Understanding gender norms across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines & Vietnam

Across Southeast Asia, gender norms are shifting – shaping who takes on caring responsibilities, who participates in the workforce, and who is seen as a leader or decision-maker. Understanding how powerful these norms are, and how they are changing, is essential to knowing where progress is happening, and where more targeted action is needed.  

In this report, we examine how attitudes, behaviours and advocacy interact across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, offering fresh insight into how gender expectations are evolving in the region. Drawing on 8,000 survey responses from young urban adults, alongside in-depth interviews, expert consultations and in-country validation workshops, this research provides one of the most comprehensive snapshots of gender norms in Southeast Asia to date.

Research overview

Despite notable progress in recent decades, gender inequality remains one of the most persistent global challenges. While the magnitude and nature of gender disparities vary across countries, gender norms that limit women are pervasive across all societies.

These deeply rooted and often unspoken social expectations shape perceptions of men’s and women’s roles and influencing decisions in the households, the labour market, and public life. Understanding how gender norms emerge, persist, and evolve over time is crucial. This understanding highlights the societal progress toward a more inclusive society and informs interventions aimed at effectively promoting gender-equal practices.

This study addresses four key research objectives:

1. To investigate the prevalence of gender-equal attitudes, behaviours, and advocacy and to compare these patterns with individuals’ normative and empirical expectations. This comparison enables the identification of potential pluralistic ignorance, or misperceptions about prevailing social expectations and behaviours.
2. To analyse the key socio-demographic characteristics associated with gender-equal support and practices, and to explore the interconnections between attitudes, behaviours, and advocacy. It specifically assesses the associations between attitudes, social expectations, and actions, and whether supportive attitudes and behaviours can translate into active advocacy.
3. To explore the structural and contextual factors that influence individuals’ engagement with gender equality. Reference networks are identified as a key component of these factors, shaping how people perceive and act on gender norms. The analysis also examines the enablers and barriers that affect the translation of gender equality attitudes into both public and private advocacy.
4. To assess how gender norms have evolved over time. Drawing on comparisons with past survey waves and situating these norms within broader societal and global transformations.

Key findings

This study highlights four main findings: 

1. Women consistently demonstrate stronger support for gender equality than men
2. Gender-equal attitudes and advocacy are significantly associated across all domains – particularly among women, but associations are not always evident between attitudes and behaviours  
3. Qualitative analysis further illuminates the intricate system of enablers and barriers to gender equality
4. Gendered expectations are evolving over time, showing potential future change