Women’s Leadership Rights According to Feminist Thought and Its Implications on Women’s Political Participation in Malaysia

Abstract

Women's leadership has been a central topic in feminist discourse for the past few decades. Feminists believe that women have the same rights to lead and participate in politics as men. However, the political reality in Malaysia indicates that women's involvement in politics is still limited and does not reflect the proportion of women in the country's population. Thus, this article discusses the concept of women's leadership rights from a feminist perspective and its implications for women's political participation in Malaysia. This article is based on content analysis and primary sources that form the basis of this writing are the famous works of scholars in this field. The main issues discussed in this article are (i) the history of feminism in Malaysia (ii) factors influencing the political development of women in Malaysia; and (iii) the implications of women's leadership rights according to feminist ideologies for women's political involvement in Malaysia. The research findings show that women have the same rights to lead and participate equally in politics and serve as a balance in decision-making. However, there are discrimination, gender stereotypes, and cultural factors that limit women's political involvement in Malaysia. Therefore, awareness and education about women's rights in politics need to be enhanced to provide more women with the opportunity to play an active role in the Malaysian political process. In conclusion, this study contributes to the understanding of the concept of women's leadership rights according to feminist thought and its implications for women's political involvement in Malaysia.