Malaysia Calls For Inclusivity As Standard In ASEAN Urban Governance

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has urged Southeast Asian countries to make inclusivity a standard in urban governance through the newly-launched ASEAN Urban Women for Resilience and Transformative Sustainable Actions (AURORA) initiative.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa said even though women make up half of the 680 million people living in ASEAN’s urban areas, yet their representation in decision-making bodies remains disproportionately low.

"In some ASEAN local councils, women hold fewer than 20 per cent of seats. This imbalance affects the way cities prioritise issues such as safety in public spaces, access to childcare and the design of transport systems that meet the needs of families and the elderly.

"AURORA addresses this by fostering a culture of leadership that is more inclusive and responsive. It brings together cities across ASEAN to strengthen women’s participation in governance while improving the quality of urban policies and services for all residents," she said during her speech at the “A Women-Led City Initiative In ASEAN AURORA: ASEAN Urban Women For Resilence And Transformative Sustainable Actions“ forum held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here.

The forum was attended by representatives from ASEAN member states, city leaders, civil society groups and regional partners.     

Zaliha also stressed that cities led with active female participation tend to adopt policies that are more responsive to residents’ needs such as integrating community safety, social wellbeing and economic development.

She added that Malaysia’s own experience with gender-responsive planning across more than 83 local authorities had improved safety in public spaces, enhanced transport accessibility and ensured infrastructure meets the needs of all citizens, guided by feedback from women, seniors, persons with disabilities and caregivers.

Under the AURORA initiative, ASEAN member cities are encouraged to adopt a voluntary framework that includes setting targets for women’s representation in leadership roles, conducting regular safety assessments of public spaces, and improving public transport accessibility.

Zaliha said such measures would help cities monitor progress, learn from one another and raise governance standards across the region. 

“A city that reflects the realities of its people is better prepared for emergencies, more attractive to investors and stronger in social cohesion,” she added.

She reiterated Malaysia’s commitment to working with ASEAN partners to share best practices, build leadership capacity and make inclusivity a permanent feature of urban governance.

The launch of the AURORA initiative, was held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, here today and was attended by representatives from ASEAN member states, city leaders, civil society groups and regional partners.

-- BERNAMA