PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has recorded its highest-ever representation of women in senior management roles, with 41.9% of such roles now held by women.
According to Grant Thornton’s Women in Business 2026 report, this has increased from 36.2% in 2025 and is well above the global average of 32.9%.
In addition, the number of Malaysian businesses with no women in senior management has more than halved, falling to 4.5% in 2026 from 9.3% in 2025.
Women also continue to hold a strong presence in key functional leadership roles. In human resources, women outnumber men with 57.3% of women holding key positions, up from 48.3% in 2025. About 48.3% of women hold chief finance officer roles in 2026, up from 47.2% in 2025.
Meanwhile, about 32.6% of women hold chief commercial officer roles, an increase from 25.8% from the previous year.
In a statement, Grant Thornton said gender equality is increasingly influencing recruitment decisions. Almost 90% of business leaders in Malaysia factor a company’s gender equality initiatives into their decision when applying for a new role, with 57.3% calling it a priority.
“If leaders demand this in their own job searches, candidates at every level increasingly expect the same transparency.
“About 20.2% (up from 10.5% in 2025) of businesses report potential hires are now asking about the gender balance of a company’s senior management team or its commitment to improving gender diversity, an increase of 9.7 percentage points from last year.
“Just over two-thirds of recent female senior hires in mid-market businesses were internal appointments, highlighting the importance of retention and progression paths.”
Grant Thornton also noted that gender-balanced leadership is also essential for attracting investment.
It said that potential new investors are the most likely external source to ask about the gender balance of a company’s senior management team or a commitment to improving gender diversity.
Slightly over 29% of businesses say they received a request from this source to see this in the last twelve months.
“Despite global headwinds, 85.4% of businesses in Malaysia have diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in place.
“Data shows that businesses regularly look at the strategies that work for them, with 66.3% reviewing their DEI initiatives in 2025,” added Grant Thornton.
About 55.9% reviewed this as part of a structured annual process – a sign of strong governance and a mature DEI approach.
“Others were motivated by government policy (50.8%) and the global changing conversation around DEI (42.4%).
“78.9% of businesses say they are committed to their gender equality initiatives, while notably, 32.9% even plan to introduce new measures in the coming year.”
