ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses gender relations and the position of women in Malaysia in relation to six areas of concern. These are: development planning, poverty, employment, violence, political representation and the law. The Malaysian government has made several commitments towards realising women's rights and gender equality in the country. 'Women' were singled out in Malaysia's development agenda for the first time via a standalone of the Sixth Malaysia Plan. Noting that 'women constitute a vital economic resource', the government claimed that its goal was 'to integrate women as equal partners in nation building'. In the space of less than one generation, Malaysian women have entered the workforce in large numbers. Since the 1980s, almost half the women of working age in the population have entered the formal work sector at some point in their lives. On the whole, Malaysia does not suffer from a dearth of policies and programmes that can improve women's lives.
