And while Malaysia has seen its share of breakthroughs - like 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.
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: female representation in Parliament has dropped to 13.57 percent in 2022 from 14.43 percent in 2018 - a far cry from the global average of 25.5 percent. The much-touted 30 percent quota for female political representation remains an elusive goal, more slogan than strategy.
It doesn’t end there. A 2019 survey...