Is Malaysia falling behind in women leadership?

Is Malaysia losing ground in advancing women into senior corporate roles? Data on leadership demographics—particularly gender representation—seems to say so.

Recent figures from Grant Thornton’s 2025 Women in Business Report reveal uneven progress and points to deep-rooted structural and cultural barriers. The report, released earlier this year, shows that the proportion of women in senior leadership dropped from 40.4% in 2023 to 39.6% in 2024, with projections indicating a further decline to 36.2% in 2025.

Perhaps more telling is the rise in companies with no women in senior positions—from 2.8% to 9.3% over the same period. This trend raises concerns that progress made during the post-pandemic recovery was not structurally reinforced.

That said, there are notable gains in specific functional roles, especially those associated with 'softer' skills. Women now occupy 57% of Chief HR Officer positions (up from 55.1%) and 36% of Chief Marketing Officer roles (up from 23.4%).

However, the number of women in financially and operationally strategic roles has slipped. CFO representation dropped from 54.2% to 46.5%, COOs declined from 21.5% to 18.6%, and CEOs/Managing Directors remain at 16%, trailing the global average of 21.7%.

These shifts highlight a fragile talent pipeline. Despite promising numbers in traditionally “people-oriented” functions like HR and marketing, fewer women are moving into the critical decision-making of business leadership.

Compared with its ASEAN neighbours, Malaysia performs reasonably well in terms of boardroom and public sector representation. Women held 38.8% of senior civil service roles (Premier Grade C+) in 2023, up from 38.2% in 2020. In politics, female representation remains modest but is trending upwards: women held 17.9% of cabinet positions in 2022 whereas 15% of Members of Parliament in the Dewan Rakyat were women in 2020.

Boardroom diversity has also improved significantly. Among the top 100 publicly listed Malaysian companies, female representation on boards rose to 28% in recent years—up from a mere 7.7% in 2011. These gains suggest that regulatory pressure and voluntary initiatives—such as the 30% Club and the Securities Commission’s diversity targets—are having some impact.

However, the country continues to lag behind regional peers like the Philippines and Thailand when it comes to placing women in senior executive roles, particularly in the private sector. Family-owned enterprises and SMEs in these countries have often proven more agile in advancing women into leadership, partly due to their flatter hierarchies and more flexible cultural norms.

Efforts to address these gaps through national frameworks have been well-intentioned but inconsistently applied. The lack of standardised accountability mechanisms and uneven enforcement weakens the overall impact of these initiatives. For example, few firms integrate gender diversity into KPIs or performance frameworks.

In addition, cultural expectations around traditional gender roles continue to shape career pathways and promotion dynamics. Women predominantly shoulder caregiving responsibilities, which limits their availability for leadership positions, particularly where flexible work policies are lacking. Mentorship and sponsorship opportunities are also frequently limited by distancing between the genders, which makes it harder for women to access leadership networks.

By 2030, Malaysia's elderly population is expected to grow from 8% to 14%, while the youth unemployment rate sits around 12.5%. These trends heighten the urgency for inclusive leadership strategies that tap into underutilised talent pools. Nevertheless a balance must be maintained between cultural values and global competitiveness. International business practices are needed to keep up with the global economy, but these must be localised to the needs and expectations on the ground.

The recent decline in women’s leadership representation should be seen as a timely reminder that without structural change and sustained commitment, progress can quickly unravel. To bring women into the workforce and keep them there long enough to advance to higher levels, Malaysian companies need to lean in on their gender diversity targets.

For example, reporting on diversity metrics, while burdensome, can help companies identify and address gaps or sudden changes before they become more problematic. Setting targets for board-level representation serves as a reminder that a diversity of experiences and backgrounds can support good decision making.

At more socialised levels, institutional support for working parents and other caregivers can play a huge role in keeping women's careers secure. Having targeted, scalable mentorship programmes keeps paths open for women to advance.