Women remain underrepresented in leadership positions within law enforcement agencies, where institutional culture continues to be predominantly male-oriented. This study aims to examines the challenges encountered by women officers in advancing to leadership roles within law enforcement agencies. Using a qualitatively designed, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten women officers to explore their experiences and perceptions. The analysis identified three main challenges impeding women’s advancement: cultural and societal expectations, work-life balance constraint, and inadequate organisational support These factors collectively reflect the persistent influence of gendered norms and structural barriers in law enforcement contexts.. To promote gender equity, the study highlights the need for systematic interventions, including regular organisational audits, revised policies, mentorship programmes, training programmes and targeted leadership development initiatives. The findings further substantiate the applicability of Role Congruity Theory in explaining the gendered dynamics of leadership advancement within male-dominated institutions. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on gender equity in law enforcement agencies and underscores the importance of institutional transformation to support women’s empowerment and equitable representation in leadership positions.
Abdul Rahman, A. H., Hassan, R., & Zahari, A. H. (2021). Networking barriers faced by women in the Malaysian public service. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(11), 1312-1326.
Adongo, A. A., Dapaah, J. M., & Azumah, F. D. (2023). Gender and leadership positions: Understanding women's experiences and challenges in patriarchal societies in Northern Ghana. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 43(11/12), 1114-1137. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-02-2023-0028
Ahmed, T., Memon, H. A., Malik, G. M., & Mustafa, N. (2023). Exploring the challenges encountered by women working in law enforcement agency: A case study of Dadu Police Force. PalArch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt, 20(1), 989-1008.
Al Naqbi, S. (2023). Reflecting on leadership experiences: The positive and negative journeys of women in leadership. Preprints.org doi: 10.20944/preprints202304.0267.v1
Blumane, A., & Timpars, T. (2021). Enablers and barriers. SSE Riga Student Research Papers, 1(1), 1-71.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101, https://doi:10.1191/1478088706gpoa
Chang, J., Baek, P., & Kim, T. (2021). Women’s developmental networks and career satisfaction: Developmental functions as a mediator. Journal of Career Development, 48(6), 733-750.
DeCruise, A. M. (2022). The second shift. Female police officers and the struggle of work life balance and promotion. Nova Southeastern University
Department of Statistics Malaysia (2020). http://mycensus.gov.my
Drago, R. W. (2007). Striking a balance: Work, family, life. Boston. MA: Dollars & Sense.
Eagly, A. H., & Karau, S. J. (2002). Role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders. Psychological Review, 109(3), 573-598.
Greenhaus, J.H., Collins, K.M., & Shaw, J.D. (2003). The relationship between work-family balance and quality of life. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 63(3), 510-531.
Hirschman, C. (2016). Gender, the status of women, and family structure in Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Economic Studies, 53(1), 33-50.
Hochschild, A.R. (2003). The commercialization of intimate life: Notes from home and work. University of California Press.
Holland, G. B., & Eaton, D. B. (2020). Just a girl in a man's world: Factors affecting women in leadership in law enforcement. [Master’s Thesis]. ScholarWorks@UNO. https://scholarworks.uno.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4027&context=td
Malhotra, N. K. (2019). Marketing research: An applied orientation (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson.
Mokhtar, A. S. (2020). Women in senior management in Malaysia: An Intersectional Analysis. [PhD’s Thesis]. http://uwe-repository.worktibe.com/output/4829641
Mohd Saipuddin, N., Balachandran, R., & Mohd Salleh, N. (2021). The mediating role of organizational support on the relationship between gender barriers and women's career development in the Royal Malaysia Police. Journal of Social Sciences Research, 17(1), 180-187.
O’Hara, M. (2009). Female police officers in Ireland: Challenges experienced in balancing domestic care responsibilities with work commitments and their implications for career advancement. Irish Journal of Public Policy, 3(2). https://publish.ucc.ie/ijpp/2011/02/OHara/03/en
Othman, N., Radin A. Rahman, R. S. A., Abdullah, N., & Ramly, R. (2023). Female leadership in Malaysia: Issues and challenges. Asian Women, 39(1), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.14431/aw.2023.12.39.1.1
Public Service Department (2020). https://jpa.gov.my
Puteh, F., Muhammad, N., & Syahirah, S. (2018). Leadership and gender in the public sector: The mediating effect of job satisfaction. Journal of Administrative Science, 15(2), 99-117. http://jas.uitm.edu.my
Rief, R. M., & Clinkinbeard, S. S. (2020). Exploring gendered environments in policing: Workplace incivilities and for perceptions in men and women officers. Police Quarterly, 23(4), 427-450.
Saucedo, V. (2018). Breaking the brass ceiling: Women with rank, exploring the leadership of women leaders in Law Enforcement. [PhD’s Thesis] University of La Verne.
Schünemann, A. (2020). The effect of culture on female leadership: Towards equality everywhere? [Unpublished Master’s Thesis]. University of Barcelona. https://diposit.ub.edu/dspace/bitstream/2445/172129/1/TFM-INTBUS-Sch%C3%BCnemann_2020.pdf
Smith, J., Johnson, L., & Lee, S. (2021). Women's networking for career advancement: Barriers, strategies, and implications. Journal of Applied Psychology, 106(6), 781-797.
Smith, S. G., & Sinkford, J. C. (2022). Gender equality in the 21st century: Overcoming barriers to women's leadership in global health. Wiley Online Library, 10(5), 1144-1173.
Sowmya, K. R., Krithika, J., & Jagannathan, K. (2022). Organisational politics and turnover intention: Challenges faced by women in leadership positions. World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, 18(5), 333-344.
UNDP Annual Report (2021). https://www.undp.org.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2021). Setting an example for women in Southeast Asian law enforcement. https://www.unodc.org/roseap/en/2021/09/southeast-asia-women-law-enforcement/story.html
United States Agency for International Development. (2021). Women's economic empowerment and gender equality in trade facilitation: The role of customs and border services. https://www.marketlinks.org/sites/default/files/media/file/202103/WEEGE%20in%20Trade%20Facilitation%20Factsheet%20%28English%29_2020_12_17_Final_0.pdf
Woosley, S. (2010). Challenges for Women in Policing, 2019. http://www.hendonpub.com/resources/articles_archive/results/details?id=1614.
Wolfram, H.-J., Alfermann, D., & Athenstaedt, U. (2020). Gender, gender self-perceptions, and workplace leadership. In K. F. Zimmerman (Ed.), Handbook of Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics (pp. 1-27). Springer International Publishing.
Zainal, N. A., & Yusoff, R. Z. (2020). Exploring the influence of work-life balance on women's career advancement: A case study in the Malaysian public service. International Journal of Business and Society, 21(2), 757-774.
Andotion, E. L. A., Sabil, S., Bandar, N. F. A., Hassan, Z., & Ibrahim, D. K. A. (2025). Breaking the Brass Ceiling: Challenges and Opportunities for Women Leaders in Law Enforcement Agency. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 15(11), 663–679.
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Published by Knowledge Words Publications (www.kwpublications.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
