MISOGYNY can only be tackled through education and culture reform, said activists following uproar over news of a male teacher who made rape jokes in class and female students’ testimonies of forced period spot checks in schools.

“Schools need to introduce gender mutual respect syllabus to educate students to counter a culture that allows rape jokes,” said former Women’s Aid Organisation executive director Ivy Josiah.

She was a speaker in an online forum on “Rape Jokes – Are we anywhere nearer to gender equality?” last night, organised by Democracy Academy of Malaysia and Sisters in Islam.

Ivy said although rape jokes by do not necessarily escalate into violent actions, they nevertheless perpetuate a culture of misogyny.

“One of the problems we have is that men are raised to believe they have the right to control others and be aggressive. 

“They are taught that sex is a competition and even this culture even encourages boys to go out and have more sex to prove their masculinity.

“This toxic masculinity (is taught) through pop culture and homes. Schools are a good place to challenge this toxic masculinity,” said Ivy.

Sisters in Islam executive director Rozana Mohd Isa said Malaysia had to tackle moral policing as well.

She said this is what the reports of forced period checks on girls was also about, similar to how Muslims who are caught eating in public during the fasting month are penalised or shamed.

“The recent period-checking in schools, which is a violation of the girls’ rights, is an example where we have allowed moral policing by authorities and the public.

“In the Malaysian context, it has been taken too far and some people feel it is their right to point it out and correct another person. 

“Our society must push back and let these people know they cannot police others on how they practise their religion,” said Rozana.

Gender issues in Malaysian schools came up recently when it was highlighted that Muslim girls encountered situations where they have their periods checked by teachers. 

Another issue that made the headlines came up after 17-year-old student Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam posted a TikTok video in which she said a male teacher in her school had made rape jokes in class. 

After outing the teacher on social media, a male classmate made a rape threat against her. Ain Husniza has lodged police reports over both incidents.

Since then, Ain Husniza has said some adults have accused her of making a mountain out of molehill, and that no action has been taken against the teacher concerned by the school and education authorities.

The two issues have sparked a nationwide debate on sex education, misogyny and sexual violence in Malaysia, where such subjects are often considered taboo. – May 7, 2021.