GEORGE TOWN – Another prime minister has been appointed within the last three years, but there remains no sign of a woman ever taking on that top job in the near future, observed Penang Social Development Committee chairman Chong Eng.
The Padang Lalang rep noted at the Penang Women’s Conference launch yesterday that male lawmakers in Penang dominate the political landscape with a whopping 85% representation, compared with only 15% female legislators in the state assembly.
“The percentage of women representation in the Dewan Rakyat is also in the same range, namely 14.9%, although the percentage of women and men in the population is quite balanced.
“We need more platforms to empower women to be decision-makers in Parliament and state assemblies. Then, they can be elected as ministers and deputy ministers at the national level or excos at the state level.
“I won’t mention the Prime Minister’s Office, because that is too far-fetched for now. There is a lot to be done before we can reach that level,” she said.
Chong said that women must not shy away from politics, pointing out that the 2020 Malaysian Gender Gap Index Score published by the Statistics Department revealed a large shortcoming in political empowerment at 0.108, where as a score of 1.0 shows equality.
She also noted that the Inter-Parliamentary Union Report in June ranked Malaysia 143rd out of 187 countries when it comes to female representation in Parliament.
In Asean, only Brunei is considered worse off than Malaysia.
“This is an index we cannot be proud of. We are at the bottom. We need women not only to make decisions about women, but to make decisions with regard for children and men, too,” she said.
The DAP lawmaker said she hopes that, as this conference goes into its second year, women will have the opportunity to gain a foothold in the political arena and level the playing field.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who was also at the launch, said that the state has taken interventional measures to drive aspirations in achieving gender equality.
He promised his commitment to bridge the gender gap, adding that the establishment of the first Women and Family Development Committee in Malaysia is an effort to empower women in producing female leaders.
“In the past year, 40 female leaders have made new history for Malaysia. The success of this pilot group has also inspired other states to create special platforms for women.
“I have been informed by Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC) that the Negri Sembilan government, through the Wanita Gemilang Power House, has launched the Negri Sembilan Women’s Conference,” he said.
Chow added that Negri Sembilan will use the Penang Women’s Conference model.
The Padang Kota rep said the invitation for PWDC to share their experience is testament to the Penang’s women empowerment agenda’s success in opening eyes, as it starts to gain momentum in other states.
The conference, which was supposed to be held face-to-face in five districts in Penang, has been moved online to adapt to the rising Covid-19 cases.
Unlike the first conference held in 2020, the 275 participants will be evaluated by 15 facilitators and interact more closely with the reps and MPs of Penang.
Representatives will share experiences and will provide explanations on their areas of responsibility. – The Vibes, August 22, 2021
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