Gender Equality in Brunei Darussalam and ASEAN Higher Education

Rana, Muhammad Qasim, Lee, Angela, Alkaff, S.N.H. and Ibrahim, K.H. (2025) Gender Equality in Brunei Darussalam and ASEAN Higher Education. [Report]

Text Final report - FULL (1).pdf Download (1MB)

Abstract

This report assesses gender equality in Brunei’s higher education sector, benchmarking progress against nine other ASEAN member states. The analysis focuses on four key dimensions: student enrolment, academic staff representation, leadership positions, and the policy frameworks shaping gender equity. Brunei demonstrates strong performance in educational access. Women now outnumber men in higher education enrolment and make up nearly half of academic staff, indicating that faculty representation is broadly balanced. However, these gains are not reflected at senior levels. Women remain significantly underrepresented in decision-making roles, with only 1 female Vice-Chancellor currently serving in Brunei’s universities (the 2nd female in Brunei’s history of tertiary education). While women are well-represented at the Lecturer level, their representation diminishes at Senior Lecturer and drops sharply at Associate Professor and Professor levels, where fewer than 3% of positions are held by women. The broader national context reinforces these dynamics. According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2025 (World Economic Forum, 2025), Brunei ranks 107th of 148 countries overall. Its performance across sub-dimensions highlights both progress and persistent challenges: • Economic Participation & Opportunity (72nd): relatively strong female workforce participation, but continuing leadership gaps. • Educational Attainment (55th): confirmation of Brunei’s success in achieving gender parity in education. • Health & Survival (134th): persistent demographic and health-related disparities influencing wider equality outcomes. • Political Empowerment (135th): very low female representation in parliament and national decision-making. These results underscore that Brunei has largely solved the challenge of access, particularly in education, but continues to face systemic barriers in progression, leadership, and broader societal representation. Policy developments, such as the 2023 National Plan of Action on Women, signal positive momentum. Yet, compared with regional peers such as the Philippines and Malaysia, Brunei lacks institutionalised gender offices, mentoring schemes, and structured leadership pathways—critical mechanisms for translating access into advancement. To address these gaps, the report outlines six priority actions: 1. Institutionalise gender equality and diversity policies within universities. 2. Foster women’s leadership through structured pathways and role-model visibility. 3. Strengthen academic support via mentoring and sponsorship programmes. 4. Promote career advancement with transparent promotion criteria and equitable recognition systems. 5. Deepen regional collaboration to learn from effective ASEAN practices. 6. Engage men as allies, embedding gender equality across institutional culture. Together, these measures provide a roadmap for Brunei to consolidate its achievements in educational access, address persistent structural barriers, and position itself as a regional leader in advancing gender equality in higher education.

Item Type:	Report
Sustainable Development Goals:	Goal 4: Quality Education Goal 5: Gender Equality
Keywords:	Gender Equality, Brunei Darussalam, Higher Education
Depositing User:	Prof Angela Lee
Date Deposited:	31 Oct 2025 11:28
Last Modified:	05 Nov 2025 06:34
URI:	https://ube.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/218

Actions (login required)

Edit Item