Gender Equality in Higher Education: A Comparative Analysis of Policy Implementation in Southeast Asian Universities

Abstract

Gender disparities in higher education persist across Southeast Asia despite formal policy commitments to gender equality. This study examines the implementation of gender equality policies in twelve universities (four each in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand) using a comparative case study design that integrates policy document analysis (n = 78), key informant interviews (n = 60), and a faculty and student survey (n = 2,100). Findings reveal that women constitute approximately 47.3 per cent of academic faculty in the sampled institutions but only 18.1 per cent of full professorial positions, with the steepest attrition occurring at the associate-to-full professor transition. Survey data indicate that 38.6 per cent of respondents had observed gender-based misconduct at their institution but only 11.2 per cent reported it through formal channels, citing concerns about confidentiality, career consequences, and limited confidence in institutional remedies. Qualitative analysis identifies four overarching themes: (1) the gap between policy formality and substantive implementation; (2) the intersectional differentiation of gender experiences by class, religion, and ethnicity; (3) the role of informal institutional culture in sustaining or eroding formal gender equality commitments; and (4) the emergent leadership of student-led collectives and external civil society in driving change. The study contributes to scholarship on gender mainstreaming in higher education by providing comparative evidence across three Southeast Asian contexts and by elaborating an intersectional analytical framework appropriate to the region. Policy recommendations include strengthening of confidential reporting mechanisms, transparent promotion criteria, paid parental leave reform, and structured leadership pipelines for women academics.