DISCUSSIONS will be held with leaders of political parties on increasing the participation of women in the next general election, says Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Zailah Mohd Yusoff.

       “We may take it up with political leaders on how to achieve this target,” she told a press conference at the Parliament lobby.

       She noted that all political parties want to achieve the target of having 30% of their female members in decision-making roles.

       Earlier in the Dewan Rakyat, Zailah said the involvement of women in Malaysia’s political decision-making process remains very low.

       “Based on the Statistic Department’s National Gender Gap Index 2020, the gap between men and women in politics is somewhat extreme. Women in politics scored 0.18 out of the full score of 1.0,” Zailah told Nor Azrina Surip (PH-Merbok).

       She also said women MPs made up only 15% or 33 out of the current 220 seats in Parliament.

       “It is similar in the Dewan Negara where women senators make up only 15% or eight out of the current 53 senators,” Zailah added.She said political parties must shoulder the responsibility of ensuring more participation of women in politics, including getting them to be fielded as candidates in the general election.

       “The inclusion of women should not merely be to fulfil the quota, but to win in the polls,” Zailah added.

       Nor Azrina suggested that it should be made mandatory for political parties that 30% of their candidates in the general election are women before they are allowed to take part in the elections.

       Zailah noted that women’s representation in decision-making roles in the public and private sectors fared much better.

       She added that 38.5% of the civil service members comprised women with Jusa C grade and above and are involved in the decision-making processes.

       For the private sector, 25.8% of the board of directors in 100 public-listed companies are women, she added.