Women in Malaysia receive support from the Malaysian government concerning their rights to advance, to make decisions, to health, education and social welfare, and to the removal of legal obstacles.

The Malaysian government has ensured these factors through the establishment of Ministry of National Unity and Social Development in 1997 (formerly known in 1993 as Women's Affairs Secretariat or HAWA).

The status of women in the country is complex, and partly dependent on their religion and on where they reside in the states and federal territories of Malaysia, factors which affect certain legal issues.

The issue of women's rights in the country is subject to ideological disagreements between conservative and liberal interpretations of Islam, and between more secular forces.

The earliest recorded cases of sexual harassment at the workplace or misconduct of an employer towards an employee were seen as far back as 1939, at the time when Malaysia was still Malaya under the British colonial rule.

[9] Sexual harassment is common, and since 2010 trains on the Malaysian Railway have included pink-coloured women-only cars as a means of cutting down on it.

[11] Female genital mutilation (FGM) is practised in Malaysia, with an estimated of more than 90% of women from Muslim families having undergone the practice.

[12][13] Reasons cited for the performance of FGM include religious obligation, hygiene, cultural practices, and the belief that it prevents pre-marital sex.

[13][14] However, the form of FGM practised in the country is not as severe as in other parts of the world, such as Northeast Africa, and is reported to only consist of a minor cut.

[19] Under the Penal Code, women may charge their husbands for acts of abuse such as physical violence or threats—the only criminal offence with a marital exemption is Rape (Art 375).

[21] Domestic violence is increasingly seen as a public issue: Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) has introduced a SMS helpline for victims of DV.

2021, Malaysia’s High Court ruled in favor of a group of Malaysian mothers who were seeking to pass on their nationality to their children born overseas.