IN THE 1980S, women’s organisations were relatively scarce, but their number began to rise following Malaysia’s ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1995. Between 2020 and 2024, a total of 1,944 new registrations of women-related non-government organisations (NGOs) were recorded by the Malaysian Registrar of Society (ROS) to advocate for women’s rights, welfare and empowerment. However, numbers alone do not dictate whether they are addressing critical gaps effectively.

Institutional theory in organisational behavioural studies suggests that the formation of organisations—including NGOs— is influenced by social norms, expectations and legitimacy. This explains why women-focused NGOs continue to emerge—as they respond to societal needs shaped by gendered experiences and systemic and structural inequalities.

Demonstrating this model of establishment is the Persatuan Pembela Wanita Pulau Pinang (Women’s Protection Society), which has been providing a safe space for women facing exploitation, violence or crisis since 2022. Their active involvement in women’s welfare affairs in Penang gives them an on-field understanding of the need for shelter homes for all women—including migrant women who slip through the gaps in terms of government aid and support.

NGOs focusing on entrepreneurial development among women have also been on the rise, potentially due to socioeconomic struggles faced by women post2020. These particularly aim to empower women in lower income brackets through dispensing micro-loans for business capital, especially to housewives and single mothers. A 2023 study conducted by UiTM and Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia shows that micro-loans do significantly and economically empower women, reinforcing the need for more economic-focused women’s NGOs. 

However, some gaps remain unaddressed. The Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC) and Women’s Protection Society highlight the lack of affordable and accessible childcare, which continues to be an economic barrier for women, especially those in lower income brackets. Without affordable, reputable and adequate childcare services, the responsibility of childcare falls onto mothers, limiting their opportunity to join the workforce or operate a business. 

Roopinder Kaur, Head of Communication in PWDC and who has experience working with both government agencies and NGOs, opines that the issue of childcare is not one most NGOs can realistically tackle. “Setting up a childcare centre involves a lot of funds and resources, and you need to be consistent in the operations,” she says. 

“Our role is to constantly advocate for more childcare services to policymakers, private operators and better-funded NGOs who can better address this,” she adds.

Coordination of NGO Network

In improving women’s welfare, well-being and development, NGOs, state agencies and government bodies exist within an ecosystem that should complement one another. Having a large number of women-focused NGOs is only advantageous when these operate effectively, sustainably and in coordination with one another. With such a large number of NGOs dedicated towards the same cause, there is also risk that organisations may need to compete for funding, be it from the public or from the government.

To mitigate this, Women’s Centre for Change (WCC) often acts as a coordinator to connect women NGOs in Penang. For instance, they help redirect women who are victims of domestic violence to the Women’s Protection Society for temporary shelter assistance. 

The Women’s Protection Society also works closely with government bodies such as Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM) in their efforts to be officially recognised as a shelter for women. They emphasise that although NGOs typically work with fewer bureaucratic challenges, they still rely on government bodies in legislation affairs.

Women NGOs also play a significant role in handling gender discrimination cases—which are often unreported—by compiling cases and providing information for CEDAW reports and for legal action to be taken. One instance would be the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG), which involves the collaboration of 15 women-focused NGOs, including Penang’s WCC. Among their most remarkable achievements is their long-standing advocacy for the amendment of the Federal Constitution to allow Malaysian mothers to automatically confer citizenship to their children born overseas. This change was enacted through the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024, which was passed on 17 October 2024 with a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat.

For women empowerment and development, state-supported organisations like PWDC also play a vital role in providing leadership, management training and mentoring to other NGOs specialising in providing business and entrepreneurship capacity building, on top of synergising their efforts. They also function as a connecting point for corporations who are looking to fulfil their corporate social responsibilities.

Another initiative that can significantly improve coordination to facilitate better networking, resource-sharing and strategic partnerships is an accessible platform or shared database listing the specialities, locations and focus areas of women-focused NGOs. Government bodies such as JKM and ROS do list NGOs in their databases; however, their platforms do not specifically cover women’s welfare focus areas.

The number of women-focused NGOs in Malaysia reflects the evolving challenges faced by women in the country. While concerns about redundancies and diversion of funds are valid, the collaborative and synergistic way these organisations work with each other is promising. As Chilean-American writer, Isabelle Allende says, “I can promise you that women working together—linked, informed and educated— can bring peace and prosperity to this forsaken planet.”

References

[1] Roopinder Kaur (2025), Head of Division, Communication, Penang Women’s Development Corporation, 10 February 2025. Interview.

[2] Sally Alexander (2025), Honorary Advisor, Persatuan Pembela Wanita Pulau Pinang, 7 February 2025. Interview.

[3] Registrar of Societies Malaysia. “Number of Women-Focused NGOs Registered (2020–2024).” Email to author. 23 January 2025.

[4] Atarmizi, W. A. (2024, October 18). Citizenship amendment offers hope to Malaysian mothers, but leaves children born before law in limbo | Sinar Daily. https://www.sinardaily.my/article/222380/focus/national/citizenship-amendment-offers-hopeto-malaysian-mothersbut-leaves-childrenborn-before-law-in-limbo com/2023/05/23/489780- housewives-registered-under-i-suri/