Malaysia’s female labour participation is 56.5%, with a reduced gender pay gap, but more work is needed to reach the 60% target by 2030
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has made progress in closing the gender pay gap, but more female workforce participation and leadership remain key to driving economic growth and innovation.
TalentCorp chairperson Wong Shu Qi said Malaysia has made concrete progress, with the gender wage gap in median pay shrinking from about RM200 in 2023 to RM18 this year, but female labour participation remains low.
She highlighted the need for strong public–private collaboration to meet Malaysia’s 60% female labour participation target by 2030, stressing that family-friendly policies and equal opportunities are key to enabling women to thrive.
“Millions of women across the region remain outside the workforce or are concentrated in lower-paid, less secure jobs.
“The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025 showed that Malaysia ranks 108th out of 146 countries, which is an improvement but still far from where the nation aspires to be,” she said during the Asia-Pacific Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) forum yesterday.
Wong said Malaysia’s female labour force participation reached 56.5% in 2024, with women holding 28% of board seats in public-listed companies, compared with only 5% in 2007.
“This is why WEPs are crucial, providing a practical framework to turn commitment into concrete action across leadership, workplace practices, supply chains and community engagement,” she said, adding that inaction wastes talent, slows innovation and weakens the economy.
TalentCorp Wanita Mywira assistant vice-president Natasha Azreen Alias said despite the challenges women face, the country is actively addressing these issues, prioritising them and working swiftly to close the gaps.
“One of our main goals is to see more women in leadership roles. We run programmes and initiatives to support women in reaching these positions and we help them develop their careers so that they could continue advancing up the professional ladder.
“This is the ecosystem we have built, supporting women at every stage, from education onward. We aim to tackle challenges early, rather than waiting until women are already in their careers, ensuring support from the very start.”
She said the agency is working with universities to promote diversity, equity and inclusion, familiarising women with industry norms and key opportunities in critical, in-demand roles so that they enter the workforce with awareness, understanding and a strong sense of the importance of their roles.
She emphasised that sectors with persistent gender imbalances include digital, green economy and artificial intelligence.
“While opportunities exist, many roles require full commitment, offer limited flexibility and lack policies that support female participation, making it harder for women to enter these fields.”
She said although some still believe only men can be leaders, progress has been made and many women are ready to step up, adding that the agency works with companies to build a pipeline of professional women prepared for leadership while shifting cultural and corporate mindsets.
“There is still much work to be done, and it is important to collaborate with partners to ensure this is not seen solely as a women’s issue. It is an ecosystem that must be managed collectively.
“Addressing the gender pay gap is critical as disparities between men and women remain significant. We need strategies to manage these gaps so that they are not as wide in the future.”
