Even in politics, women are ‘second-class citizens’

SHAH ALAM - Gender roles between men and women have been contextualised from society into the political parties.

Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) Associate Professor Dr Ummu Atiyyah Ahmad Zakuan said the current gender roles were still seen as traditional.

"It was where women had to perform all the domestic suites and men who go to the public realm.

"So that gender role we can see that’s why women are being burdened by doing houseworks, and these gender roles are being translated operationalised, contextualised into the political party,” she said.

In this sense, it explained in the parties, women were still observed as the second-class citizens and followers.

She said this during Sinar Daily’s Relatable "Is 30% of Women Enough or Too Much?” talk show along with two other panellists, Project Fearless Founder Nurul Ashiqin Shamsuri and Sarawak Volunteers Exco Asima Safina Zaidi.

The topic discussed was whether there were no conclusions and achievements of the 30 per cent women’s participation in politics.

Ummu further added women in politics were told to do menial tasks compared to the men such as visit the sick and conduct community engagement.

"You are not being looked at as a leader and some party’s activities could be from Borneo to peninsular Malaysia, women are actually asked to visit the pregnant, sick, and then recite yassin.

"Those non-challenging tasks or not constructing into a leadership capacity.

"That is one, the gender role from home assigned in society being contextualised into the political party,” she said.