PETALING JAYA: Expanding access to affordable childcare, offering more subsidised medical services for women and ensuring girls stay in school.
These are just some of the measures that will be taken by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to help bridge the gaps in our system between men and women.
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This is following Malaysia’s results in the Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum – our overall ranking for gender equality went up from 2024 to last year, but the scores for health and survival as well as education attainment had dipped.
The ministry said the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) is steadily expanding its clinical reach to support the well-being of women.
“By offering subsidised medical services, including modern contraceptive methods, mammograms and HPV DNA testing (for cervical cancer screening), LPPKN aims to provide comprehensive reproductive health support,” the ministry told The Star.
On the decline in educational attainment, the ministry said it is working closely with the Education Ministry to implement the Education (Amendment) Bill, which mandates compulsory schooling until Form Five.
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“This policy is specifically designed to eliminate early dropouts and ensure girls remain in the system,” it said.
With International Women’s Day taking place this Sunday, the ministry said unpaid care responsibilities are one of the biggest barriers to women’s participation in the economy.
As such, it is continuing the implementation of the Malaysia Care Strategic Framework and Action Plan 2026–2030, launched to strengthen systems that enable women to participate fully in the workforce.
“Through this framework, the ministry is expanding access to affordable childcare and targeting the training of 50,000 skilled caregivers by 2030.
“This effort will provide families with greater support while enabling more women to remain in or return to the workforce and pursue leadership,” it said.
Other efforts include working with the Human Resources Ministry to support women re-entering the workforce by strengthening their skills, confidence and employment readiness.
On another matter, the ministry said there is still a need to continue encouraging more women to take part in political leadership.
“While Malaysia has achieved the 30% threshold in leadership roles within the public sector and corporate boards, women currently make up 13.5% of Members of Parliament and 12% of State Assembly members,” it said.
One key factor is that fewer women are nominated as candidates in elections.
“To address this, the government continues engaging political parties and stakeholders to encourage greater representation of women candidates, particularly in winnable seats,” it added.
In 2004, the government introduced the policy of having at least 30% of women involved at the decision-making level in the public sector and, later, the private sector.
The target has since been achieved – women’s representation at the top public-sector management reached 39.4% as of December last year.
As of April last year, women held 33.1% of board seats in Bursa Malaysia’s top 100 listed companies.
On passing the 30% benchmark, the ministry said its focus now is to continue expanding women’s representation across all levels of leadership.
Meanwhile, some women’s groups believe it is time to raise the bar.
Equality think-tank Social and Economic Research Initiative (Seri) said the government should increase its 30% target to 50%.
“We must also ensure that the women who do take up these leadership positions are selected based on merit, to ensure genuine inclusion rather than tokenism.
“Closing the gender wage gap must also remain a priority across all levels,” the organisation said.
All Women’s Action Society capacity building director Jayamalar Samuel said attention must be given to whether women who hold top positions are structurally and culturally supported to thrive.
“Examples of this include family-friendly policies and mentorship,” she said.
There is also a need for those in decision-making positions to be sensitised to cultivate cultures of inclusivity and equality.
“This can be done through gender sensitivity training,” she said.
