AJUE Volume 22, Number 1, February 2026
Malaysian universities face fresh calls to boost female leadership roles after a study found women hold just 32% of top academic positions
Source: Asian Journal of University Education · July 26, 2026 at 11:58 PM · AI-assisted report
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KUALA LUMPUR, 27 JULY 2026 —
Malaysian universities face fresh calls to boost female leadership roles after a study found women hold just 32% of top academic positions
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A paper in the Asian Journal of University Education shows female academics in Malaysian public universities occupy 32% of vice-chancellor, deputy vice-chancellor and dean roles, well below a 50% target set under SDG5. The study, which analysed 24 institutions between 2018 and 2023, found progress has stalled since 2020 despite government pledges to improve gender parity.
The findings follow a separate review that ranked Malaysia 61st globally on the 2024 Global Gender Gap Report, lagging peers in Southeast Asia. The authors, led by Universiti Teknologi MARA’s Sharifah Syahirah Fadilah Puteh, recommend mandatory diversity quotas and leadership mentorship programmes to raise female representation. Bank Negara Malaysia’s 2025 annual report noted that closing gender gaps in higher education could add 0.8 percentage points to Malaysia’s potential growth.
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