MALAYSIA has to catch up on women political empowerment to achieve the universal standard of having 30% female representation in government, said a minister in conjunction with International Women’s Day which will fall on Tuesday (March 8).
According to Plantation, Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin, only 15.6% of the Ministers in the current Malaysian Cabinet are women while Deputy Ministers made up only 10.5%.
“With only about 15% of women occupying the 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, the country is still far from achieving the universal standard, which is to have a target of 30% female representation in government,” the Ampang MP said in a statement.
While the country has been making baby steps, she noted that there is still plenty of catching up to do in terms of women political empowerment.
“In the Johor election, we are gratified to note that 37 female candidates have been fielded, up from 28 in the previous poll. The 37 female candidates, however, only account for 15.5% of those vying for seats in the Johor legislature,” she remarked.
“In future elections, it is hoped that not just more candidates will be fielded by all political parties, but more will go on to win. It is only through political representation that the voices of women can be heard and their plights addressed.”
Zuraida went on to reflect that in her decades-long involvement in public service she had made it a point to enhance female empowerment.
In the Plantation, Industries and Commodities Ministry, for example, women make up 34% of the board members of the agencies under the ministry’s purview.
“I also encourage women political participation at all levels. I will continue to engage with the Government on ways to enhance female participation in politics and this includes looking into quotas for women such as for candidates in general elections,” Zuraida added.
“The idea is not new. Over 120 countries provide specific quotas to women either in the form of provisions enshrined in national constitutions, party constitutions or electoral laws.
“If the Government can mandate at least one female director in the boards of public-listed companies in Malaysia starting in stages from this year, surely a similar exercise can be expanded into the political realm.”
Zuraida further highlighted the need to get more women to step up and fill key policy-making and administrative decisions in the country.
“For this to happen, those concerned need to work closely with the Government to give more women a leg-up to climb the political hierarchy,” she said.
Touching on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she acknowledged that as with any wars or global catastrophes like the COVID-19 pandemic, women and children are among the worst-affected victims.
“The plight of these groups is made worse by the low representation of females in key decision-making processes around the world as for centuries many critical positions of power have been dominated by men to the detriment of not just the fairer sex but the world at large,” she commented.
“Female leaders have proven to be able to provide more empathy and relate better to stakeholders in ways that are more conducive in a world driven by strife.
“For example, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden’s handling of the terror attacks in Christchurch in 2019 won global admiration with her calm, swift and level-headed response.
“Meanwhile, ex-German chancellor Angela Merkel also showed that leadership is about having a heart and allowing humanity to triumph when she allowed refugees into her country. Politics need not always be based on cold, unfeeling calculations.” – March 7, 2022
