KUCHING, Oct 14: The 15th General Election (GE15) will probably see an increase in the number of women leaders to empower women’s political representation and gender equality.
Political analyst, Professor Datuk Dr. Jayum Jayan said political parties and coalition are aware in fulfilling the 30% female representation, as the current representation stands at 14% as disclosed by Women, Family and Community Minister, Datuk Seri Rina Harun.
“There is a fair number of women leaders from the Chinese and Malay community. We have yet to see one from the Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu community.
“I think it is a high time for them. Since women nowadays are educated and experienced in the world of politics,” he said this during an interview on TVS Nightline.
As such, speaking on experience, there is a growing recognition of enhancing women’s participation in electoral processes which are aimed to decision-making decisions, notably in government.
However, Jayum pointed out that the number of female leaders representation has never exceeded 15 per cent with the highest being in 14.86 percent in the Dewan Rakyat, 11.42 percent in the Senate and 11.57 percent in the State Legislative Assemblies since independence was achieved 65 years ago.
Hence, the role of women in political parties is therefore a key determinant of their prospects of political empowerment.
He added potential women candidates should be more aggressive on the ground, staying in touch with the grassroots level as much as possible.
“They can do so by listening to their aspirations and identifying different needs. Such a strategy is proven useful and may influence the voters in their respective constituencies to secure the people’s support.
He further stressed that the potential candidates should address and champion the people’s needs and interests based on the issues that are affecting the voters in their respective areas.
“For instance, voters in Sri Aman, Lubok Antu and Samarahan slightly differs in terms of their needs and wants. These are local issues but are slightly different,” added Jayum.
He also urged candidates who are contesting in the election to refrain from making unrealistic promises during the campaign period and focus on ways to improve the service deliveries. – TVS
