Women leaders want more than a quota
Source: The Star
PETALING JAYA: The debate on the 30% quota for women’s political representation has gone on long enough. What is needed is a strong pipeline to produce many capable female leaders, say women politicians across party lines.
The country “cannot afford to wait” for women to naturally rise in a political system that has long excluded them, they say.
Although on different sides, they all agree that 30% should be the minimum benchmark, not the goal.
Umno supreme council member Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said it was disappointing that the 30% quota introduced in 2004 was still being discussed two decades later.
The former Women, Family and Community Development Minister said that during her tenure, the Constitution was amended to include “gender” in Article 8(2), enabling gender discrimination audits in laws.
She pushed for the 30% quota policy in politics and lobbied for 30% female representation in the Dewan Negara and also election candidates lists.
PETALING JAYA: The debate on the 30% quota for women’s political representation has gone on long enough. What is needed is a strong pipeline to produce many capable female leaders, say women politicians across party lines.
The country “cannot afford to wait” for women to naturally rise in a political system that has long excluded them, they say.
Although on different sides, they all agree that 30% should be the minimum benchmark, not the goal.
Umno supreme council member Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said it was disappointing that the 30% quota introduced in 2004 was still being discussed two decades later.
The former Women, Family and Community Development Minister said that during her tenure, the Constitution was amended to include “gender” in Article 8(2), enabling gender discrimination audits in laws.
She pushed for the 30% quota policy in politics and lobbied for 30% female representation in the Dewan Negara and also election candidates lists.