BY: SALIZA ELYA

There are compelling reasons why women should join the political fray, as the country has been witnessing a transformation, as more women are now quickly filling quotas created for them in different disciplines.

Women outnumber men in the electoral roll, however, they only constitute 13.5 percent of candidates in the 15th General Election which is a crying shame as many Malaysian women are beginning to show their mettle.

The statistics are appalling according to the Election Commission as of the 21,173,638 registered voters for this general election, 50.3 percent or 10,622,151 are women and 49.7 percent or 10,511,487 are men.

Prior to the dissolution of the 14th Parliament last month, it was notable for those championing gender equality that only 14.86 percent or 33 women Members of Parliament accounted for the 222 seats in the assembly.

This means that Malaysia is missing the mark of 30 percent women expected to hold political power which is the global standard on women’s involvement in political and public life much to the dismay of many Malaysians.

Political analysts say there was a need for political leadership and party policies to ensure more women participate in government and politics to uplift the country’s overall agenda for women and not just within a political party.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE

** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher