Calls to increase women’s political participation in Myanmar
Myanmar has the highest number of female members of parliament it has ever had but there is a still a way to go, according to the Asia Foundation’s Paul Minoletti.
“While male-to-female ratios are the simplest way to measure equality, the numbers belie the “(in)equality of participation”, the seriousness with which representatives’ views are taken and the influence decision makers have,” he said.
Daw Nyo Nyo Thin, a former Yangon Region MP, agrees that there is still progress to be made.
“Women don’t get appointed to decision-making positions in ministries and less than five per cent of women have decision-making authority,” she said.