Let women become assemblymen, says Upko

SANDAKAN - United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) Women's Movement proposes women be given the opportunity to be appointed as assemblymen.

Upko Women Chief Mohina Ronnie Sidom said the government should take into account women's role in the development of a state through the preparation of quotas for women as policy decision-makers.

She said even though the total involvement of women in several employment sectors reached over 30 per cent, but was still given fewer opportunities to become policy decision maker.

"In politics for example we see the women's movement wing as very active, from small matters such as preparing food to becoming vote appellants and other roles bringing success for the party.

"It could be said that women were the backbone of the election campaigns, but the question of positions in the party in the levels of the village, state, state assembly or parliament, women were always sidelined," she said in a statement on Friday.

The Kinabatangan Upko Division chief said more women should become policy decision-makers in the country because many laws or policies relating to women must be given attention including child citizenship, sexual harassment act and domestic violence-related issues.

"The government would need to create a programme or budget for women in the country's development plan, but it must involve women in the process of budgeting, program planning and implementation.

"We want the full participation of women in order to empower the role of women in this state," she said.

She reminded women in this state to support women elected as leaders.

"The main challenge we always hear when women become leaders is the lack of trust in the capabilities of the woman even if they were on par or better than men," she said.