Women’s wing an essential stepping stone to politics, says PKR Wanita

PKR Wanita today said political women’s wings play a crucial role in providing them with a structured, supportive environment to learn, adapt, and develop leadership skills before stepping into national politics.

Reacting to a statement by Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan that women’s wings in political parties should be abolished, PKR Wanita said this perspective is detached from the realities faced by women in politics, particularly in Malaysia.

“The women’s wing serves as an essential stepping stone, equipping women with the confidence, networks, and experience necessary to navigate the male-dominated political landscape,” said Sangetha Jayakumar.

The idea that women can or should immediately enter central party leadership without these preparatory platforms ignores the realities of gendered political participation.

“In a country like Malaysia, where deeply entrenched societal norms still place disproportionate burdens on women, expecting equal participation without structural support is not only unrealistic but also dismissive of the challenges that women continue to face,” she said.

Globally, research has shown that women’s political wings, mentorship programmes, and quotas are effective mechanisms for increasing women’s representation.

According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), countries with gender quotas and structured women’s wings tend to have significantly higher female political representation.

In Malaysia, where women hold only 13.5% of parliamentary seats—far below the 30% target recommended by the UN—dismantling support structures like women’s wings would only widen the gap further, said Sangetha.

“Women’s wings are not the problem—gender inequality is.

“Instead of advocating for their removal, we should be strengthening these platforms, ensuring they serve as genuine pathways for women to rise to the highest levels of leadership.

“If women’s wings in some parties are ineffective, then the solution is to reform and empower them, not to abolish them,” she said. – March 13, 2025