PENANG recorded 343 domestic violence cases last year, a majority of them in the Northeast district.

State Women and Family Development, Gender Inclusiveness and Non-Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Chong Eng said according to police statistics, 112 cases were reported in the said district, Seberang Prai Tengah (86), Seberang Prai Utara (61), Seberang Prai Selatan (48) and Southwest (36).

Of the total cases, 332, or 96.7%, involved female victims, she said.

“However, these numbers might not reflect the actual situation in our community. We believe that for every one case reported, there could be five to 10 cases that go unreported.

“Studies have shown that domestic violence occurs because of inequality between men and women. Many still hold the ‘traditional’ view that women are not equal to men. When one feels superior to or has no respect for the other, that is when domestic violence occurs,” she said in a statement today.

She said the state government will organise programmes on gender equality to empower women as part of efforts to prevent them from falling victim to domestic violence.

Educating society on gender equality can be a positive start to intervention initiatives, she added. – Bernama, April 24, 2020.