KUALA LUMPUR: The Grant Thornton Women in Business Report reveals a concerning decline in the representation of women in senior management positions in Malaysia.

According to Grant Thornton Malaysia PLT, the percentage of women in these roles dropped from 40.4 per cent in 2023 to 39.6 per cent in 2024, and is expected to decrease further to 36.2 per cent in 2025.

In a statement today, the global professional consulting firm highlighted that the number of businesses without women in senior management roles has increased, rising to 9.3 per cent in 2025 compared to just 2.8 per cent in 2024.

"Despite the overall decline in representation, the report highlights an increase in some key leadership positions held by women in Malaysia, with 57 per cent of women holding chief human resources officer roles, up from 55.1 per cent last year.

"Similarly, 36 per cent of women hold chief marketing officer roles, up from 23.4 per cent last year, while 16.3 per cent of women hold chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD) roles, marking a 4.2 percentage point increase from 2024," it noted.

However, it said that 46.5 per cent of businesses also reported a decline in the number of women holding chief financial officer positions, down from 54.2 per cent last year, while 18.6 per cent of businesses have women in chief operating officer roles, down from 21.5 per cent last year.

Grant Thornton Malaysia audit and assurance partner Foo Lee Meng said the findings reflect a step backwards in achieving gender-balanced leadership.

"This is a call to action for businesses to strengthen their efforts in promoting gender equality at the highest levels of leadership.

"While progress is being made, women's advancement remains uneven. The rise in female CEOs and MDs is encouraging, but at 16 per cent, it still falls short of the global average of 21.7 per cent," she said.

The report also highlights external pressure as a key factor in driving momentum for gender diversity.

"In Malaysia, 70.9 per cent of businesses have received requests from clients, investors, regulators, or other external entities to demonstrate the gender balance of their senior management team or their commitment to gender diversity initiatives," it said.

The most significant pressure for change comes from potential new investors (32.6 per cent), partner organisations (31.4 per cent), and potential clients (29.1 per cent).

The report also found that leaders of mid-market businesses identified several benefits of gender diversity initiatives, including improvements in decision-making, innovation, and financial performance, as well as cultural benefits.

Businesses reported that having gender equality targets and strategies have created a culture where employees feel that they work in an inclusive environment (29.1 per cent); feel they are treated equally within the firm (27.9 per cent), and believe that equality strategies have enhanced their firm's innovative capacity (25.6 per cent).

-- BERNAMA