Editorial: Women to the fore

NST Online » Columns
2008/03/01

A fictitious Mak Bedah was introduced as a polls candidate by the Women's Candidacy Initiative on nomination day, a symbol for the activist group's call for more female representation in parliament.
WCI's efforts in highlighting the dearth of women MPs are certainly praiseworthy for they serve as a timely reminder of how their numbers have never gone beyond one tenth of the total number of representatives in the highest legislative body in the country.

For even though women constitute almost half the country's population and more than half of the electorate - the ratio was 55:45 in the 2004 election - there were only 23 women MPs, less than 11 per cent of the Dewan Rakyat in the last parliament. Based on statistical proportions alone, it would be good democratic practice to have more women in the house.

A higher representation may also translate into a stronger push for women's issues to be heard and addressed. There remains ample room for improvement in this regard as according to two recent surveys, members of parliament hardly address women's issues related to, among others, healthcare, legislation and working environment.

While there are slightly more women candidates vying for seats this coming general election, the fact remains that traditional gender roles continue to impede the participation of women in politics. They are stereotyped as supporters rather than leaders.
The traditional attitude that family is a woman's priority has caused generation after generation of women to think that domestic and public leadership are domains marked only for men. Other basic structural constraints that impede women from taking part in politics include access to political funds, inadequate range of political networks as well as the lack of cultural and political support.

Indeed, much more needs to be done to increase women's participation and representation in politics. One measure that can fast-track their participation in politics is a quota system, whether through the reservation of seats for women or the creation of a formal electoral quota.

Countries with a high participation of women in politics usually have certain quotas imposed. However, over and above all that, the change has to first come from within. Political parties often find it tough to find qualified women candidates to field for elections owing to the real and perceived difficulties and challenges faced in male-dominated frontline politics. Women themselves are reluctant to elect another woman, or offer themselves for election.

Consequently, even more crucial than a change in male attitude is a major adjustment in the way women perceive their roles. Women must stop thinking of themselves as followers and take the lead.