Malaysia's push for gender equality holds lessons for Asia

Government must lead by example to encourage women into upper echelons

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20170822Gender

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak speaks during a meeting on gender equality and women's empowerment at U.N. headquarters in 2015.

Malaysia has come a long way in women's socioeconomic advancement, but progress has remained slow in the higher economic and political echelons. The government is pressuring publicly listed companies to fulfill a 30% women quota in board membership.

However, other interventions are needed, to prohibit unfair discrimination and promote diversity, particularly by instituting fair employment laws and replacing an overpoweringly male-dominated Cabinet with a more gender representative one.

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