It is a global trend that women are facing more barriers in politics, notes Chong Eng, a member of parliament from the DAP and deputy chair of the Women's Parliamentary Caucus, set up last July. The caucus, which is made up of 23 women parliamentarians from both sides of the political divide, is calling for 30 percent female representation in political and administrative decision-making bodies.

Only around 20 countries have achieved the 30 percent target for women in positions of decision making - but these countries adopted certain mechanisms, says Chong Eng. ''It cannot happen naturally,'' she says. ''We need to make the parties and government realise that if they are serious about this, they have to adopt an affirmative action mechanism.''

These mechanisms could include a system of proportional representation (for instance, for every three names on a list of candidates, at least one should be a woman), quotas for women, and reserved seats in the legislatures and local councils, she suggests.

There's nothing that cannot be achieved, she asserts; it is a question of political will: "It's not just for women, it's for the good of democracy, society and humankind. Democracy means you need the views of all groups and women are definitely a group. We can't rely or depend on the views of men alone to achieve sustainable development."

"Women and men are like the wings of a bird; if one side is strong and the other weak, the bird won't be able to soar,'' says Eng.