Chin, who is MP for Petaling Jaya, says women in general are unable to join the workforce because many still have the sole responsibility of caring for their families.
Speaking at a panel discussion by the Sabah Women’s Action Resource Group today, Maria said it is time to break and challenge stereotypes so women can participate in politics.
“I’ve spoken with women from the opposition, from Umno, and usually they are not as involved in party meetings because they need to care for their children and cook, which is not a criteria that we put on men.”
Referring to the concept of critical mass, Maria added that there is not enough women representation in Parliament, where only 14% are female MPs.
“We’ve had many discussions about domestic violence, laws about rape and such, but these issues are not lobbied so much in Parliament,” she said, adding that only women MPs have advocated these issues in the house.
Kota Belud MP Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis acknowledges that it is still a challenge to get male politicians interested in discussing issues related to women.
She urged women in political parties to speak to their party leaders and propose for more opportunities and exposure for women members to be appointed senators.
“We need to give them more opportunities and groom more women to get out there, so they won’t be ashamed to speak up,” she said.
Munirah added that there is no need to focus on setting a quota for women politicians in party manifestos, because they should be evaluated on merit and not just their gender.
Meanwhile, Liawan assemblyman Annuar Ayub Aman said that even among women, there is still a divide between those in rural and urban areas.
He said there is a need to close this gap by raising awareness on women’s political participation in rural areas, as the women in his constituency are currently more focused on family development and increasing their economic status.
“When I attend ceramahs, I’ll open the dialogue to the floor but mainly those who ask questions are men. Most of the time, women don’t talk about politics,” said Annuar.
Vivian Wong Shir Yee, who is MP for Sandakan, said it is important to acknowledge the contributions that women can bring if more are appointed as ministers.
Citing a report by the World Economic Forum, Wong noted that Malaysia has been ranked 117 out of 152 countries for female participation in politics.