Muslim women struggle to gain footing in politics
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Could a Muslim woman win an election? Judging from the experience of women in Southeast Asia, women's participation in politics is less about religion, although the religious interpretation that subordinates women also contributes to a dearth of women in politics.
Amina Rasul, Muslim scholar and former Philippine parliament member, said that regardless of religion, the mantra for anyone wanting to jump into politics is money, money, money.
"Even in the country (the Philippines) with 90 percent (of the population) Catholic, there have been Muslim female senators," she said when addressing an international seminar on Islam and political parties in Southeast Asia here on Wednesday.
The important things, she said, are money, strong backing from the palace and advertising. That was why actors often win because they are loved by the masses.
Amina touched upon her experience while running for the senate, when she campaigned about public welfare issues.
"I talked and talked about those issues. And this other candidate only said that she would be able to bring celebrities to people's villages. That was it, and she won," she laughed.
Still, politics is not a fulfilling career for women as they are still marginalized. Female electoral representation in the Philippines is only 15.3 percent, although it is higher than in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, with 9.1 percent, 10.4 percent and 11.3 percent respectively.
"The women's wing (of a political party), for instance, tends to marginalize women. It focuses too much on so-called women's issues, never on issues like agriculture," Amina said.
Tristanti Mitayani finds it rather uncomfortable being the sole woman legislator on House of Representatives Commission I for defense, information and foreign affairs.
"Most women legislators are put on commissions considered 'suitable' for women. There's no woman legislator on the commission handling agriculture, for instance," she said.
Her opinion is often ignored by fellow legislators, as well as by the media just because she is a woman.
"I really wish the commission wasn't so male-dominated. Every time I raise something, I'm always overlooked," said Tristanti.
The paternal society in Malaysia has also left many women there reluctant to participate in politics.
"The challenges is to recruit women. So, we're now campaigning to get women to jump into the political arena," said Tan Lian Hoe, chairwoman of Barisan Nasional's women's wing.
Women politicians also have a hard time juggling their political roles and their roles at home, like Tristanti who has difficulties as a single parent of three children.
Meanwhile, Chidchanok Rahimmula had so much work as an MP's wife in southern Thailand that she had to abandon her career as a political scientist and lecturer.
"But I can do more for people than I can being an academician. Right now, for instance, I work for the National Reconciliation Committee," said the British university graduate.
Women may still have a long way to go before they get a level playing field in the political arena, and the women politicians believe they have to prove their worth.
Tristanti said that instead of becoming aggressive like men, women politicians must become "real women" and accentuate their positive, feminine side while still being assertive.
Amina has a more interesting way of putting it: "You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar". That's what differentiate women from men, the conviction that confrontation is not the solution to everything.