Why Malaysia S Women Are Still Waiting For Equality

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From Ameena Siddiqi
Every year, International Women’s Day rolls around with its usual mix of celebratory hashtags and corporate platitudes. And while Malaysia has seen its share of breakthroughs, such as the historic appointment of Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat as the nation’s first female Chief Justice, the reality for most women remains a gruelling fight for basic rights.
Deep-rooted gender inequality and institutional biases still cast a long shadow over any progress made. The glass ceiling may have cracks, but it’s far from shattered.
Mirage of progress
Yes, Malaysian women outnumber men in universities — a promising statistic that looks great on paper. But the pipeline from academia to leadership is clogged with systemic discrimination.
The numbers tell the story: As of 2024, only 13.51% or 30 out of 222 MPs are women. The figure stood at 13.57% in 2022, dipping from 14.43% in 2018 – a far cry from the global average of 25.5%. The much-touted 30% quota for female political representation remains an elusive goal, more slogan than strategy.
A 2019 survey by Sisters in Islam found that 74% of respondents believe women face institutionalised discrimination, while 63% pointed to religious authorities disproportionately policing women’s behaviour.
Men’s infractions, of course, go largely unchecked. It’s a two-tier system that shields patriarchy behind a facade of piety.
Even legal reforms that seemed like steps forward have turned out to be a sleight of hand.
The recent amendment allowing Malaysian mothers to pass citizenship to their overseas-born children came with a catch: the revocation of automatic citizenship for children born in Malaysia to permanent residents.
Meanwhile, foreign wives of Malaysian men risk losing their citizenship if they divorce within two years. These policies aren’t about protecting sovereignty — they’re about keeping women dependent.
Silent pandemic of domestic violence
If you think domestic violence is a “private matter”, think again. Reported cases soared from 5,260 in 2020 to 7,468 in 2021.
They dipped slightly in 2022 and 2023 but spiked again in 2024 to 7,116. And these are just the cases we know about. For every woman who reports abuse, countless others remain silent — trapped by fear, stigma, and a justice system that often sides with the abuser.
The authorities seem reluctant to intervene, shelters are underfunded, and the legal process is a nightmare to navigate. Protection orders are delayed, court cases drag on for years, and by the end of it all, many women wonder if it was even worth it. Justice delayed is justice denied, no matter how you spin it.
The office isn’t any better
The gender pay gap stands at a staggering 21% — and that’s if you’re lucky enough to be hired in the first place. Gender biases in hiring and promotions are all too common. In government buildings, women face dress codes that have little to do with professionalism.
The recent comments by the Penang mufti questioning women’s participation in team-building activities reveal a deeper bias: women’s roles in society should be confined and secondary.
This mindset extends to sports, too. Since 2019, Terengganu has banned female gymnasts, and Muslim female divers were recently barred from competing in the Malaysian Games (Sukma) due to their attire. This isn’t about morality, it’s about control.
Divorce: freedom denied
The inequities in Malaysia’s Islamic family laws are summed up in this verse:
He just needs three words; I get questions askedI can file for fasakh (divorce), wait months in lineProve the pain, the scars, each grievance in kindWhile men can utter talaq thrice and walk away, women must endure a bureaucratic marathon to secure fasakh, having to prove every scar and betrayal in exhaustive detail.
A 2024 study by SIS found that a significant number of Muslim women in the B40 community believe that these laws overwhelmingly favour men, with over half reporting difficulties in securing maintenance or child support post-divorce.
This isn’t justice. It’s a system designed to exhaust women into compliance, trapping them in toxic marriages or long-winded legal battles.
Dark reality of child marriages
Despite claims of progress, child marriage remains a grim reality in Malaysia, with Muslim girls as young as 16 — or even younger with shariah court approval — being married off, often to older men.
According to the statistics department, 1,124 child marriages were recorded in 2020, down from 1,856 in 2018. From 2022 to 2024, nearly 900 child marriages were registered under shariah courts, with the highest numbers in Kelantan, Selangor, and Kedah.
These marriages, often justified as “protection” or poverty relief, in truth deny girls their rights to education, health, and a future of their choosing.
A 2018 report by SIS and the Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women highlighted out-of-wedlock pregnancies as a major factor driving child marriages. While some states like Selangor have made progress, the issue persists nationwide. Efforts to ban child marriage have been stalled by claims that it would violate religious and cultural norms.
Women, family and community development minister Nancy Shukri acknowledged the complexity of the issue due to state jurisdiction.
She also revealed, in 2024, that 44,263 teenage pregnancies were recorded over the past five years, with 17,646 involving unmarried teens. In Sarawak, 9,258 cases were reported between 2019 and 2023, partly due to customary laws permitting child marriages.
The persistence of child marriage not only reflects a failure to protect Malaysia’s girls but also exposes the urgent need for comprehensive federal action to end this practice once and for all.
Real change needs to happen
Malaysia needs more than token gestures and empty promises. It’s time for a comprehensive strategy to dismantle gender inequality. Here’s what needs to happen:
Reform Islamic family law: Ensure women have equal rights in marriage, divorce, and child custody cases. Simplify the fasakh process and eliminate the gender bias in shariah courts.Strengthen domestic violence protections: Expand legal definitions of domestic abuse to include psychological and financial control. Increase funding for shelters and streamline protection orders.Enforce workplace equality: Implement and monitor equal pay laws and enforce gender diversity quotas in leadership positions across all sectors.End moral policing: Repeal laws that disproportionately target women and codify patriarchy under the guise of religious morality.Hit the 30% quota — for real: Enforce the 30% quota for female political representation to ensure women’s voices aren’t just heard but acted upon.Malaysia’s aspirations of modernity ring hollow as long as half its population is held back by outdated laws and mindsets. Women’s rights cannot be relegated to the sidelines in political negotiations or brushed off as cultural sensitivities.
The time for incremental change is over. If Malaysia truly wants to move forward, it must take a decisive stand for gender equality. Anything less is an unacceptable compromise. - FMT
Ameena Siddiqi is a communications manager at Sisters in Islam.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.

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