discrimination in the workplace
3. Getting more people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds into leadership positions
4. Promoting greater equity for and inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace
5. Promoting greater equity for and inclusion of women in the workplace

Both men and women share the same top three priorities, indicating a general consensus on the importance of racial and ethnic diversity and preventing age discrimination.

Women place “closing the gender pay gap” as their fourth priority, while this doesn’t appear in men’s top five. This suggests that women are more acutely aware of or concerned about gender-based pay disparities.

Men’s fourth priority is promoting equity for people with disabilities, which doesn’t appear in women’s top five. This could indicate that men have a broader view of inclusion beyond gender and race.

Both groups include “promoting greater equity for and inclusion of women in the workplace” in their top five, ranking it equally at 5th place. This suggests that while both genders recognise this issue as important, it’s not the top priority for either group in the context of overall DE&I initiatives.

Related: How HR needs to evolve to support the future of work

Men’s engagement in workplace gender equity

While our data reveals clear differences in how men and women prioritise DE&I initiatives, it’s crucial to recognise the role men play in advancing workplace gender equity.

The fact that “closing the gender pay gap” does not appear in men’s top five priorities indicates a possible lack of awareness and concern. At the same time, there is one women-specific issue in men’s top priorities, “promoting greater equity for and inclusion of women in the workplace”, which suggests some understanding about the issue. 

This discrepancy highlights the need for increased awareness and engagement among men, particularly those in leadership positions, regarding the challenges women face in the workplace.

Bridging this perception gap is essential, as men often hold positions of influence that can drive significant change in organisational policies and workplace culture.

Related: How leaders can gain better engagement with their teams

Implications for employers

These findings have several important implications for hiring managers and leadership teams:

1. Address the gender pay gap: With less than half of women satisfied with efforts to close the gender pay gap, organisations must prioritise pay equity. This could involve conducting regular pay audits, implementing transparent pay scales, and addressing unjustified disparities.
    
2. Enhance leadership opportunities: The low satisfaction with female leadership representation suggests a need for more robust leadership development programs for women, mentorship initiatives, and a critical examination of promotion practices.
    
3. Promote inclusive policies: While general equity and inclusion efforts for women have the highest satisfaction rate, there’s still room for improvement. Consider implementing or enhancing policies that support work-life balance, parental leave, and protection against workplace harassment.
    
4. Bridge the perception gap: The differing priorities between men and women in DE&I initiatives highlight a potential disconnect. Organisations should foster open dialogues about DE&I priorities and ensure that men, especially those in leadership positions, are aware of and supportive of women’s concerns.
    
5. A holistic approach to DE&I: While addressing workplace gender equity is crucial, it’s important to maintain a holistic approach to DE&I. Age discrimination, for instance, is a top concern for both genders and should not be overlooked.
    
6. Transparency and communication: The high percentage of neutral responses across all categories suggests a need for better communication about workplace gender equity efforts. Organisations should be transparent about their initiatives, progress, and challenges.

Bridging the gender gap in Malaysia’s workplaces is an ongoing process that requires sustained effort and commitment. While progress has been made, our Talent Trends 2024 report clearly shows that there’s still work to be done.

By understanding and addressing women’s perspectives on workplace equity, organisations can create more inclusive environments that attract and retain female talent, foster innovation, and improve overall performance.

The message for hiring managers and leadership teams is clear: prioritising gender equity is not just about meeting DE&I targets but creating a workplace where all employees can thrive, contribute their best, and drive the organisation forward.

Get more insights on DE&I at the workplace

Discover the latest in workforce trends in our latest Michael Page Malaysia Talent Trends 2024 report: The Expectation Gap. This survey report findings are based on responses from 12,940 job seekers, employees and employers across Asia Pacific, of which 641 are from Malaysia.

It covers career insights that talent leaders and hiring professionals need to know to attract and retain talent. Also, download our report or use our interactive online tool to gain deeper, up-to-date insights into the current talent market.

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