Fighting for women as an activist and a politician

MUAR: In their bid to woo voters, female candidates in the Johor election are stressing something they can fully appreciate and empathise with – women’s issues.

PKR candidate Napsiah Khamis (pic) is banking on her 20 years’ experience as a women’s activist to help her gain voters’ trust.

She has been involved in championing women’s issues including in a non-governmental organisation called Bidadari.

“The NGO has helped me to reach out to a lot of victims of abuse, women in rural areas as well as those who are in need,” she said when contacted yesterday.

She said she organised several campaigns including the “End Violence Against Women” and the “Period Poverty” campaigns, the latter of which was brought up in Parliament.

Napsiah, 42, will be in a seven-cornered fight for the Kempas state seat, against Datuk Ramlee Bohani of Barisan Nasional, Nornekman Osman (Pejuang), Nur Faizal Abdullah (Perikatan Nasional) and three Independents – Mohd Azwan Abd Rahman, Mohd Suhimi A. Rahman and Mohd Hambali Munadi.

Napsiah is among the 37 female candidates contesting 56 state seats in the election. She is also a PKR women’s wing exco member and Bidadari chairman.