Malaysian women are more likely than men to believe that men and women earn about the same for the same job, but are less likely to believe that women have equal job and career opportunities, according to findings from the 2026 WIN Worldviews Survey highlighted by Central Force Insights.
The survey found that 67% of Malaysian women believe men and women receive equal pay for the same job, compared with 60% of Malaysian men.
The Malaysian results differ from the global findings. Worldwide, 51% of men surveyed believe men and women earn about the same for the same job, compared with 38% of women.
However, the picture changes when respondents were asked about career opportunities.
Career Opportunities Present a Different Picture
Only 54% of Malaysian women surveyed believe women have the same job and career opportunities as men, compared with 62% of male respondents.
Meanwhile, nearly one in three Malaysian women, or 31%, believe women have fewer job and career opportunities than men. This compares with 17% of male respondents.
For Central Force Insights, the contrast raises questions about whether positive perceptions of equal pay also extend to the career opportunities that influence people’s earning potential over time.
See Toh Wai Yu, Chief Executive Officer of Central Force Insights and President of The Market Research Society Malaysia, said equal pay within the same role does not necessarily indicate that a workplace provides equal opportunities for career progression.
“You can pay men and women equally in the same role and still have an unequal workplace.”
She said employers should examine who receives training, who gets promoted and how employees’ careers are affected following career breaks.
“A fair payslip does not automatically mean a fair career. Employers need to be able to demonstrate both.”
64% of Malaysians See Equal Pay
Across Malaysian respondents overall, 64% believe men and women earn about the same for the same job. This compares with a global average of 45%.
However, Central Force Insights stressed that the survey measures perceptions rather than verified workplace pay practices.
As a result, positive perceptions of workplace fairness do not necessarily establish whether individual employers have equal pay practices or whether men and women in equivalent roles receive the same remuneration.
DOSM Data Shows a Narrower, But Existing, Wage Difference
Separate data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) provides a broader picture of wages in Malaysia’s formal sector.
In March 2026, male formal-sector employees recorded a median monthly wage of RM3,064, compared with RM3,000 for female employees.
These figures cover formal employees across the workforce and describe overall median earnings. They do not establish whether men and women performing equivalent jobs are paid differently.
Central Force Insights therefore cautioned against using either survey perceptions or headline wage statistics alone to determine whether workplaces are fair.
Understanding differences in pay and career outcomes requires closer examination of how employers make decisions around remuneration, promotion, training and career progression.
Look Beyond Pay to Career Progression
Central Force Insights, which is a signatory to the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), a joint initiative of UN Women and the UN Global Compact, is calling on employers to examine workplace practices beyond remuneration.
It recommends that organisations review pay, promotion, access to training and outcomes following career breaks.
Such reviews should compare employees in equivalent roles and circumstances, while also considering whether employees have equitable access to opportunities to gain skills, experience and greater responsibilities.
The emphasis, according to Central Force Insights, should therefore be on measuring who progresses, rather than looking only at what employees earn at a particular point in time.
Making Workplace Fairness More Transparent
The organisation also said employers should not be the only judges of their own workplace fairness.
Employees should have a voice in reviews and a clear understanding of how decisions around pay and promotion are made. Where differences emerge, Central Force Insights said they should be investigated rather than dismissed or automatically attributed to discrimination.
Wai Yu said organisations should be able to explain how they assess merit when making decisions about career progression.
“A company cannot claim to reward merit without showing how merit is measured.”
She added that equal opportunity does not mean every employee will have the same career or salary, but that gender should not determine whose skills are recognised or who receives opportunities to progress.
For Malaysian employers, the survey findings highlight a distinction between equal pay and equal opportunity, with both potentially requiring separate measures and closer examination of workplace practices.
