PETALING JAYA: When women make up about half of the Malaysian population, there should be more women in Parliament as lawmakers to promote gender equality, say activists and rights groups.
“Fifty percent of the population are women, yes? (Yet) we have men deciding on (matters from) custody to citizenship to child marriage. We are such a patriarchal society,” said Yayasan Chow Kit founder Datuk Dr Hartini Zainudin.
She said like many countries, Malaysia also sees women under-represented in political leadership positions.
Adding more women lawmakers can address societal imbalance and promote gender equality, she added.
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“Women bring different perspectives and experiences to policymaking, which can help ensure that policies are fair and equitable for all citizens.
“Women's health and well-being can be improved by having more policies which address issues like maternal health, access to contraception, and gender-based violence.
"Having more women in parliament who prioritise these issues can help ensure that such policies are put in place,” she said when contacted on Wednesday (May 24).
She was commenting on Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri’s remarks in the Dewan Rakyat that Malaysia has almost achieved its target of 30% women leaders in the top 100 public-listed companies.
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However, Nancy said on Tuesday (May 23) that this target may not be achieved soon in the Dewan Rakyat unless both sides of the political divide work towards this goal.
There are only 30 women MPs out of 222 in the lower House, a mere 13.5%, against 29.7% of women in board of director positions in public-listed companies nationwide.
Dr Hartini said women's participation in the workforce is crucial for economic growth and development and when given equal opportunities to participate in politics and governance, they are more likely to be empowered economically as well.
The prominent activist said it is crucial that women's voices are heard and their perspectives included in policy making.
Meanwhile, former Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) commissioner Associate Prof Dr Nik Salida Suhaila Nik Saleh said it is important to have a significant number of women legislators to avoid procedural systems and legal formalities that are patriarchal in nature.
“The legislation process must take into account both men and women's point of view because laws are legislated for all and no one will be left behind,” she said.
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However, she said meeting the 30% quota for women legislators in the august House could still be a long shot.
“There is still a long way to go. If there is no systematic effort done as a national agenda and... (the) political will, we might not meet this number even until 2070,” she said.
All Women's Action Society (Awam) information and communications officer Amanda Shweeta Louis said a key factor in the lack of political representation is the persisting structural barriers hindering women's political participation.
She cited deep-rooted gender biases and stereotypes that often undermine women’s credibility and keeps them from being taken seriously in the political landscape.
She said this can be seen in the allocation of party resources and machinery during elections as well as the portrayal of women leaders in the media.
“It took the nation more than 20 years to pass the Anti-Sexual Harassment Bill last year. The 30% target was established at the Beijing Platform for Action in 1995 and having women develop leadership in various industries at the rate of 30% should not take 28 years.
"We have had at least five elections since 1995 but even in the last one, not many parties put forth 30% of women as candidates,” she added.
She said overcoming these barriers to transform societal norms, challenge the power dynamic, and create inclusive political spaces requires collective action and a conscious effort.
She added that it is important to fulfil the to 30% quota in the Dewan Rakyat to foster a dynamic, diverse and robust political landscape.
