Although domestic violence is not exclusively a crime against women, women constitute a significant percentage of those individuals experiencing intimate partner violence. In Malaysia, women represent three-quarter of the victims.
The latest figures given by Deputy Home Minister Masir Anak Kujat on domestic violence in Parliament on March 10 shows that a batterer is empowered by his victim’s financial dependence, making housewives and unemployed wives the largest victim group of domestic violence.
And the story does not end there. Research has further showed that financial instability is one of the greatest reasons why a woman who experiences battering has limited choices and may ultimately acquiesce to her partner’s attempts to reconcile. As long as the victim remains financially dependent upon her abuser, it is exceedingly difficult for a woman who experiences intimate partner violence to put a stop to the batterer’s control over her.[1]
Unemployment not only renders a woman more vulnerable in a relationship, but it also increases the risk of domestic violence. In 2014, 2333 or 47% of the suspects were unemployed. The number increased to 3286 or 64% in 2015. At the same time, the unemployment rate has increased from 2.9% in 2014[2] to 3.13% in 2015[3].
It is undeniable that there is a strong direct association between economic stress and domestic violence. While it is imperative for Home Ministry and AG to improve the conviction rate for domestic violence cases, as I mentioned in my press statement dated March 10, 2016, our government must also step in and make available the resources necessary to guarantee stability and safety for families who face the sudden loss of rice bowl. At the same time, Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development must strengthen social welfare programs to appropriately meet the needs of battered women and their children.