KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 — Women’s participation in top management positions within the public sector has continued to record a notable increase, reaching 39.4 per cent as of December, reflecting significant progress in efforts to narrow the gender gap in the country.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said statistics from the Public Service Department (JPA) showed women are now increasingly accepted to key positions previously synonymous with male leadership.
“Key positions that were once pioneered and held solely by men are no longer unfamiliar to women, such as the posts of Auditor-General, Chief Justice, Customs Director-General, mayors, and others,” she said when winding up debate on the motion of thanks for the Royal Address for the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM) in the Dewan Rakyat today.
According to Nancy, the achievement was the result of the government’s long-term policy introduced in 2004, which set a target of at least 30 per cent women’s participation at decision-making levels in the public sector.
She said progress ramped up in 2011 when the government announced the expansion of the policy to include at least 30 per cent women’s participation at decision-making levels in the private sector, aimed at increasing women’s participation in employment and further narrowing the gender gap in the country.
“Currently, data from the Securities Commission Malaysia as of April 2025 show that women hold 33.1 per cent of board seats in the top 100 public-listed companies (PLCs) on Bursa Malaysia, up from just 14 per cent in 2015.
“Based on these statistics, it can be concluded that significant progress has been achieved, particularly in efforts to empower women in both the public and private sectors,” she said.
However, Nancy said women’s participation in politics remains a challenge, and various initiatives have been implemented by KPWKM to improve representation and encourage greater participation of women at the highest leadership levels.
She said that throughout 2025, KPWKM, through the Women Development Department (JPW), allocated RM11.5 million for the implementation of various women empowerment and leadership programmes.
“Among them is the Women Leadership Apprenticeship Programme (PERANTIS), which aims to enhance the potential and number of talented women eligible to hold high positions, whether in the public or private sectors, or to play a more influential role at the community level,” she said.
She said that in 2024, a total of 1,247 PERANTIS participants were mentored by 25 figures across 10 selected fields, including two figures who organised political leadership modules that benefited 70 participants.
She added that last year, the programme was expanded with the involvement of 100 women figures and 4,035 participants, including seven figures who organised political programmes that benefited 284 participants.
In this regard, Nancy said the PERANTIS programme will continue this year and parties interested in participating in the women-in-politics category are encouraged to submit applications via the JPW portal before February 28.
