Disruptive Asia | Women Disrupting Politics in the Region
VIEW EVENT DETAILSHow are women shaping the international agenda and disrupting politics in the region? How does society benefit from an increased female political participation and how can we reduce the gender gap in politics?
Although women’s political participation has improved significantly in the past two decades, the World Economic Forum estimates that it will take 145 years to attain gender parity in politics. On average, the presence of women in politics is at its lowest in Asia and the Pacific, as illiberalism and COVID-19 consequences roll back past gains. But while it can be challenging for women to enter politics, there’s no shortage of talented women who are willing to do so.
In celebration of International Women's Day, Asia Society Australia warmly invite you to join three of these women and explore how they are disrupting politics in the region. Through the shared stories of Hannah Yeoh, Member of Parliament of P117 Segambut and former Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development in Malaysia, Zoe Daniel, Independent Candidate for Goldstein Victoria, and Wai Wai Nu, Founder and Executive Director of the Women’s Peace Network, we will delve into the challenges of being a woman in politics and discuss the increased need for and impact of championing female political empowerment. The discussion will be moderated by Emma Connors, South-east Asia correspondent for the Australian Financial Review.
Date: International Women's Day, Tuesday 8 March 2022
Time: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. AEDT
Venue: Zoom Webinar
Please note this event will run as a webcast only. Registration is essential. For any enquiries, please contact [email protected]
Video
About our Speakers
Hannah Yeoh, Member of Parliament of P117 Segambut and former Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development in Malaysia
Hannah Yeoh is the former Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development. She is also the current Member of Parliament for P117 Segambut, a parliamentary constituency in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur which she contested for in the historic General Elections of 2018 as a Pakatan Harapan candidate. She was the Speaker of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly from 2013-2018, making her the first woman Speaker and the youngest of any legislative body in Malaysia. Prior to her election into Parliament, she served two terms in the Selangor State Legislative Assembly as the State Assemblyman for the constituency of N31 Subang Jaya (2008-2018). She holds a Bachelor of Laws and was a practising lawyer in Australia and Malaysia before venturing into politics.
Zoe Daniel, Independent Candidate for Goldstein, Victoria
Zoe Daniel has spent almost three decades on the front line of news and current events, in Australia and internationally, living and working in some of the most challenging environments in the world. She translated the election of Donald Trump for Australians and has brought insights from Southeast Asia, Africa and the Americas home, illuminating key global events.
Zoe is a three-time foreign correspondent and former ABC News United States Bureau chief. She was based in Washington DC from late 2015 until the end of 2019 and was one of the few journalists who saw the rise of Donald Trump coming. While in the United States, she travelled to 44 states and territories from Alaska to Puerto Rico.
Zoe was the ABC’s South East Asia correspondent from 2009 to 2013 and provided on-the-ground coverage of stories ranging from major political events to natural disasters including civil unrest and political protests in Bangkok, the reform process in Myanmar and the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. Between 2005 and 2006, Zoe was the ABC’s Africa correspondent.
Zoe has reported on politics, conflict, famine, natural disasters, plane crashes, terror attacks, mass shootings, repression, economic collapse and poverty across the world in countries as diverse as the USA, Mexico, Venezuela, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Burma, Vietnam and Vanuatu. She has met and interviewed displaced people, refugees, soldiers, voters, businesspeople, women and children and families, prime ministers and presidents.
Zoe grew up in Tasmania and began her career in journalism as a radio producer in South Australia. She then reported on rural issues in New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria before becoming a business reporter and then a general reporter working across the spectrum of ABC News and Current Affairs programs.
She is the author of Storyteller, which provides a personal insight into her life as a foreign correspondent while juggling a family, and Angel, a novel for young teens about Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
Zoe’s latest book, Greetings from Trumpland, with colleague Roscoe Whalan was released in March 2021. In November 2021, Zoe was announced as the Independent candidate for Goldstein in the upcoming federal election. Zoe currently lives in Melbourne with her husband Rowan, children Arkie and Pearl, and golden retriever Tully.
Wai Wai Nu, Founder and Executive Director, Women’s Peace Network
After seven years as a political prisoner in Burma, Wai Wai Nu emerged as a prominent voice fighting for equal rights and democracy. In 2013, she founded Women’s Peace Network.
Since then, she has tirelessly fought against the political oppression, violence and genocide that’s plagued women, youth and marginalized communities, especially those from the Rakhine State. Her continued peace building efforts have earned her national and international recognition. Wai Wai Nu received her bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Yangon in Myanmar, and obtained her master’s degree in law from the University of California, Berkeley.
Emma Connors, South-east Asia correspondent, Australian Financial Review
Emma Connors is the South-east Asia correspondent. She was editor of the Perspective and Review sections.
Lena Duchene, Program Manager, Asia Society Australia
Lena Duchene joined Asia Society Australia in January 2020. As program manager, she drives Executive Briefings, the organisation’s curated events presented by diplomats and business leaders from the region, and supports the work of the Asia Society Policy Institute in Australia. Since 2021, Lena also leads the annual Asia Briefing LIVE Forum and this year’s edition of Disruptive Asia, focused on women and girls.
Disruptive Asia is a thought-leadership project by Asia Society Australia launched in 2017. It presents – through long-form essays – new perspectives and policy recommendations on how Asia’s rise is impacting Australia’s foreign policy, economy and society and how Australia should respond. Disruptive Asia deliberately looks at both external aspects of Australia’s relationship with Asia (foreign policy, business connectivity, international education) and their domestic implications and manifestations (community relations, leadership diversity, education settings and capabilities).
Asia Society Australia acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government.