INTERNATIONAL Women’s Day in Malaysia is a mockery if the country’s leadership fails to protect the safety of women, activists said.

They urged whichever party that forms the next government take a firmer stand on violence against women.

They said women who spoke up for human rights were being attacked, while sex education was necessary at all learning institutions to teach youth violence against women was wrong.

Social activist Marina Mahathir said the authorities need to address the culture of violence towards women who fought for women’s rights, especially Muslim women.

“The authorities must change this attitude. Women make up 50% of Malaysians and voters. We do not need things like Year of Women Empowering which is just empty talk,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

Former Bersih 2.0 chairman Maria Chin said violence against women needed to be solved in a person’s early years, at school and university level with comprehensive sex education.

“(Teach) sex education at all schools and universities. It is an important to change mind sets towards violence,” said the long-time activist, who recently announced her intention to contest in the 14th general election.

Women activists such as Marina, lawyer Siti Kassim, moderation advocate Noor Farida Mohd Ariffin of the G25 group, and National Human Rights Society president Ambiga Sreenevasan have been on the receiving end of rape and death threats for speaking up.
 
Environmental activist Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil said Malaysia lacked an entity at government level dedicated to protecting women.

“We need a woman’s voice that does not have any political agenda, does not side anyone or has personal interests but can instead provide sincere help.

“We need a department to take the lead to help women overcome bullying, cheating and the use of identity in a business.

“Can the government provide all these?” said the Pertubuhan Pelindungan Khazanah Alam Malaysia (Peka) president.

Lawyer and activist Fadiah Fikri said besides violence, there were other social justice issues that affected women, such as salary, health, welfare and other forms of oppression.

She said what oppresses women would ultimately have an adverse effect on the whole society.

Increasing women participation in politics was also an area where Malaysia was making slow progress.

Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism executive director Cynthia Gabriel said women should participate in every level of politics, including in policy making.

“There are usually too many men in politics. Women leaders, whether in politics or in the public service, should also be honoured and given recognition.

“In the next elections, they should not just talk about quotas for women but also access to education, access to information for women and remove discrimination against women who hold high positions,” Gabriel said.

Meanwhile, student activist Jean Vaneisha Ravindran  said for women to thrive in politics, sexist remarks have to stop.

“Members of Parliament should not use sexist language. Such comments should never be used against women and women parliamentarians,” she said, recalling remarks used by Umno MPs in the past against opposition women politicians. – March 8, 2018.