Global Gender Gap score Malaysia 2014-2024
The Global Gender Gap index score for Malaysia in 2024 was 0.67, with a score of 1 being absolute parity and a score of 0 being absolute disparity. This showed a slight decrease from an index score of 0.68 in the previous year. Out of 146 countries included in the gender gap index globally, Malaysia ranked 114th.
Malaysia trails behind in Southeast Asia
In the Southeast Asia region, Malaysia fell behind in its gender equality, compared to neighboring ASEAN countries like the Philippines and Singapore. The two countries scored 0.78 and 0.73 in the gender gap index in 2024, respectively, among the highest gender equality in Asia Pacific.
More women at work
One of the largest factors that contributed to gender disparity in Malaysia was women’s participation in the workforce. In 2023, the labor force participation rate for men was 82.3 percent. Their female counterparts, however, only had a labor force participation rate of 56.2 percent. This was likely caused by society’s expectations for women to mainly take care of their family or children. In an effort to change this perception, the Malaysian government announced in October 2024 some initiatives in the Budget 2025 that were targeted to increase women empowerment and encourage more women in the workforce.
