JP Morgan predicts that it will take 134 years to achieve full gender equality. While awareness of gender equality has steadily increased, significant challenges remain. For instance, access to education for women in Malaysia has consistently improved, with female students outnumbering their male counterparts. According to the World Bank Report, as of 2023, 89.2% of girls completed lower secondary school compared to 85.9% of boys. The Khazanah Research Institute’s report further highlights that women in Malaysia have higher enrollment rates at all levels of education. In 2022, 49.5% of women were enrolled in tertiary education compared to only 33.2% of men.
Although higher education levels are strongly linked to workforce participation and earnings, women in Malaysia continue to receive lower pay than men, even when holding the same qualifications. According to the DOSM Malaysia Gender Gap Index 2024, for every RM100 earned by men, women receive only RM93.80. On average, men earn RM42,383 annually, while women earn RM39,736.
While most people agree on the importance of fairness and gender equality, does reality truly reflect this aspiration?
One of the obstacles to achieving gender equality is the stereotype that women are inherently less capable than men. I do not need to cite countless examples of successful female leaders to prove otherwise. Instead, I want to highlight a different challenge—one that stems from the perception of women as “soft and weak,” a perception that is deliberately reinforced by some women themselves.
I am not suggesting that women are biologically weak or incapable. However, in certain situations, some women intentionally emphasize their vulnerability to gain empathy or avoid accountability. I am not referring to physically demanding jobs, where biological differences between men and women naturally come into play. Rather, I am addressing instances where women face stressful or challenging situations—common experiences in any workplace, regardless of gender—but instead of confronting them head-on, some may invoke their gender as a reason for special treatment.
For example, former Minister of Health and now Minister of Federal Territories, Dr. Zaliha once cited a Hadith in Parliament, urging people to be kind to women when responding to legitimate questions from fellow MPs. While it was her duty to address these inquiries, the criticism she faced did not constitute personal attacks or defamatory remarks. She did, in fact, respond to the questions, but I believe it was unnecessary for her to invoke the need for kindness toward women, as it shifted the focus away from the discussion at hand.
Another glaring issue is the discriminatory questioning of women during job interviews. Questions like “Are you single?” “Do you plan to get married?” or “Are you planning to have children?” are frequently directed at female candidates, whereas male candidates rarely face such inquiries. I strongly oppose these questions, as they are not directly relevant to a candidate’s work performance and should not determine hiring decisions. Employers should assess candidates based on skills, experience, and capabilities rather than their personal life choices.
However, in real workplace scenarios, some female employees themselves reinforce the mindset that marriage reduces a woman’s work efficiency. For instance, there are cases where married women request adjustments to their work schedules, while unmarried employees are expected to take on additional overtime to compensate. When this expectation becomes the norm, it indirectly validates employers’ concerns about workforce planning, making questions about marriage and family seem relevant from their perspective.
If this mindset is perpetuated by women themselves, can we entirely blame employers for asking such questions during the hiring process?
Ultimately, everyone wants fairness and equality. However, if we continue to emphasize differences rather than focusing on merit and capability, how and when can we truly achieve gender equality?
