GOVERNOR General Sir Patrick Allen says more women should become involved in Caribbean politics and entrusted with leadership roles in order to soften the harsh and aggressive view of politics in the region.

"Our politics has sometimes been too muscular, too aggressive, too lacking in compassion, empathy and balance. It has been scientifically confirmed that greater gender balance in politics and greater empowerment of our female parliamentarians would work wonders in addressing these deficits," he said.

Sir Patrick was speaking at the opening of the 37th Caribbean, the Americas and the Atlantic regional conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston on Monday.

Fifty delegates from 13 Caribbean countries attended the two-day conference which is being held in Jamaica for the second time.

The conference is being held under the theme "Low citizen confidence in governance: How can the parliamentarians build trust in Caribbean legislatures?"

Issues on the agenda for discussion by the parliamentarians included the distribution of scarce benefits; raising integrity levels among Parliamentarians; the adequacy of Parliamentary sittings; the balancing act between constituency representative, party loyalist and national legislator; accountability to the people; and codes of conduct.

The governor general also encouraged the parliamentarians to make better use of the Internet in communicating their activities to their constituents.

"Parliamentarians can issue regular reports on their legislative actions and issues raised by them and they can use the Internet to solicit views and create forums to communicate ideas," Sir Patrick said.

Also addressing the conference, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller acknowledged that all over the world fewer people were voting in elections while at the same time more people were expressing political resentment and apathy through traditional and social media, and called on her fellow parliamentarians to play a role in inspiring confidence in the electoral process.

"In that conversation, it cannot be assumed that all wisdom resides in the legislature. Our voting publics have become wiser; far more demanding and are better informed. We cannot claim that the fault lies with them, it is their interest that is paramount," she said.