Dr Hafidzah affirms government's strategic focus on women's rights

SHAH ALAM - Kota Lama assemblyman Dr Hafidzah Mustakim says the commitment of the unity government has been to prioritise and address women's rights issues in the country.

This, she said was a direct reflection of the promises made by the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional (PH-BH) coalition during the election campaign, highlighting the government's dedication to continuously improve and advocate for women's rights.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the unity government is committed to addressing women's rights issues, a promise made during our election campaign.

“We are dedicated to fight for and resolve any challenges related to women's rights in Malaysia because we recognise their significance,” she added.

Commenting about the Madani government's women empowerment policies, Hafidzah highlighted the continuous need for improvement and ongoing efforts in advocating for women.

Rejecting the notion of satisfaction as it implied stagnation, she stressed the importance of extending the focus beyond women's empowerment to the betterment of the entire nation.

“This forward-looking approach highlights the commitment to drive progress and advance the rights and opportunities for all members of society, not just women.

“We are steadfast in our commitment to championing women's rights, enabling them to unlock their full potential and contribute meaningfully to our country,” she said.

Hafidzah also said the government’s commitment was grounded in data, citing the Malaysian Gender Gap Index, which assessed health, education, economy and leadership perspectives.

“Notably, in leadership, particularly in politics, Malaysia faces a gender disparity. For every ten male politicians, there is only one female politician.

“This disparity showed the importance of addressing women's issues and promoting gender equality in the political sphere, a priority for our government moving forward,” she said.

On Dec 11, 2022, it was reported that Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Aiman Athirah Sabu said "The target of 30 per cent women participation in politics was set about 30 years ago, but until now, women’s participation at the ministerial level is still low.”

"Therefore, our duty and responsibility at the ministry are to find a way to increase women's participation in politics, whether through additional empowerment programmes or changes in policies or systems required to support the idea," she said.