Young voters want gender-balanced leadership

PETALING JAYA: Women and their concerns are not at the forefront of election campaigns and that needs to change, say young Malaysians.

‘Resolve everyday issues’: (From left) Aini Nashareen, Jasmin Mustazul, Zahirah Roslin, Yohendran and Azizulhaziq are looking for politicians with good governance.

Whether it is women’s empowerment, welfare, safety, inequalities or barriers they face – these are rarely highlighted by political parties in their campaign manifestos, said undergraduate Aini Nashareen, 22.“Political parties might include women’s concerns, but they do not campaign for them as widely as they do other issues.

“I think the first concern that can be highlighted in the manifestos is to raise the minimum age of marriage for girls,” she added.

Jasmin Mustazul, 26, said her vote will be for candidates who believe in a woman’s right to empowerment and equality.

“We must be empowered and given the same opportunities as men in every sector. Women still get discriminated against in some ways.

“Knowing that the people in power are willing to address this would boost their standing in my eyes,” she said.

With women making up more than half the electorate this year, political parties should seriously address the concerns of women, said undergraduate Ramya Ganeson, 21.

“I want a progressive government that can see the barriers women face, not just in specific areas, but how these affect their lives and those of their family.

“The lack of affordable childcare, for example, prevents women from working. This affects their family as they have to survive on less, which in turn can affect the education and health of their children.

“Empowering women isn’t enough – you need to provide support systems so they can go out and work,” said the political science student.

Zahirah Roslin, 23, is concerned about the lack of voices for women.

“Before casting my vote, I will consider two main criteria: the manifestos and the candidate’s credibility. These will help me resolve any doubts or issues that may be raised.

“However, there is very little emphasis on women issues in manifestos,” she said.

It’s not just young women voters who want our leaders to address gender imbalances – young men also echo their concerns.

Many of these first-time voters also want real economic issues faced by the country to be prioritised, while keeping an eye on social issues.

Yohendran Nadar Arulthevan feels that equal participation of women and men in politics and policymaking is important for an effective democracy and good governance.

“I want more female representatives in Parliament. Gender-sensitive women and family issues are not discussed enough by men, and I think men can and should be more involved in the discourse on these issues,” he said

He added that other issues of concern include corruption, the country’s “weak resilience against natural disasters such as floods,” and the denial of basic human rights to marginalised communities.

“Diversity and equality at schools and workplaces as well as the right to citizenship for children born to Malaysian mothers overseas tend to be ignored,” said the 24-year-old undergraduate.

Harith, 24, said that the most important issue that needs addressing would be current economic concerns such as rising interest rates and prices. He also wants women’s health issues, such as endometriosis, to be given more attention.

“I do see a lot men discussing women’s issues on social media, but I do not know whether these issues are discussed in Parliament.

“I do not care about the gender of the representatives and I am indifferent as to whether or not they are gender-sensitive. They should be ‘people-sensitive,’ in general. I only want them to be able to run the country right.

“I just want a freer country without authoritarianism or anti-democracy sentiments. I want politicians to serve the people of the nation and not the other way around,” he added.

Undergraduate Hafeq Shakirin, 22, also feels that economic issues are a main concern.

“Living in a patriarchal society, gender-sensitive, women and family issues should be discussed openly in any medium and it should not be considered a taboo discussion.

“I do not care much about the gender, race or ideology of a candidate. Whoever performs better in terms of addressing social issues and recovering economic growth, that is good enough.

“They should avoid manipulating the people for personal interest, but instead focus on improving their living standards while upholding democracy,” he said.

Azizulhaziq, 25, said more women are needed in politics to add a different perspective to discussions.

“Women and family concerns are discussed by men in some strata or group of society, but our politics is still male-dominant.

“We need female voices in politics. They provide perspectives that men would not have,” he said.