Universities should be more proactive in dismantling gender bias that deters women in the academic line from attaining senior leadership roles, said the prime minister’s wife Rosmah Mansor.

She pointed out that although 60 percent of the enrolment in public universities was women, only three vice-chancellors at 20 public universities in the country were women.

Rosmah said there should be a balanced participation of men and women in the senior management of universities.

saifuddin abdullah evidence act forum 2 "Universities can no longer be seen as totally dominated by men or a men’s club," she said in her keynote address at the International Leadership Capacity Building Workshop for Women Academic Leaders 2012 in Kuala Lumpur today, attended by about 200 local and international participants.

The text of her speech was read out by Deputy Higher Education Minister Saifuddin Abdullah ( right ).

Hot topic in the future

The three-day workshop was organised by the International Islamic University of Malaysia with the cooperation of the Higher Education Leadership Academy under the Higher Education Ministry.

Rosmah said gender participation imbalances at the senior management level could potentially become a hot topic in the future, hence the need to address such issues at the early stage.

"One of the findings on the under-representation of women in senior academic positions is that some women tend to prefer women mentors for their leadership tenure.

"With the lack of women in such positions, their access is clearly limited," she said.

Rosmah said that even the corporate sector had discovered that gender balance in top positions could lead to better business performance.

"If we do not institute balanced gender participation in higher education, how can we institute and implement this in other parts of society?" she asked.

- Bernama