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Women contribute greatly to the nation’s development and wealth yet their
voices and concerns remain a low priority where decision-making is
concerned.
Women are marginalised within development plans. Their contribution is
often perceived as secondary and supplementary. Discriminatory practices,
policies and laws often put women in very vulnerable situations.
Many women face abuse in their lives. Most women are found in the largest
number in the lower rungs of any organization. Women are discriminated in
various areas such as in their wages, promotions, work environment.
Women form half the population and 54% of the voters in the country, yet
are very poorly represented in Parliament. Consequently, their concerns and
needs are also very poorly represented in decision-making processes.
While there have been some positive gains for the women’s movement, these
gains have been few and slow to materialise. Political parties thus far
have not consistently supported, raised or struggled on the issues of
women.
Perhaps the women in Parliament have tried but for whatever reason, the
results have been lacking despite the active lobbying done by women’s
groups.
Many women’s groups, NGOs and individuals working on women’s issues want to
see women’s concerns get political representation without getting into party
politics. A party candidate would primarily be committed to many other party
issues and the primary focus of a party candidate would not be women’s
issues.
The WCI and the Candidate
The Women's Candidacy Initiative would provide space for this form of
political participation. The independent women’s candidate would focus
national attention on women’s issues and encourage the issues to be taken
seriously by all, whatever their political affiliations may be. The
candidate would not only be the representative of the rakyat in the
constituency, but would ensure that women’s issues are actively promoted on
the national agenda.
The quality of governance will be greatly improved by someone who is able to
consistently convey the aspirations and needs of women in Malaysia.
The objectives of the Women’s Candidacy Initiative (WCI) are to:
increase the awareness of the general public about women’s concerns and
needs regarding more equitable attitudes, policies and laws
promote the participation of the general public, especially women, in
decision-making and electoral processes
support women into decision-making positions and to hold office in the
democratic process, in Parliament and in the Government.
In keeping with these goals we are pleased show our support for and to launch the independent’s women’s candidate.
We therefore, have great pleasure in announcing our women’s candidate for
the coming elections, Zaitun Kasim.
Zaitun is a prominent woman activist. She is currently the vice-president
of and a key spokesperson for the All Women’s Action Society (AWAM). She
received her tertiary education in Australia in Economics and Computer
Studies and after that, worked for six years with Community Aid Abroad, a
grassroots-development aid organisation in Australia, aimed at poverty
eradication and strengthening civil society.
She has a total of 10 years' experience in social movements for poverty
eradication, women’s issues, human rights and sustainable development. She
is also involved in disabled people’s issues and environmental issues
including sustainable transportation.
Zaitun has conducted numerous talks, interviews and trainings on issues
relevant to women and youth. She is also member of Sisters in Islam and
one of the founding members of a fledgling group called Forum for Equitable
and Environment-Friendly Transport (FEET).
If elected, she will represent the voices of the women’s movement in
standing for justice, democracy and good governance for everyone and at the
same time, place special focus on women and youth. We know that her
activist background gives her the experience to become a capable advocate
for the people of her constituency.
The great hope for a better Malaysia is when all of us take seriously our
responsibility and our rights to actively participate in political processes
in the country. What we are launching here today is part of that hope.
The launching of an independent women's candidate is a move which is timely;
after many years and considerable progress for women’s concerns, we also
recognise that while pleased with the progress, it has often been slow and
painful in materialising.
We must never forget - despite active lobbying by women’s groups - the
number of years it took for the Domestic Violence Act to be passed, and of
the many other laws and policies we still need to change or address.
Most of our MPs have so far largely failed to fulfil their promises on
women's issues. Many have simply lacked the commitment to dedicate
themselves towards making a difference.
If we had a representative in parliament whose main justification for being
elected is that she will raise the issues, the questions, the reminders and
the statistics at the very heart of our democratic process, then, Malaysian
women will not just be speaking from the margins but is able to articulate
from the centre.
The WCI and its goals, as well as the candidate standing on a platform for
a better Malaysia FOR ALL, with a special emphasis on redressing the many
problems which arise because women do not have equity or because of
discrimination against them, is a HUGE step in the history of Malaysia.
Our initiative and our candidate IS a huge step for both women and men in
building a nation where all prosper in every sense of the word, for men and
women are but components in a symbiosis; one cannot be whole without the
other, one cannot flourish if the other is abused, one cannot prosper if the
other is lesser or poorer.
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