Kuala lumpur: The panellists-Yong Bazilah Abu Bakar of PKR's women's wing; Anis Afida Mohd Azli, head of Parti Amanah Negara's (Amanah) young women's wing; Kasthuriraani Patto, DAP international secretary; as well as representatives from the opposition parties-agreed there was still a need for women's wings in political parties in order to achieve 30 percent female participation in political leadership and decision-making.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, despite Malaysia being a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and adopting the goal of having 30 percent of women in decision-making processes in the Ninth Malaysia Plan (2006-2010), the country has failed to meet this target. Currently, only 13.5 percent of Members of Parliament and 12.2 percent of state assemblymen are women, a drop from previous terms, raising concerns about political will and structural barriers.
Women's wings, created to support political parties at the grassroots level, are seen as both necessary and limiting. While they provide safe spaces for nurturing leadership, they also risk becoming silos that reinforce marginalization. Prof Datuk Noraida Endut from USM stated that the existing conceptualization of women's wings doesn't adequately integrate women into the mainstream.
Lee Min Hui, a former policy analyst at ISIS Malaysia, highlighted that these structures create bottlenecks for women's advancement, forcing them to compete internally for visibility. This results in a shortage of mature political talent and hinders young female talent development.
At the forum, MUDA secretary-general Nurainie Haziqah pointed out the challenges posed by patriarchal mindsets, even as MUDA fielded 50 percent female candidates in past elections. Experts identify gender norms as a root cause of Malaysia's low female political participation and emphasize the need for societal change and gender-responsive policies.
An alternative approach to quotas is setting an upper limit on men's political representation, but experts like Lee doubt its acceptance. Additionally, Prof Wong Chin-Huat identified the reluctance of male incumbents to retire as a barrier to women's representation, exacerbated by the First Past The Post electoral system.
Dr Siti Aminah Muhammad Imran noted the 'Queen Bee Syndrome' as a barrier, where women see each other as rivals. However, data suggests that female candidates have slightly higher win rates than their male counterparts, indicating that electability is not the core issue.
Experts like USM's Zaireeni emphasize that Malaysian voters prioritize parties over candidates, suggesting that women stand equal chances if parties are willing to field them. However, party structures often limit visibility and experience for female candidates.
Despite challenges, some parties have made strides toward gender equality. PKR and DAP have institutionalized 30 percent female representation, while MUDA boasts 44 percent female representation. However, other coalition parties lag behind.
Ultimately, the relevance of women's wings hinges on their evolution. If they transform into integrated, policy-driven platforms, they could become engines of change. The forum concluded with a call for genuine power-sharing and male allies' support to shift from symbolic inclusion to real empowerment.