Women's Forum Singapore 2024

MCA

Maria Chin Abdullah

Former Member of the House of Representatives of Malaysia

Description

In May 2018, Maria became a Malaysian Member of Parliament after winning the Petaling Jaya constituency seat. She was the former Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group, Malaysia for Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDGs) in 2018 and Deputy Chair from 2021 - 2022. She was also a member of the Parliamentary Caucus on Reform and Governance till January 2020 and a member of the Majlis Perundingan Keharmonian Rakyat (MPKR –Consultative Council for People’s Harmony), set up by the Minister of National Unity and Integration 2018 - January 2020. Maria is a women’s rights activist and has been involved for over 30 years, playing a key role in advocating for gender equality. Her work is grounded with the realities of marginalised communities, low-income women and indigenous communities. She is a strong advocate for women’s political participation, and institutional reform. She was one of the founding members of the All Women Action Society (AWAM) and EMPOWER, which are both active in defending women’s human rights. She was also the Chairperson of Bersih 2.0 for free and fair elections from 2013 to 2018. Just before the Bersih 5 rally, Maria was detained without trial under Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA) for 11 days in solitary confinement. Maria hails from Kampar, Perak, went to Assunta Secondary School in Petaling Jaya, Selangor and obtained a BSc in Applied Economics from the University of East London, and a MSc in Urban Planning from the University of London.

Session featuring this Speaker

Find here the list of the session featuring this speaker!
All sessions
Plenary
Jun 20, 2024
5:25 PM6:05 PM
Online

The successes and challenges of modern feminist diplomacy

Maria Chin AbdullahFormer Member of the House of Representatives of MalaysiaNoeleen HeyzerUnited NationsFormer Under-Secretary-GeneralMarise PayneWestern Sydney UniversityProfessor of Practice International Relations and Public PolicySharon TongThe Media ConsultantsManaging Director
Description
Feminist diplomacy applies a gendered lens to all political pursuits, including poverty reduction, sustainable development, peace and security, defence and the protection of human rights. How do educational inequalities impact the success of these political objectives? How can gender-based violence be prevented and eliminated at policy level? What are the most effective ways of diffusing the need to learn about and from feminist diplomacy?
All sessions
Loading