Wrong for Penang to drop women, gender exco portfolio, says NGO

The Women's Centre for Change (WCC) has expressed its objection to the removal of the women and gender portfolios as part of the Penang government's restructuring of the state executive councillors' responsibilities.

"We are concerned that they are no longer specifically named as they are now incorporated under the new and wider portfolio of social development.

"We believe that women and gender should remain as separate portfolios," said the WCC in a statement today.

The WCC was reacting to an announcement by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow that exco portfolios were restructured to ensure a more effective state administration during the Covid-19 outbreak.

As part of the restructuring, the portfolio of Padang Lalang representative Chong Eng was redesignated from women, family development, gender inclusiveness and non-Muslim affairs to social development and non-Islamic religious affairs.

"The creation of specific portfolios within government is no minor matter. It is a direct reflection of the priority given to the issues involved and serves to reinforce the visibility of these portfolios in public consciousness and perception.

"Portfolios function as an important platform and rallying point for public discourse and multi-stakeholder collaboration," said the WCC.

It reminded the state government that women make up half the population and that gender issues are a constant concern.

"Women and gender should therefore be named as specific portfolios which apply across all aspects of social development.

"It is for this reason that many countries have these specific portfolios, including South Korea (Ministry of Gender Equality and Family), India (Ministry of Women & Child Development), and the Philippines (Philippine Commission on Women)."

The WCC lauded the government for its efforts to promote gender equality and women's development.

"The state government set up the Penang Women's Development Corporation, institutionalised gender-responsive budgeting, implemented a gender inclusiveness policy, gathered sex-disaggregated data, and to this day continues to push for greater women's representation and participation in leadership and decisionmaking."

Nonetheless, it pointed out that the representation of women in the state exco was low - Chong Eng was recently joined by Norlela Ariffin, making two women out of 11 in the Penang exco. The number of women councillors in the entire local government was also said to be well below 30 percent.

"We still have a long way to go towards achieving full gender parity. Ironically, by subsuming the women and gender portfolio under social development, we risk diluting the visibility and impact made to-date," it said.

The WCC reminded the government that the Covid-19 pandemic had affected women disproportionately.

"Domestic violence has increased sharply, and women are the vast majority of victims. Economic gender gaps have intensified. Women, many of whom are in informal and low-income groups, shoulder the greatest burdens.

"Now, more than ever, is the time for us to zoom in on women and gender issues," it said in calling for the government to reinstate women and gender as a priority portfolio.

Last Wednesday, Chow said that several exco portfolios were amalgamated and rebranded while others were replaced to highlight new focus areas.

He said the new list would be effective on Sept 15 (today).

 - Mkini