PETALING JAYA: "It's not a man's world," says Beaufort lawmaker Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun as she calls for a mandated 30% women's representation in the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara, as a way to reform the Parliament.

       This is because out of the 222 MPs elected following the 14th General Election in 2018, only 41 were women, far from the 30% threshold of female participation as decision-makers, said Azizah.

       "There are those who say, 'Azizah, this is a man's world'. In other words, there is no place for women.

       "I don't agree with this. I say the world is for both men and women.

       "For that reason, I'm urging for the participation of more women in politics and decision making," she said.

       She said that the participation of more women in politics and decision making is not only for the sake of gender parity but to also ensure that women's issues and needs will be fought for and paid attention to.

       "Many issues should be raised (in Parliament) but were not, perhaps due to fear of not garnering support.

       "In line with the aim to reform Parliament, I would like to propose that at the coming general election, at least 30% of the Dewan Rakyat seats be filled by women.

       "I would also like to suggest that 30% of the Dewan Negara should also be women," she said in reply to a question by Fuziah Salleh (PH - Kuantan) in Parliament on Tuesday (Sept 14).

       Fuziah had asked Azizah if she agreed that the Elections Act should be revised to include a provision that enabled proportional representation of women in the Dewan Rakyat, to which the latter had said, "I agree 100%."

       Azizah also called for the government to ensure that every committee formed had at least 30% female participation.

       "I would also suggest for female representatives to be appointed to the National Recovery Plan committee to ensure that women's issues and needs are taken into account in crafting the plans," she said.

       Earlier, Azizah had urged all Federal Ministries to grant more projects to female-led firms, as they were often sidelined.

       She also said that to ensure the participation of more women in the workforce, there is a need for the government to come up with a solid support system that would enable them to work while also playing their roles in their families.