THE EFFECTS OF MOTIVATION, WORK-LIFE BALANCE AND MENTORING ON GENDER EQUALITY: A CASE FROM THE MALAYSIAN ENGINEERS

This study examines the effects of motivation, work-life balance, and mentoring on gender equality among Malaysian engineers.Surveys were completed by 200 engineers, with data analysed using SPSS.Results showed high mean scores for motivation ( = 4.416), work-life balance ( = 4.305), mentoring ( = 4.112), and gender equality ( = 3.541).Pearson correlation analysis revealed strong correlations between gender equality and motivation (r = .631,p = .000),work-life balance (r = .387,p = .000),and mentoring (r = .369,p = .000).Regression analysis indicated significant effects of work-life balance ( = 0.466, t = 5.470, p = 0.000) and mentoring ( = 0.189, t = -2.634,p = 0.009) on gender equality, but not motivation ( = 0.148, t = 1.850, p = 0.829).Future research should include qualitative methods to explore the personal and professional motivations of women engineers and how organisational culture, leadership styles, and peer support influence motivation.This study highlights the importance of promoting work-life balance and mentoring to advance gender equality, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #5.