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STATEMENT BY

 

MS. SALWANA TAN SRI DATO’ MAHMOOD

PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY

MINISTRY OF WOMEN, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, MALAYSIA

 

AT THE HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT OF THE CONFERENCE ON

"WOMEN IN ISLAM: UNDERSTANDING THE RIGHTS AND IDENTITY OF WOMEN IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD"

 

 

Mr. Chair,

 

At the outset, Malaysia commends Pakistan for convening this conference. We believe it is a valuable platform to dispel misconceptions about the status of women in Islam.

 

2.         As we know, Allah SWT created both men and women as equals. Islam places emphasis in gender equality and women’s rights in every sphere of life, and that there should be no discrimination between men and women. The most revered women in Islam – Asiah, the wife of the Pharaoh; Maryam, the mother of Prophet Isa AS; Khadija, the wife of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH); and Fatima, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) – are exemplary role models of women that have played vital role in shaping Islamic history.

 

3.         Malaysia remains steadfast in advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women through constitutional guarantees as well as national policies and strategies. The principle of non-discrimination against women is outlined in our Federal Constitution. In our efforts to enhance women’s capacity and increase their role as decision-makers, the Government has introduced a policy which requires 30 percent of women to be appointed to top management positions. The implementation of this policy is monitored using the Malaysia Gender Gap Index (MGGI), in order to continuously improve the conditions of career advancement opportunities for women.

 

4.         In 2021, the MGGI recorded an equality score of 0.707. In the Educational Attainment sub-index, the achievement of women had surpassed men with a score of 1.06. The Health and Survival sub-index is almost at parity, with a recorded score of 0.96, followed by Economic Participation and Opportunity with a score of 0.709. The Political Empowerment sub-index is the lowest of all categories, as women are still lagging behind in Ministerial positions as well as in terms of representation in Parliament.

 

5.         Following the recent General Elections, 30 women legislators were elected to the Lower House of Parliament, representing 13.5 percent of Members of Parliament in the Lower House. Out of this number, 21 Members or 9.5 percent are Muslim women. There are five (5) women ministers in the current Cabinet, four (4) of which are Muslim women. Malaysia remains committed in accelerating the equal participation of women at all levels, including in politics.

 

6.         On the other hand, participation of Malaysian women in the labour force has been increasing. They are engaged either in paid employment or are employers, self-employed and unpaid family workers in all economic sectors. Recognising that there is much more that needs to be done, Malaysia has transformed its approach in boosting the labour force participation rate among women, which stood at 55.5 percent in 2022. The Malaysian Employment Act was amended last year to offer more protection to female employees. The amendment also included the introduction of provisions relating to discrimination in employment, thus providing women with more freedom to practice their faiths.

 

Mr. Chair,

 

7.         In conclusion, we must intensify efforts to tackle misconceptions regarding the oppression of women and denial of their rights to education, employment and involvement in politics in Islam at the domestic and international levels. It is important that Islamic countries demonstrate to the international community that we are able to be at par or better than other countries in protecting the rights and fundamental freedoms of women.

 

I thank you.