THE Parliament must lead the way in promoting gender equality in the country, said Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto.

She said MPs, especially her male counterparts, have non-toxic and more gender-sensitive debates in Parliament.

“It’s about leadership at end of the day, and when the leaders show that they don’t practise discrimination, it will trickle down to the ground,” she said after appearing on a panel for one of the sessions at the Asia Regional Conference on “Women’s Political Leadership: Creating Positive Change” at the Parliament building today.

The second-term MP, who is no stranger to being verbally bullied in the House, said that she has been heckled numerous times, including being called names like “pendek” (short) or “budak sekolah” (school kid) by some of the male MPs.

“Male MPs who talk down to and bully female MPs, and utter unparliamentary remarks, are the reflection of representation of their constituents.

“Are you going to talk down or say these same remarks to your constituents?” she said.

Kasturi said she looked forward to healthier and non-toxic parliamentary debates and less insults hurled at female MPs in the next session.

She also hoped that more male MPs would participate in debates to support issues affecting women in the country such as child marriages.

“On women’s issues, we (female MPs) normally stand together and support each other.

“So when male MPs come onboard and speak about women’s issues, it helps to frame the issues well so that they don’t look like purely women’s issues and only women are talking about them.

“For instance, when male MPs speak against child marriages, it sends a strong message to the people on the ground, particularly men who married underage girls,” she said.

The chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee for Rights and Gender Equality, Nor Azrina Surip, said jeering and hurling provocative words and insults at female MPs in the Dewan Rakyat had lessened and was under control currently.

“Awareness among the male MPs of their female counterparts’ right to raise their voice on issues is increasing and they have started to respect that right.

“Normally, when a woman MP is debating and there are signs that she will be jeered or insulted, the other female MPs and some of their male counterparts reprove such acts and diffuse the situation,” said the Merbok MP, adding that she had personally experienced being on the receiving end of ungentlemanly behaviour in the House.

Nor Azrina said there was a need for greater women’s participation in Parliament for their voice and views to be heard by various parties, while gender equality must be proven with actions. – Bernama, February 18, 2019.