Govt urged to boost women MPs

The government should help increase the number of women in parliament to promote gender equality, a forum was told recently. Advocates for greater gender equality at the political level spoke at the “International Women’s Day: Breaking the Barrier to Women in Political Leadership” forum, organised by the British and Canadian embassies, and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.

Purawich Watanasukh, a researcher from King Prajadhipok Institute’s Politics and Governance College, said increasing the number of women in parliament will affect legislative processes surrounding gender equality. The more women MPs in the House, the better the chances of discussions on gender equality, which could lead to more gender inclusivity, he said.

“Rwanda and Argentina, for instance, reserved seats for women in their parliaments to encourage debates on equality and…