Kuala Lumpur: ASEAN member countries must develop clear, time-bound plans to advance gender equity in sports, particularly in leadership and coaching roles. Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said many national sports bodies across Southeast Asia struggle to meet the 30 per cent target for women’s representation in leadership.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, data shows that women represent less than 20 per cent of accredited coaches in ASEAN. Coaching remains male-dominated, often excluding women due to unconscious bias and the lack of role models. “We need a clear, time-bound plan to move from intention to action,” Yeoh said during her keynote address at the ASEAN Conference on Gender Equity in Sports 2025.

She suggested that addressing the lack of quality women coaches might require introducing measures such as a national registry of women coaches and targeted assistance to ensure continuous improvements for qualified individuals. Each country’s National Action Plan should also include media strategies to highlight women’s contributions and address issues like Safe Sport and mental health.

Yeoh highlighted Malaysia’s efforts, mentioning the Safe Sport Code launched in 2023, which promotes dignity, respect, and protection from harassment and abuse in all sporting environments. Additionally, Malaysia’s National Sports Vision 2030 (VSN 2030) aims to build a competitive, inclusive, safe, and progressive sports ecosystem.

In Malaysia, 1,187 organisations have committed to the Safe Sports Code, and 3,769 individuals have completed the Safe Sport Course under the National Coaching Academy. The ministry has mandated background checks for all coaches appointed by the National Sports Council and is working to expand this requirement to all registered and licensed coaches.