This article examines the impact of gender socialization in Malaysian families, especially on daughters regarding their perception towards work inside and outside the home. Hence, this study utilized in-depth interview as part of the qualitative methods to obtain quality data needed. The study establishes, that patriarchy environment, especially one with the classic model of ‘breadwinner father, housewife mother’ creates a pressure on women to bear more household responsibility. Thus, the dominant gender ideologies are entangled with ‘motherhood mandate’ and ‘superior feminine virtue’ that is associated with the reason women left the labour force. It was equally necessary to point out here that other agents of socialization such as media, peers and education played its part as well and influenced the respondent’s conformity to patriarchal values.