The role of parliamentary institutions need
to be leveraged as policy catalysts and grassroots community voices to
drive more meaningful women’s participation, said Legislative Council
(LegCo) member Yang Berhormat Hajah Safiah binti Sheikh Haji Abdul
Salam.
She said this in her presentation during
the National Parliamentary Dialogue on Promoting Women’s Political
Participation and Leadership (WPPL) at Dewan Majlis yesterday.
The event, jointly organised by the LegCo
and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), in collaboration with
UN Women and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS), began
with speeches by Yang Berhormat Hajah Safiah, AIPA Secretary General Ar
Siti Rozaimeriyanty Dato Haji Abdul Rahman, UN Women Regional Policy
Advisor Norul Huda Mohamed Rashid and Permanent Secretary (Community) at
the MCYS Hajah Nor Ashikin binti Haji Johari.
The speeches emphasised the shared
aspiration to expand women’s meaningful participation in decision-making
processes, through strengthening responsive policies, building a strong
support ecosystem and enhancing integrated cooperation across sectors.
The event served as an interactive
platform, bringing together LegCo members, government agencies, civil
society and regional partners to support the role of women in leadership
and policymaking.
The first session discussed women’s
political participation from a global and regional perspective, with a
focus on challenges in women’s participation and leadership, the
implementation of post-Beijing+30 actions and the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women General
Recommendation 40 (CEDAW GR40), as well as strengthening responsive
governance through data and cross-sectoral cooperation.
The MCYS also delivered a presentation,
sharing integrated initiatives in strengthening women’s leadership,
including current statistics on women’s participation in the country. It
also shared the role of grassroots organisations and the direction of
the Women’s Action Plan to support inclusive development and sustainable
leadership in the country.
The final session saw a panel discussion
culminating in a dialogue with panellists LegCo member Yang Berhormat
Chong Chin Yee, Dr Azrinah Rahman from the Centre for Strategic and
Policy Studies (CSPS) and Datin Hajah Dayang Masni binti Haji Mohd Ali
from the Brunei Women’s Council. The panel covered the importance of
digital skills, the need for a more responsive support structure for
leaders and the importance of strengthening the role of women in the
national development agenda.
The dialogue reflected the ongoing
commitment of various parties to strengthen the role of women in
leadership and policymaking, in line with the country’s aspiration for
inclusive and sustainable development.
(News & pic source: Borneo Bulletin)
