Hostile political environment a hindrance to boost women representation in Parliament
Source: The Vibes
MALAYSIA must urgently increase women’s participation in Parliament after falling behind several Middle Eastern and African countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Rwanda, the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat has said.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul noted that women currently make up only about 13 per cent of Malaysia’s Members of Parliament, well below the national target of 30 per cent and far behind international benchmarks.
“Today, the percentage of women Members of Parliament in Malaysia is only around 13 per cent,” he said.
He contrasted this with other countries, pointing out that “the UAE exceeds 30 per cent, Rwanda has reached 50 per cent, and Saudi Arabia has achieved 30 per cent representation in the Shura Council”.
Johari said the shortfall could not be separated from the hostile political environment faced by women, particularly in the age of social media.
MALAYSIA must urgently increase women’s participation in Parliament after falling behind several Middle Eastern and African countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Rwanda, the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat has said.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul noted that women currently make up only about 13 per cent of Malaysia’s Members of Parliament, well below the national target of 30 per cent and far behind international benchmarks.
“Today, the percentage of women Members of Parliament in Malaysia is only around 13 per cent,” he said.
He contrasted this with other countries, pointing out that “the UAE exceeds 30 per cent, Rwanda has reached 50 per cent, and Saudi Arabia has achieved 30 per cent representation in the Shura Council”.
Johari said the shortfall could not be separated from the hostile political environment faced by women, particularly in the age of social media.