A recent study offers a glimpse into how Malaysians view roles within marriage.
Majority believe wives should obey husbands
Reported by SCMP, a study by Ipsos and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London found that 60 per cent of Malaysian respondents agreed with the statement that a wife should always obey her husband.
This is one of the highest proportions recorded among the 29 countries surveyed.
The study also found that 58 per cent of Malaysians agreed that husbands should have the final word on key decisions made at home.
Survey involved over 23,000 people globally
The findings are based on a survey of more than 23,000 people across countries including Singapore, India, the United States, the United Kingdom and Brazil.
Conducted in December and January, the study was published on March 5 in conjunction with International Women’s Day.
Cultural norms may shape attitudes
Mohd Faizal Musa, a research fellow at the Institute of the Malay World and Civilisation at the National University of Malaysia, said the results were not particularly surprising.
He noted that Malaysia has deep rooted cultural norms and customs, often intertwined with Islamic teachings.
However, he added that measuring gender attitudes in Southeast Asia against Western ideas of conservativeness and modernity is not straightforward.
Southeast Asian societies, especially within the Malay world, are generally complex and cannot be fully understood through a single narrative or assumption,” he said.
Gender dynamics are more nuanced
Faizal pointed to Malaysia’s adat perpatih system, a customary practice guided by Islam that emphasises matrilineality and prioritises women.
This, he said, shows that gender dynamics in the region are nuanced and context specific.
Melissa Yoong, an associate professor in sociolinguistics at the University of Nottingham Malaysia, said that while traditional male roles remain, there is also growing acceptance of women pursuing careers and leadership roles.
More efforts to support women in workforce
She noted that Malaysia has been actively promoting women’s participation in the labour force in recent years.
In October last year, Malaysia launched a national initiative aimed at equipping at least 100,000 women with skills and opportunities beyond 2030, in line with its goal to increase female labour force participation.
The initiative also plans to promote childcare friendly practices.
Progress in attitudes may take time
Yoong added that gender equality policies have largely focused on women’s economic empowerment, with less attention given to reshaping views about men’s roles and gender relations through social and legal reforms.
As a result, while more people may now view women’s pursuit of careers and leadership roles in a positive light, traditional beliefs about gender roles at home may take longer to change.
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