Still long way from 30% women in key posts quota
PETALING JAYA: It has been more than six decades since Malaysia achieved independence, and over a quarter century since the country pledged to remove all forms of discrimination against women.
Yet, they continue to have very little say in how the country is run.
Of the 222 members in the Dewan Rakyat, the country’s highest legislative authority, there are only 33 women, accounting for only 14% of the total.
The likes of former minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz and her predecessor Tan Sri Aishah Ghani are the exception rather than the rule.
A sociologist and a political analyst have attributed the sorry state to factors such as culture and the lack of opportunities.
Dr Nor Azlili Hassan, an expert in gender issues, pointed out that women can do as well in politics as they have in the civil service and the private sector if they are given the opportunity.
“If the Securities Commission (SC) can push for companies to ensure greater gender diversity in senior management and board positions in private companies, the same should be done for politics,” Nor Azlili, who is a lecturer at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, told theSun.
The SC announced last week that women now account for 25.5% of all board positions in the private sector. The civil service is even further ahead. As of 2017, women already accounted for 35.6% of top management level positions.
Nor Azlili said that to take gender and women’s issues to the forefront of policy making, it is important that women be strongly represented in politics.
She claimed that numbers have also been fudged to give the impression that more women are being considered for political positions.
For instance, in the 2008 general election, there were claims that the number of women candidates had risen by 40% to 120. “What was not explained is that there was also an increase in the number of seats in Parliament,” she said.
The reality, she said, was that women made up only 8% of the candidates in that general election.
“Malaysia ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in 1995, yet we have not honoured that obligation,” Nor Azlili said.
She attributed the dearth of women’s representation in politics to the social construct that is influenced by culture, custom, eastern values and religion that have shaped thinking in Malaysia, particularly in regard to gender roles and positions.
“The patriarchy system is largely to be blamed for this lack of support for women in politics. There is the mentality that women are inferior to men, defining women as weak and less important.
“The woman is therefore confined to domestic roles, to look after the welfare of the family,” she added.
However, Nor Azlili pointed out that leadership is not influenced by gender.
“Leadership qualities are acquired through learning, training and experience, although in some cases, it comes naturally,” she said.
Political analyst James Chin agreed that there are not enough women leaders in the Malaysian political spectrum.
“Many years ago, the government made a pledge to have a 30% quota for women in decision-making positions. Yet, we have still not reached that goal,” he told theSun.
“Besides culture and religion that are setting women back, the bigger issue is that women are not given the chance to lead.”
“When you are not given a chance to begin with, then your true potential is dimmed,” he pointed out.
“The question that lies unanswered is whether Malaysian men will give way to more women. The way things are, my opinion is that we have a long way to go. Malaysian men are extremely conservative when it comes to women and they are unwilling to give way,” said Chin, who is a professor of Asian studies at the University of Tasmania.
He added that even parties such as PAS and Umno, that have very strong women wings, have been unable to meet the 30% quota.
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