Women hold only 9% of top positions in Malaysian ecommerce scene

On May 21, 2018, Malaysia made history after Dr. Wan Azizah became deputy prime minister – the first woman in the country to hold the post. This event is significant because she belongs to a handful of women in Southeast Asia to hold such a role.

It is also an important milestone as various studies have shown that organizations are more likely to thrive when there is an adequate representation of genders.

However, a recent study we conducted at iPrice found a lack of female leaders on the highest management level in Malaysia’s ecommerce scene. The findings were derived by analyzing hundreds of top and mid-management personnel from the country’s 15 most visited ecommerce platforms based on our Map of Ecommerce.

Women in C-level positions

Our study found that men hold 91 percent of C-level positions (founders, directors, chiefs), while women hold only 9 percent.

The disparity in Malaysia is much larger when compared to other Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Vietnam and the Philippines have the biggest percentages of women in C-level positions at 23 percent and 21 percent, respectively.

Among the few women that hold a C-level position in Malaysia’s ecommerce scene are Ethel Hoong, director of online sales at Ezbuy; Swee Lin Liew, executive director at Astro GoShop; and Vivy Yusof, founder of FashionValet.

With the ecommerce industry in Malaysia predicted to be worth 33 billion ringgit (US$8 billion) by 2025, ecommerce businesses in the country need to overcome the gender disparity.

Women currently hold a big share of the country’s demographic. As of the first quarter of 2018, the Department of Statistics Malaysia noted that 48 percent of the country’s population are women, while 52 percent are men. A separate report by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission highlighted that 57 percent of online shoppers are women.

As such, women’s views should be considered for vital decision-making. The tech scene requires the minds of various demographics to maximize the potential of tech products and services. Gender diversity is important for everyone working in tech.

Women in middle management

Interestingly, our study found that there is no lack of women in middle management. In Malaysia’s top ecommerce platforms, 25 percent of women are senior vice presidents (SVPs), 23 percent are vice presidents (VPs), and 48 percent are heads.

While women are well represented on this level, very few are able to carry on to top management.

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