Johor Isma Women and Community Bureau chief Dr Nur Farrah Nadia Najib's posting on Wanita Isma's website said, "A high income nation must not rely on women as the major contributor but men should lead the workforce and put their biggest effort in shaping the nation”.

Does this Isma leader want half of our population to stop working and stay home to raise children? Is she asking half of our workforce to quit working today?

Based on the statistics provided by the Department of Statistics, as of 2011 almost 50 percent of our workforce are female and it decreases significantly from the age group of 35-44 years. The highest Labour Force Participation Rate for males was in the 35-44 age group, whereas the rate for females was in the 25-34 age group.

If we are to agree with Isma, who will replace that 50 percent of our workforce? With that sudden high unemployment rate, how would that make Malaysia a high income nation?

Whether she realised it or not, Dr Nur Farrah’s statement is discriminatory against women. She was implying that women’s participation in our workforce would stunt the nation’s growth towards high income nation.

Perhaps she doesn’t realise that Malaysia had ratified the United Nation’s Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (Cedaw) in 1995, an international human rights treaty that focuses on women’s rights and women issues all around the world. This means our government has given full commitment to fulfil, respect, protect and promote the rights of women in our country.

It is a state’s obligation to subscribe to the articles of the convention and must report to the Cedaw committee on measures taken. The state must respect women’s rights by not enacting discriminatory laws or engage in discriminatory practices and repeal discriminatory laws.

The states is accountable for discrimination against women by identifying discrimination (this is not as easy as we thought), preventing and prohibiting discrimination, and providing redress. The state must impose sanctions against discriminatory acts, promote women’s rights and equality through proactive measures and accelerate de facto equality.

The state has the obligation to implement temporary special measures to accelerate women’s equality and address historical discrimination.

Women at a disadvantage

This is important because the nature of our patriarchal system has put women at a disadvantageous position. Therefore the state must address this issue by implementing suitable policies. Other examples of temporary special measures include reserving some seats in decision-making for women. If women makes up about 50 percent of the population, women must be represented in decision-making positions so that their interests will not be left out.

When it comes to gender equality, the DAP as the political party for all Malaysians - regardless of gender, race and religion - is practicing what it’s preaching. Recently the DAP amended its constitution to ensure 30 percent quota for women in its central executive committee to empower and encourage women.

It’s not about the quota or the number, it’s about striving towards equal representation. It also reflects the DAP’s commitment to promote our women to be on par with our male counterparts.

If Dr Nur Farrah is really serious about the progress of the nation, she should know that women and men working together, with equal rights and dignity, can help make Malaysia a high-income nation. But more than just a high income country, we in DAP also strive towards a free, democratic, multiracial nation where every citizen respects one another’s faith and belief.

Having said that, I urge Dr Nur Farrah to reconsider her involvement with Isma which is obviously doing what it can to undo progress in shaping the nation, jumping from one discrimination to another, from attacking other people’s religion and race, and now going into gender discrimination.

DYANA SOFYA MOHD DAUD is political secretary to YB Lim Kit Siang, MP of Gelang Patah.