‘We need more female leaders’
SHAH ALAM: PKR should bolster female representation in the party, said outgoing Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin (pic).
“We can do something that is affirmative. If we do so, then more women can be put forward (as leaders),” she said.
She urged PKR to be the first political party to dedicate a 30% allocation of parliamentary seats for female contestants.
She also hoped that a 30% female representation would be incorporated into national policies.
In her winding up speech yesterday, Zuraida said that the role of women had become more prominent in PKR since the party’s inception about 20 years ago.
Out of 31 female contestants that ran for division chiefs in the recent party election, she said 17 were successfully elected.
“When I go on the ground during the party polls, I see a lot of young women being put forward as division chief.”
This, she said, should be done consciously and not happen coincidentally.
Zuraida, who is also the Housing and Local Government Minister, said the input of women was important in the development plans of the nation.
“As a minister, when I visit housing projects with officials who are males, the first place they would check is the bedroom.
“Do you know where I would go first? The kitchen,” she said, adding that male architects might not understand the needs of women when designing houses.
Zuraida also spoke about the moment when Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and Rafizi Ramli shared a hug at the PKR national congress on Saturday.
“We saw how a big brother sought out his small brother and they embraced each other,” she said.
She also urged the party not to be divided any further.