6 Female South-Asian Candidates to look out for in the upcoming election
With the 2022 Federal election less than 3 weeks away, it’s more important than ever for all people of voting age to be aware of the candidates we’ll be voting for at the ballot box.
As noted in past articles, despite the fact that our system of governance is meant to be a representative democracy, it’s been noted by many that the current make-up of our federal government is not particularly representative or reflective of what Australia looks like today.
Here’s a list of the South-Asian women candidates from the 3 major parties.
Candidates for the House of Representatives (or the ‘Lower House) for the 2022 Federal Election
Rachel Jacobs (GREENS) Grayndler, NSW
Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah (LABOR) Higgins, VIC
Cassandra Fernando (LABOR) Holt, VIC
Zaneta Mascarenhas (LABOR) Swan, WA
Mira D’Silva (LIBERAL) Maribyrnong, VIC
Surbhi Snowball (LABOR), Flinders, VIC
In future elections, I look forward to seeing more states and territories represented on lists like this one. However, considering just how slowly our more established institutions take to adopt change maybe we shouldn’t be too surprised.
A recent report by Raise Our Voices Australia, ‘Where are the Young Women?’ found that although “94% of respondents agree that it’s important for a government to be diverse … [v]ery few respondents believed they are represented in political spaces.”
This is why the women included in this list are so important to the progress and development of our country. In a time when it’s been highlighted again and again that women aren’t treated with equal dignity, fairness or respect in Australian politics, it takes courage and the strength to be part of our democratic processes – and it’s why their inclusion in the ballot should be celebrated.
It’s also a reminder that more needs to be done by the Government and all major parties to ensure that our federal Parliament is a safe place for everyone, especially young women of colour, whom it seems to have failed the most.
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