Women leadership at higher education in Indonesia and Malaysia : a comparative study on muslim society

Abstract

This study explores the leadership experiences of women in Indonesia and Malaysia at universities. As is currently being discussed, women's leadership is still below 30%, both in the government and education sectors, even though there are many governments and non-government programs that emphasize the importance of women's leadership and also about the rights of women who should also be able to lead, such as SDGS number 5 which socializes the importance of gender equality in various sectors. This phenomenon persists despite significant progress made in increasing women's participation in higher education. Here researchers explore the history, reasons and solutions for the lag behind women in leadership at universities in Muslim-majority countries, namely Indonesia and Malaysia. Using qualitative methods, researchers conducted literature studies and also interviewed several faculty deans from both Indonesia and Malaysia. And the glass ceiling theory explains that there are obstacles for women to advance to higher levels of office, so that it is difficult for women to become leaders. And in this research, researchers found that several factors with the most influential values, such as religious interpretation and patriarchy, are no longer strong barriers. The results of this research in interviews show that women in Indonesia and Malaysia do not have a mature readiness to lead and prioritize family in comparison. leadership itself. This is certainly caused by various factors such as the lack of leadership training for women. By acknowledging and addressing the cultural, religious, and institutional barriers that hinder women's leadership, this study proposes strategies for bridging the gender gap in senior academic leadership and promoting gender justice and equality in these contexts. Finally, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex factors that shape women's leadership in higher education and suggest practices that can help to break the glass ceiling and promote women's empowerment in these two countries.