A women’s NGO has lamented that only a few women candidates were nominated in the 17th Sabah state election, with men making up nearly 90% of those vying for the 73 seats up for grabs.
GAP Malaysia said the 71 women contesting in the state polls were a stark contrast to the 525 male candidates taking part.
It nonetheless acknowledged that this was an improvement from the 43 women out of a total of 447 candidates fielded in the 2020 state polls, or just 9.6%.
Nonetheless, it said this showcased a clear disparity in women representation in politics and called for a reevaluation of efforts to empower women in politics, particularly in Sabah.
The group said fielding women candidates must become a strategic priority for political parties rather than a cosmetic or complementary initiative.
It urged Sabahans to vote for women at the…