To coincide with today’s International Women’s Day (IWD) a new survey from Hays reveals that far fewer men than women believe that female employees face any gender-based inequality at work.

According to a survey of over 11,500 people globally from recruiting experts Hays, 28 percent of women in Malaysia believe they need to reach the most senior levels, MD or CEO, in order to feel successful in their careers. This compares to 17 percent in Japan, 14 percent in China, 12 percent in Singapore, 11 percent in the UK and Australia. The survey also found that there is a significant difference in female and male ambition for leadership roles.

Of the respondents in Malaysia:

  • Seventy-nine percent of men think there is equal pay between genders compared to 66 percent of women.
  • Eighty-seven percent of men said the same career opportunities are open to equally capable colleagues regardless of gender compared to 59 percent of women.
  • Eighty-nine percent of all respondents, both men and women, said the most senior person within their organisation is male and 59 percent said that their line manager is also male.
  • Female and male ambition for leadership roles differs vastly, with 68 percent of women and 85 percent of men aspiring to reach a top leadership position in their career.
  • Yet almost the same amount, 42 percent of women and 45 percent of men, feel there is the opportunity in their current role to promote themselves and communicate their career ambitions.
  • Meanwhile 58 percent of all respondents said their organisation does not have formal gender diversity policies and practices in place.
  • Respondents said the top three most effective measures to improve gender diversity would be flexible working practices (34 percent), a gender diversity policy (30 percent) and board backing around gender diversity issues (29 percent).

“We have a lot to celebrate on International Women’s Day across Asia, but many would argue that progress towards workplace gender equality is hindered by the lack of people, more often than not men, who fail to see any problem,” says Christine Wright, managing director of Hays in Asia.

“Given that most people in senior leadership roles are still men, it’s difficult to see how gender parity can be accelerated when many of those in positions of influence do not see any inequality to begin with.

“Although Malaysia leads from the front compared with many other countries in terms of female ambition for the most senior roles, there are still fewer women aspiring to a top leadership position in their career than men. Being able to promote your achievements is a key part of successful career development and reaching such roles. Employers should ensure opportunities are communicated to all and recognise and draw out the skills and ambitions of those around them.”

‘Pledging for Parity’

The 2016 IWD theme is ‘Pledging for Parity’. This year IWD calls for everyone, both men and women, “to pledge to take a concrete step to help achieve gender parity more quickly” .

What steps can we take? According to Hays, employers should encourage female ambition, focus on employee self-promotion and implement and communicate gender diversity policies.

“Businesses need to make sure they have clear initiatives and development plans in place to retain and promote their top female talent. Employers also need to recognise the benefits of a gender diverse workforce, including a stronger talent pipeline, higher productivity and ultimately a more successful business. Clearly, addressing gender equality needs to be more than just a box-ticking exercise”, said Alistair Cox, CEO of Hays plc.

A full copy of the Hays Malaysia Gender Diversity report will be published and available later this month.