Why do we need more women in Parliament?

In the 2023 state elections in Malaysia, 71 women stood as candidates out of 570 candidates in total. Coming from a variety of political parties, these candidates were contesting across the 6 states of Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu, and Kedah. Women candidates only comprised of 12.5%, which remains a far cry from the elusive critical mass of 30%.

Participatory democracies cannot be truly participatory without the equal participation of women. Because women make up half of the population, their voices and experiences are essential to making decisions that affect everyone (Didi, 2020).

When women experience equal representation in legislatures, they tend to raise and champion issues concerning women and girls, such as childcare, healthcare, and violence against women, as well as hold governments accountable for their commitments to gender equality.

Women's Underrepresentation in Malaysian Parliament

In the years leading up to the elections, the number of women leaders in Malaysia has been disappointingly low. In particular, the percentage of women leaders in parliament has never surpassed 20% in the 66 years since Malaysia's independence, despite a substantial pool of educated and skilled women in the country.

National Council of Women's Organisation (NCWO) president, Professor Emerita Tan Sri Dr. Sharifah Hapsah, observed how some nations have fulfilled their mandated targets for women leaders in parliament by taking affirmative action to create opportunities for women to lead.?

Dr. Sharifah called on Malaysia to "step up" in maximizing its resources to stay competitive and highlighted mentoring to ensure women’s preparation to assume leadership positions in their respective parties. Women's wings in political parties must also adopt a "women help women" approach, where women are seen as allies rather than competitors (Teoh, 2022).

Stereotypes and harassment

Women in politics face more challenges than their male counterpart would due to gender stereotypes. As women are typically expected to be warm and agreeable, they are less associated with "masculine" leadership traits such as being assertive and competent (Liu, 2019). More alarmingly are the levels of gender-based violence candidates have to face, which include sexist comments and sexual harassment from both the public and fellow male politicians. This alludes to a much wider and deeply rooted problem within society where women are not seen as equals.

Gender-responsive Politics

Political accountability to women begins with expanding women’s representation and responsibility in decision-making positions. It is also critical to have gender-sensitive governance reforms that will provide elected officials with the tools and resources they need to strive for gender parity in public policy and ensure its implementation. According to UN Women Asia and the Pacific, gender-sensitive governance reforms can include:

• Ensuring that women have equal access to political participation.
• Addressing the systemic barriers that prevent women from running for office, such as the lack of childcare and financial resources.
• Making public institutions more gender-responsive by ensuring that the preferences and requirements of men and women are taken into account in policy formulation and implementation.
• Holding elected officials accountable for their commitments to gender equality by establishing mechanisms to monitor and evaluate the progress of initiatives.

Conclusion

Without accelerated action, it will take until 2063 for women to achieve equal representation in national parliaments. Despite the challenges, there is still hope for achieving gender parity in national legislative bodies. By taking steps to increase women's representation, strengthen political accountability, and promote gender-sensitive governance, we can make progress towards a more harmonious Malaysia, aligned with the new Malaysia Madani aspirations.

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Citations

1. Didi, Z. (2020, May 4). Why we need more women in politics. King’s College London. https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/why-we-need-more-women-in-politics
2. Facts and figures: Women’s leadership and political participation. UN Women. (2023, March 7). https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/leadership-and-political-participation/facts-and-figures#_edn17
3. Political Participation of Women. UN Women Asia and the Pacific. (n.d.). https://asiapacific.unwomen.org/en/focus-areas/governance/political-participation-of-women
4. Teoh, M. (2022, October 18). More women leaders in Parliament adds value to country. The Star. https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/family/2022/10/19/more-women-leaders-in-parliament-adds-value-to-country
5. Indramalar, S. (2022, November 16). GE15: Malaysian women's groups call out sexism in politics. The Star. https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/family/2022/11/16/ge15-malaysian-women039s-groups-call-out-sexism-in-politics
6. Kwan, F. (2023, August 4). Going beyond 12.5% women candidates in elections. Astro Awani. https://www.astroawani.com/berita-malaysia/going-beyond-125-women-candidates-elections-431317
7. Liu, S.-J. S. (2019). Cracking Gender Stereotypes? Challenges Women Political Leaders Face. Political Insight, 10(1), 12–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/2041905819838147