Previously I would've been the first one to say no to the requirement of having 30% women at Federal and State legislative levels. A thread.
I did not occur to me then how patriarchy is so entrenched in societies across the world that we instinctively think of a male candidate to fill in cabinet post.
It slipped my better judgement that because of societal expectation that women must primarily take care of children and domestic work, and coupled with the negative thinking about providing flexibility, women are held back from acing in public and political sphere.
The prevalent narrative is, women must put same hours as men, when the latter does not face the same societal expectation. And it's not just the hours, in many other aspects, the male is the comparator and regarded as the 'norm'.
And so these thinking and stereotypes, whether consciously or subconsciously, get reinforced through the policies and laws we make. A vicious cycle created. Most women remain outside political and public life, when what they lack is the right support.
30% is not about providing crutches. It's about changing the deeply entrenched patriarchy that's in the system and mindset. It's about pointing out hidden obstacles to women's participation. It's about representing and relating to the other half of the rakyat, the women.
Think of how different some media covers a male and a female politician. Think of how women politician are always restricted to 'soft areas' like women's issues to focus on. Think of how a woman's movement is restricted when the street is unsafe. These are the hidden obstacles.
We've heard a male MP made a remark to a female MP that she 'leaks' every month. Does he face that kind of remarks from fellow MPs? No. We hear comments from a man to a woman in a professional meeting, that she is very beautiful. I repeat. In a professional meeting.
Hearing about these remarks are enough to make you squirm. It's exactly these remarks that discourage women to truly participate in the government. Sad thing is, many think it's funny or that women should take it as a compliment. That, my friend, is patriarchy in action.
This toxic environment needs to stop. If we think "Oh no need to require 30%. We change mindset through more education and more campaigns." It's 2018, seriously. And we are still where we are now.
Okies, done dakwah lols. No really, this is a friendly reminder to me, as much as it is to others. Ramadan Kareem everyone.
