SEREMBAN: Wanita PKR chief Fadhlina Sidek has highlighted the sexist remarks and double standards that women in politics experience on a regular basis.
The education minister said she is constantly faced with multi-layered challenges at both party and ministry levels and had to deal with sexist comments from the general public as well.
Speaking at the Wanita Question Time forum here last night, she pointed out that male politicians do not get asked the same questions about their personal life as their female counterparts.
“The question that people always ask me is, ‘As a busy minister, who takes care of your husband?’ ‘Who is taking care of the kids?’ ‘Who is getting them clothed?’,” she said.
“Male politicians never get asked this.”
The Nibong Tebal MP stressed that women politicians must have a supportive ecosystem to counter the constant undermining that women leaders face about their ability.
“In the context of leadership and politics, it is crucial for us (women) to have allies, especially an ecosystem of women politicians who can be our comrades,” she said.
“If there is no such network, it becomes very challenging for us to navigate through life as a woman in politics.”
Meanwhile, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar said the country is heading towards a “lost boy generation” due to the high number of women enrolled in universities.
The former Permatang Pauh MP said the 80% female enrollment rate in universities would lead to more men taking up jobs in the gig economy or pursuing careers in TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training).
Nurul Izzah said that if the situation persists, it would create a wage gap between men and women that could potentially impact marriages.
“When they finish studying, who will get the bigger salary? Women. This will cause a crisis in marital relations and in other aspects too,” she said. - FMT
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