AVOID CONFRONTATIONAL STANCE, SAYS MINISTER

By Muin Abdul Majid

DUBAI, Jan 16 (Bernama) -- Efforts to enhance women's participation in
leadership roles as well as other sectors of society must be done on the basis
of consultation if they are to succeed, said Women, Family and Community
Development Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen.

She said that adopting a confrontational stance would not be the way to go.

"It's important in all cultures that women's movements working towards
greater participation, should not lean towards a confrontational platform
because if this is the case, then nobody will win.

"The men will feel threatened, the women will find it more difficult (to
move forward). So it's very much about negotiations, consultations," she told
Bernama here.

Dr Ng was in Dubai to represent Malaysia at the just-concluded first Arab
Women Leadership Forum 2009, billed as the first forum of its kind in the region
held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
vice-president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and ruler of
Dubai.

The minister said she came away from the conference feeling encouraged by
the level of enthusiasm, excitement and energy of Arab women in their quest for
more voice and leadership roles in their respective societies.

The event was organised by the Dubai Women's Establishment in collaboration
with the Dubai School of Government as the knowledge partner.

Dr Ng gave credit to Sheikh Mohammed for his commitment towards women's
progress in his country.

"The UAE, especially Dubai, understands fully its dependence on foreign
resources, especially in terms of human resources, in its development efforts. I
believe the ruler himself and the community see the necessity to develop every
single resource, be it women or men," she observed.

Dr Ng reckoned that the women here saw the necessity to take up leadership
roles in order for them to have a voice in the mainstreaming of national
policies.

"But of course we are very honest to say that we need champions in all these
efforts, especially in very traditional cultures where men need to understand
that women's development is national development, women's development unleashes
the potential in women," she said.

According to her, conference participants raised pertinent questions about
work policies that could facilitate women who would need to balance multiple
roles as they weaved their way through difficult paths.

The Malaysian minister viewed women's progress as something dynamic, a
process that was very much affected by culture, tradition and religion.

"This is something for each culture to analyse and to face up to it
honestly, and to have a very honest appraisal and take whatever steps deemed
necessary. A lot of grey areas will come in," she said.

Dr Ng said the participants found the Malaysian model to be interesting as
women's development in the Southeast Asian country of 27 million was taking
place in the context of different social and religious backgrounds as well as
legal practices.

The conference, she said, had opened up doors for further interaction
between UAE women's establishments and Malaysian partners that could only be
beneficial to both sides.

"I believe that Malaysian women can play a very big role in various economic
and social development in Middle Eastern countries and the world," she said.
-- BERNAMA