“Reverse Gender Gap” in Malaysian Public Universities: Higher Education for Women, their light and shadow

• In Event: Case studies of policies, programs, and interventions toward improving girls' education and women's higher education

Proposal

Generally, the gender gap in education is defined as a disparity in educational opportunities between men and women, with women being placed in a disadvantageous position. In Malaysia, however, there is a “reverse gender gap” phenomenon, where men have fewer educational opportunities in public universities than women. This research focuses on the phenomenon of “Reverse Gender Gap” (RGG). In particular, this research aims to clarify the reasons for the RGG in higher education that has become apparent since the early 2000s.

Regarding the fact that women are better positioned to enter universities than men due to their higher educational levels, Prime Minister Mahathir (in 2002) said, “How can men want to go to university, and why do they not want to go to university? There is a need to elucidate this,” (Utusan Malaysia 2002/8/26). This phenomenon has been addressed in research papers since the 2000s as “reverse gender gap” (Wan 2018). Additionally, this word has been used relatively recently in newspapers such as The New York Times (2011/12/13) (Kamogawa 2021, 194).

Numerous countries had a gender gap in higher education until the early 2000s. Nevertheless, why has the gender gap in higher education reversed since the early 2000s? In response to this question, I will present the argument from three perspectives.

This study aims to clarify the current situation and issues regarding women’s higher education in two Malaysian from a gender perspective. To accomplish this objective, we will statistically organize the current status of women’s higher educational attainment, describe the background and factors contributing to women’s higher educational attainment, and then analyze the trends in these indicators by juxtaposing Malaysia.

First, I will provide an overview of the current status of the RGG phenomenon in Malaysian public universities as well as the background and factors responsible for it. This section statistically organizes the current status of Malaysian women’s higher educational attainment compared to other Southeast Asian countries.

Second, I will discuss the positives and negatives of women’s higher education in Malaysia’s multi-ethnic society, referring to the Gender Gap Index (GGI) published by the World Economic Forum. Consequently, we will focus on the phenomenon of men’s disengagement from education.

Previously, researchers have examined the phenomenon of the RGG from two perspectives. The first is the phenomenon of women becoming more educated or the “feminization” of higher education, and the other is the phenomenon of “men’s lack of education.” In addition, interactions between men and women will be excluded from the scope of this research. There are numerous studies that have questioned the reasons and backgrounds for the increasing educational attainment of women or the “feminization” of higher education. In contrast, while women’s educational attainment has been increasing, there has been a “slump in education among men.” Although research on the latter is beginning to shed light, it cannot be concluded that there are necessarily many. A previous research has indicated that there are several reasons for the “mal-education of men,” which are as follows. According to UNGEI (2012) Why are Boys Under-performing in Education? It is to participate in the labor force in order to be able to receive a salary early (however, is it likely that higher education tends to be associated with women?). Similarly, there is a research study in Malaysia which examines the “poor education of men.”

Third, I will demonstrate how women’s higher education and work-life careers are interconnected in various ways. Accordingly, after analyzing the results of the literature review and analysis of various statistical data, we highlight the fact that although women’s educational attainment has been increasing, it does not necessarily lead to their active participation after graduation. Therefore, we provide a new perspective on the research of “gender and education” in comparative pedagogy.

As a result of the examination, the following three points were clarified.
First, an analysis of the various statistical data from Malaysia confirms that women’s educational attainment has increased. In addition, the trend was particularly evident in public universities. However, from the perspective of university type and field of study, the ratio of male students in vocational programs established in higher education institutions, such as polytechnics tended to be higher than that of female students. In addition, the ratio of general high schools (academic courses) and vocational high schools (vocational and technical courses) in the upper secondary education stage is high in general high schools in Malaysia.

Second, a certain characteristic has been observed in the discourse on the “women in development” policy promoted by the government and the multiple roles expected of women. As mentioned above, women have always been forced to make choices and have been burdened with the conflict associated with performing multiple roles. However, the right to education has been recognized as a universal right, thus promoting the attainment of women’s higher education.

Third, women’s higher education does not necessarily lead to higher rankings on the gender gap index in Malaysia. This was particularly evident in the political and economic aspects. This phenomenon requires further investigation, but there appears to be a problem in the contradiction between the message to women and the society.

Author

• Akiko Kamogawa, University of Yamanashi