TOO EMOTIONAL TO LEAD? GENDER-BASED LEADERSHIP STEREOTYPES AND THE ROAD TO SDG 5 IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

This paper explores the limitations of stereotypes associating emotionality with feminine weakness on the progress of women as leaders in Malaysia and how they hinder the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) targets. Although 38.2% of the labour force consists of women (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2022), they are still underrepresented in the senior management (24.7%), as well as boards (17.9%) (Securities Commission Malaysia, 2021). The cultural and organizational mismatch to favour women is the stereotype of women being too emotional to lead in office which strengthens the masculine conception of leadership as based on rationality and control. This study surveyed 300 Malaysian professionals and interviewed 20 managers using a mixed-method approach to investigate the perception of both emotionality and leadership suitability. Quantitative results indicate a widespread notion that women are more emotional (71%) and less leadership qualified (57%) and qualitative results reveal how cultural norms, organizational bias and internalized self-censorship impede it. They create a twofold bind: women are punished because they show emotions, but they are also criticized because of their inability to show this. One of the most ironic aspects is the fact that most of the respondents who ranked emotional intelligence as a valuable quality in leadership are 74 percent, demonstrating a basic inconsistency. This paper holds the view that these stereotypes need to be tackled in order to realize SDG 5 goals on ending discrimination and getting more women involved in decision-making. It offers multi-level interventions: diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training, mentorship initiatives, gender-responsive policies, building board quotas and changing early education. Such approaches would repackage emotionality as a leadership strength and promote gender-inclusive growth in the multicultural Malaysia.