GENDER STEREOTYPES AND POLITICAL CULTURE: EXPLORING BIAS AGAINST FEMALE POLITICAL LEADERS IN MALAYSIA

To date, gender inequality remains a globally concerning issue, especially in politics. Despite evolving trends towards gender equality, Malaysian women remain under-represented in political leadership, even though they constitute approximately half of Malaysia’s population. This study aimed to examine gender inequality in Malaysian politics through the lens of whether women are more suitable for political positions. Data of 1313 respondents were used to analyse the biases by using the logit and probit models. Categorical principal component analysis and the Approximate Likelihood Ratio (LR) test were used to examine the reliability and validity of the results. The findings indicated that gender stereotypes strongly influence individuals’ biases. The respondents commonly believed that men are naturally born leaders and better compared with women. This perception is shaped by several factors, including the importance of education, professional experience, job availability, and income disparities. A factor of political culture suggests that male leaders are preferred, especially in democratically governed countries. However, surprisingly, Malaysian individuals satisfied with Malaysia’s current political system tended to disagree with the idea that men are inherently better political leaders than women. Factors like age, religion, and employment status also contributed to biases against female leaders. In conclusion, this research underscores the enduring gender disparities in Malaysian politics and the detrimental impact of entrenched stereotypes on women’s leadership prospects. It is important to address these biases in promoting gender equality and enhancing better human development in the arena of politics.