Women-only seats mulled to boost political representation

By the Editorial Team · Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Malaysia is exploring the introduction of women-only political seats and reviving a stalled bill that would require parties to nominate at least 30% female candidates in elections. These measures, coupled with leadership training programs like the Women’s Leadership Apprenticeship, aim to address gender imbalances and boost women's participation in governance.

Malaysia is considering the introduction of women-only seats as part of ongoing efforts to increase female political representation, according to Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development. The proposal is being reviewed as the government examines strategies used internationally to enhance women’s roles in decision-making positions.

Nancy addressed the matter in response to a question from Datuk Seri Zaliha Mustafa regarding the revival of the Gender Parity in Political Representation Bill, which has been stalled since 2018. The bill, initially proposed by the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Women, Children and Community Development, would mandate political parties to field at least 30% women candidates in general and state elections. Its chairman, Yeo Bee Yin, emphasized that women’s representation in politics remains below the desired threshold and that the legislation aims to close this gap.

As part of the bill’s framework, a Gender Parity Committee would be established, alongside the utilization of existing Election Commission structures. An incentive-based funding mechanism is also proposed to encourage political parties to nominate and successfully elect more women candidates. However, Nancy noted that progress on this front will likely remain a challenge without stronger backing from political party leadership.

“We can see quite clearly that this is not easy,” Nancy said, highlighting the complexities involved. Nonetheless, she affirmed the government’s commitment to continuing efforts to enhance women’s presence in politics and studying international experiences to identify effective measures.

In addition to legislative efforts, the government is advancing programs designed to develop female leadership skills. Among these is the Women’s Leadership Apprenticeship (Perantis) programme, launched in 2024. The initiative offers training and mentoring opportunities to women, enabling them to build leadership capabilities and demonstrate their potential in political and community roles. Since its inception, Perantis has supported 5,369 women, with 125 prominent participants involved in last year’s training cycles.

The combination of policy proposals and development programs reflects a multi-pronged approach aimed at addressing persistent gender disparities in Malaysia’s political landscape. The government acknowledges the challenge but remains focused on creating pathways for greater female participation in governance.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.