The Asia Peace Initiatives Department of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) in collaboration with the
Academy for Gender Parity recently welcomed Maria Chin Abdullah, longtime civil activist and current member of the Malaysian parliament, for an online discussion entitled “Why I chose to become a parliamentarian: From civil action to national politics.” This webinar is part of the annual training for aspiring women politicians arranged by the Academy for Gender Parity, which this year has been moved online.
Ms. Chin has spent decades working both inside and outside of government to empower women and marginalized communities in Malaysia while also championing political and electoral reform with the Bersih movement. She drew on this wealth of experience for this online event to provide advice to the next generation of politicians seeking to bring about social change.
Dr. Atsushi Sunami, president of SPF, welcomed the speakers and audience to the virtual session by reflecting on the foundation’s longstanding efforts in cooperation with the Academy for Gender Parity to provide training for women seeking to enter politics, with the ultimate goal of bringing fresh perspectives into the political dialogue.