Factors Influencing Glass Ceiling focus on Women Administration in Higher Education in Malaysia: A Critical

Abstract

Malaysia as a country has grown quite a lot over the last two decades despite the political condition often troubled with allegations of corruption but speaking economically and in social context, it can be claimed that as a country, Malaysia has fared in a decent manner and it has been able to maintain stability which has helped to elevate the progress of the nation. The social structure of Malaysia is in such a manner where there is a broad distribution of multiple ethnicities and cultures that it has been able to maintain but in accordance to the latest Gender Development Index, as till 2017, Malaysia ranks 57th among the 189 countries (http://hdr.undp.org/en/composite/GDI) and is categorized as a country with “VERY HIGH HUMAN DEVELOPMENT”. The paper makes an attempt to analyze and evaluate the various factors that have direct and indirect implications in acting as factors to influence the presence of “glass ceiling” in the higher education sector with focus on women administration. The objective is to explore and identify the different reasons behind women having to struggle in a country that has such a commendable mark in the HDI where the ones leading are from generally characterized first world countries. The discussion would highlight ways as suggested and put forth by the respondents who have been exposed to “glass ceiling” in various aspects of their career from the different sources and their opinion as to how they were able to overcome and how the upcoming young generation, the women who are aspiring to join the workforce in the coming future can prepare themselves in a manner that would assist them to prepare themselves in ways that the effects and impacts of “glass ceiling” can be reduced and tackled. The role of the components from the society to have an active role in making the effects to be reduced is extremely crucial and has to be dealt with in a manner that can serve the society in the long run.