WOMEN representation for leadership roles in the public sector has reached 38%, Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff said.

She said the figures were based on last year’s statistics from the Public Services Department to show women’s involvement in the government.

As for the private sector, she said that there is 25.8% women representation as board members in 100 companies.

“The ministry supports any move to increase women’s involvement in leadership as well as decision making roles,” she said in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Siti Zailah was replying to Nor Azrina Surip (Merbok-PH), who questioned the ministry’s effort to institutionalise and increase female representation in Parliament as well as its systemic long-term plan to ensure that the target of 30% female representation is achieved.

The Rantau Panjang MP said that currently women’s representation in Parliament stood at 15%, which is 33 out of 222 seats.

She also said that Dewan Negara has reached 15% women representation, with eight out of 53 current members being females. Seventeen positions are vacant.

Siti Zailah said efforts to bring in more women representation into politics is the responsibility of respective party leaders.

“They (party leaders) must show the importance of female representation in politics.

“We hope the party leaders won’t just field (women) candidates to fill the quota, but win seats.”

She added that ministry is currently carrying out various activities to get more women involved, where to date 95,000 females had participated in 178  programmes. – September 29, 2021.