ARTIKEL

Posting by Rozaini M R

Berikut adalah tajuk dan artikel asal yang telah diterbitkan dalam majalah The Parliamentarian 2008/Issue Two – Malaysia, sempena Persidangan ke-54 Ahli-Ahli Parlimen Komenwel di KLCC, Kuala Lumpur Ogos 2008 lalu (tajuk yang dikemukakan dalam majalah tersebut ialah Gender Mainstreaming in Politics – Promoting female Parliamentarians’ contribution in the decision-making process; muka surat 25 – 28):

CONSOLIDATING GENDER FRAMEWORK

IN MATURING MALAYSIAN POLITICS

- The View of a Non Status Quo

by

FUZIAH SALLEH & ROZAINI MR

54^th Commonwealth Parliamentarians Conference

Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur

ABSTRACT

We dream together for a free, safe and democratic country where women, children and families are able to feel safe and public safety is ensured. Government of the day is expected to be transparent, free of corruption, and thoroughly people-oriented in approach and governance. Establishing that vision requires that everyone involved in policy making maintains a mindset where gender framework is firmly engraved. This paper aims at discussing the current situation of gender mainstreaming in Malaysia and hence to discuss further on consolidating measures to overcoming it.

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Gender Mainstreaming or rather the lack of it has affected women’s lives and will continue to do so, here in Malaysia, as well as in other parts of the world.

Gender mainstreaming is not about women competing for power with men but an effort to explain the conditions and needs of 50% of the world population in its proper perspective. The policies regarding war, social development, education, health, children and a host of other vital human aspects and of human endeavour which gravely affects families and public in general were previously discussed without the proper perspective and inputs by women. Women certainly needed the right leadership from among themselves and to be strategically allied and active in ensuring their voice and concerns turned to actual policies that upheld justice in all its respect.

The United Nations Development Programme has defined Gender Mainstreaming as:

“…a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of…the policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated.”

The failure of gender mainstreaming would cause discrimination, lack of gender sensitivity and produced gender blindness that could devastate human dignity and integrity

In addition, the failure of gender mainstreaming in the Malaysian society has produced an unending unsatisfactroy outcome in the number of gender insensitive policy makers within the Malaysian Government. That state of affairs had prolonged gender issues and needs, to be largely ignored, misunderstood or simply not understood at all (Salleh, 2007).

The success of gender mainstreaming on the other hand would witness an immediate increase in overt participation of women within the country’s political structure and democratic process, as intended by the Dasar Wanita Negara. Such is the single objective measure of the successful consolidation of the gender framework in Malaysian politics. However, such aspiration would begin with the first milestone that must come from within party politics. Successful galvanization of gender framework within the party would certainly progress beyond party politics, particularly when the party became the chosen government by the people (Selangor experience).

The Selangor Government had elected three women in the State Government Cabinet, known as State Executive Committee Members. Between them the hey held seven portfolios. Another State Asembly Woman was elected Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly. The outcome of the results and appointments within the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat Government were the result of continuous party grooming of the women politicians. The positions given to them were based on their merit and proven record within the past eight years of political involvement; some of the elected women EXCO were involved for longer duration, in other women organisations as social activist.

2.0 GENDER CONTOUR IN MALAYSIAN POLITICS

The current Malaysian Parliament is seriously under-represented by women, where only about eleven per cent of those elected from the Lower House were women – eleven (11) from the Opposition and the rest (13) from the ruling party.

Although there is a higher percentage of women actually contested as party candidates in the last General Elections, women generally have greater difficulty in achieving success in the polls.

In the Upper House however, the number of women senators appointed are fifteen in total number (out of 57), which is about 28.07%.

The percentage for Cabinet Ministerial positions is similar. Currently there are only two full ministers out of 25 Cabinet Ministers.

The New Straits Times, March 28, 2008 stated that “Women command 10.81 per cent of the 222 parliamentary seats and 7.92 per cent of the 505 state seats, but that is only about one per cent more than in the 2004 polls, and still far from the 30 per cent target set in the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

The world average for women’s political participation is 16 per cent.”

Such low representation of women in politics proclaimed a breach of democratic principles as 50% of the country consisted of women.

Sharizat Abdul Jalil, (June 2007) the former Women Minister admitted this under representation of women; when Shahrizat, who was also Wanita Umno deputy chief at that time, said women representation at decision-making level was extremely unsatisfactory. She noted that 9.6% of members in Parliament were women, 25% in the Dewan Negara, 6.9% in state assemblies, 12.5% in local authorities while 7.6% were board members of companies in Bursa Malaysia.

“‘We have a government policy (that 30% of decision-making positions comprised women). We must remind them (the Government) and talk about it so that they won’t forget. There must be an increase in the percentage from time to time,” said Shahrizat -at a briefing for some 700 participants, including Umno information chiefs.

Shahrizat also affirms that the current state of affairs was not due to discrimination, but rather lack of affirmative action by those in power.”

(The STAR, June 24^th 2007)

It is an undeniable fact that women, who comprise 50% of the world’s population possess immense resources in experience, competence and knowledge, which were imperative elements in any decision making process, particulaary that which shaped the country’s future. Women’s involvement thus made democracy more inclusive.

It was also an acceptable fact that women more often than not gave fresh perspective or put a diverse set of opinions at the decision making process. In that respect, a maturing political nation should ensure a representation of a wide spectrum reflecting the nation’s interests and concerns. Women were usually apt in that respect, for they promote alternative and diverse set of opinions.

Women, being care givers become natural earnest promoters of building peaceful and stable societies. They tended to give more relevance to and gave proper thought and emphasis to address important soccio-economic issues that may be usually ignored.

Thus it can be extrapolated that an establishment of a critical mass of women parliamentarians involved at the highest level of decision making in policy development would mean that women and children’s interest will be protected. Related legislations and laws protecting them could also be assured.

Despite all these however, the representation of Women in policy making continue to remain low. What is the obstacle faced by women and what could be the fundamental reason for this phenomena?

Ballington and Karam,(2005) reported that “…among the political obstacles that women face, the following feature prominently:

1. The prevalence of the ‘masculine model’ of political life and of elected government bodies;
2. Lack of party support, for example, limited financial support for women candidates,limited access to political networks,and the more stringent standards and qualifications applied to women;
3. Lack of sustained contact and cooperation with other public organizations such as trade (labour) unions and women’s groups;
4. Lack of access to well-developed education and training systems for women’s leadership in general, and for orienting young women towards political life; and
5. The nature of the electoral system, which may or may not be favourable to women candidates.”

Some have survived the onslought through gathering a team, consistent and continuous training and getting resources, but the path for women in politics does not get any easier.

3.0 GENDER MAINSTREAMING- A MALAYSIAN EXPERIENCE & PERSPECTIVE

The plan for action in Dasar Wanita Negara, the blueprint for Policy on Malaysian Women describe the vision as being :

“To support and promote women’s participation in the lawmaking and executive levels in Parliament, the State Assemly , Local Government and other bodies.”

Although there had been various machanism llike the Gender Focal Point and the Cabinet Committee on Gender equality the quantitative target for women’ political involvement were still off the target of crittical mass of 30%. This dismal representation of women in the various levels of decision making is a collective responsibility of men and women and signals the failure of the government’s gender mainstreaming.

At the same time, gender insensitivity or gender blindness kept occuring, even within the august House of the Parliament. Sexist remarks used to be part and parcel of the parliament session (Star Online 13 May 2007)

The Malaysian Women Ministry on the other hand claimed that:

· Malaysia had produced a blueprint National Policy on Women which aspired to help Malaysian Women faced their challenges through education and eradicate poverty (1985)

· The Malaysian women’s status became the main objective in the 6^th Malaysian Plan (1991-1995) when a special fund was created for women development and became an impotant step toward women’s empowerment. The following Malaysian Plans gave due attention to the Malaysian women’s needs and developed their status within the community.

· In 1995, the Malaysian government had introduced the UN Convention related to eradication of discrimination against women (CEDAW)

· In 1995 the government had created the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development and it was given the mandate to facilitate women’s issues and elevating the Malaysian women’s status.

· The Malaysian Constitution was ammended in August 2001 to prevent any form of discrimination based on gender in any law.

· In accepting the terms of the 4^th Beijing Platform and the United Nations

World Plan of Action for Women (1995), the Malaysian government had

promised to

i) improve the national machinery for women development

ii) increase the involvement of women in the decision making process

iii) reinforce and protect the rights of women in health, education, and

social harmony

iv) overcome legal challenges and gender discriminatory practices

Other tactics and plan of action employed by those conscientious with gender-oriented politics in ensuring successful participation of women in the country’s democratic process were varied; notably:

· The use of intensive and extensive networking among women politicians within and outside the country and with other civil society organisations,

· Constituency building

· The establishment of inter-party women politician front

· Promoting human rights education

· Promoting gender sensitivity and gender awareness programs

· Continuing skill building and support for women candidates and women in public office

· Using advocacy as a tool and advocacy training as a means to understand and challenge inequitable societal structures

· Creating forums for women to exchange ideas and reflect on their experiences

These were serious plans of actions, which however still failed in producing the desired results Again we should ask ourselves, what was the reason for such non-performance?

I would conclude that that the major contributing factors to the lack lustre interest of Malaysian women in politics were:

· Lack of political will at the implementation stage by the present malaysian government

· Technical Incompetence : lack of ability in delivering expectations of the National Policy on Women

· Failure of gender mainstreaming

· Failure of educational system : failure to educate about gender

· Imbalanced development program

4.0 POLITICAL CHANGE MECHANISM

Party politics is said to be the symbol of patriachy as much aggressive compettition for power occurred within it. That put off many women from entering party politics for women are known to have far less political ambition.

Political parties’ main objective was always to win as many seats as posssible during elections. So, the priority was to draw on conventional values in ascertaining candidates – patronage relationships, and tokenism for women candidates. The absence of a conscious vision about gender-centric politics would naturaly spell disaster for women’s participation in party politics thus everything beyond that. Political party must be in the forefront of early efforts to realize the betterment in women’s representation in Parliament as the decision making body of the policies affecting the nation and country.

Drawing from personal political experience, women would have to assert change from within themselves initially, and only then would they be able to develop their political savvy potential and filling political positions first within the party and later outside it.

A conscious effort and plan must be in place to groom and produce quality women politicians that would be instrumental in together shaping the aspired government of the day – transparent, free of corruption, and thoroughly people-

oriented in approach and governance. Political parties need thus to allocate handsome resources, particularly in research and development to ensure a politically savvy pool of women policy makers.

It is an unfortunate phenomena, but women would have to galvanize themselves the establishment of a gender framework through gender mainstreaming within party politics before it got to be mainstreamed over the larger public. The success of gender mainstreaming would almost ascertainly ensure the required represention in vital decision making bodies in the country, particularly at the parliamentarian level.

There is an urgent need, too that gender mainstreaming include strategies to diminish power as a value in itself, so that women might be equal to men by competing not within power structures but by expressing their virtues. The idea of a balanced society, nuturing society, promoting civic consciousness, etc should become central virtues which were usually promoted more by women than men. The community at large generally expected women to champion women’s causes, However many men nowadays are ready and willing to back women up through party structure as well as other set up.

The Political Change Mechanism within the party must be a powerful lobby and possess the required competence both in training and persuasive ability to maintain the priority of gender mainstreaming in all situations and conditions. The success of the Mechanism should later be documented and shared among all women politicians regardless of political party adherence.

Women Parliamentarian Caucuses were an expansion of gender mainstreaming and in itself a gender mainstreaming mechanism within the House of Parliament. It called for a concerted effort that transcended political differences – for issues of justice were issues that touched the human heart.

5.0 TOWARDS A GENDER ORIENTED MALAYSIAN POLITICAL LANDSCAPE

The precondition of active gender mainstreaming needed to be undertaken relentlessly so that gender and related issues were understood by society, thus making huge inroads possible for women representation in Parliament and other decision making bodies at all levels throughout the country. .

Serious efforts must be made with regards to gender sensitisation programmes training. Capacity building and competency development should be a core trust of our country’s strategy in achieving Gender Mainstreaming objectives. The strength of competence can never be ignored at any time. The basic charcteristic of a Parliamentarian is that she is competent to carry out her responsibility to the utmost as member of Parliament. That underlined again a conscious vision and effort to ensure the emergence of such political women figures (http://www.accessdemocracy.org/library/2209_wp_chang_leadership2007.pdf).

Galvanizing gender framework within Malaysian politics also required extensive use of the media and information technology. The support from the public and public machinery could be quickly gained had gender mainstreaming in Malaysia made full use of the information, communication and technolgy sector.

5.0 CONCLUDING REMARKS

The obstacles women faced made the path to a critical mass of women representation in Malaysian politics a long, tedious and arduous one, and it could only be achieved with women overcoming their political handicap, proper training, numerous sacrifice by themselves and their family members as well as the support of political parties.

Earnestly speaking, we await to see gender mainstreaming being revitalised throughout the Malaysian society and thus we would hope to see a more gender-people-centred government that would engage in non-partisan politics befitting wholly and completely for the welfare of the nation. That called for a relentless political will, high technical competence, an in-depth culture of gender sensitivity and responsibility among policy makers as well as within their own political organisations. I truly believe that when THERE’S A POLITICAL WILL, THERE’S ALWAYS A WAY!

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