Tomorrow, a sea of purple power will sweep across plains and cities, not in Malaysia alone but all over the world as we stand together to celebrate women this International Women’s Day.
With a trailblazing theme “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights”, women from all walks of life are banding, standing together with sisters all over the world to demand for the rights of women to be defended, safeguarded, honoured and protected, at home, at the workplace, in education institutions, in public spaces and in the political arena.
Many notable initiatives had been taken under the 21-month stint of PH being in power compared to the 6 decades of a decadent Barisan Nasional rule. The Ministry for Women, Family and Community Development had worked tirelessly to collect views, feedbacks and opinions from everyone on the improving the lives of women in Malaysia, encouraging more women to come back to the working world, more childcare centres in Government agencies, drafting of bills that will serve to protect and safeguard women from all walks of life in Malaysia, on equal wages, on the conferring of citizenship to foreign spouses and their children, on safeguarding and protecting children from being victims of sex predators through simple videos, the sex offenders list and many more.
I applaud and support the 5 reform points as stated by Women’s Aid Organisation to improve women’s rights in Malaysia, namely the Sexual Harassment Act, Anti-Stalking Laws, Paternity Leave, Protection Against Discrimination in the Workplace and the Gender Equality Act.
Even before I was an elected MP in the Opposition in 2013, conversations on these bills or policies had been raised in the Parliament and by civil societies outside the fringes of Parliament as a constant reminder on what we needed to do in terms of progressive reforms for women in Malaysia, and I had followed through by constantly highlighting them to the then Government. A lack of political will, the need for urgency and a desire to see an end to misogyny, patriarchy sexism and targeted racism based on gender.
Pakatan Harapan and women CSOs, armed with political will took a giant step in the right direction to see the agenda of gender equality be put on the national agenda.
UN Women, this IWD, calls to mobilize to end gender-based violence, economic justice and rights for all, sexual and reproductive health rights, action for climate justice, technology innovation for gender equality and feminist leadership amongst many.
Women in Malaysia today have a bigger voice and greater representation as they had finally seen a Government in PH that puts their issues, the challenges and demands from family, society and nation that they have to face under the 21-month Pakatan Harapan leadership at the centre stage of policies and laws. These amendments
Women have the right to be treated as equal citizens in Malaysia as enshrined by Article 8 of the Federal Constitution which is “(1) all persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law and (2) Except as expressly authorized by this Constitution, there shall be no discrimination against citizens on the ground only of religion, race, descent, place of birth or gender in any law or in the appointment to any office or employment under a public authority or in the administration of any law relating to the acquisition, holding or disposition of property or the establishing or carrying on of any trade, business, profession, vocation or employment.
Having stated that, I call upon the leaders of Perikatan Nasional to set aside political tussles and to rise above yourselves to continue the reform agenda of Pakatan Harapan as a way forward to safeguard, defend and protect the rights of women and children in Malaysia.
Women’s rights must be viewed as human rights and we all have a role to play to protect and defend it at all cost.
“I find it poor logic to say that because women are good, women should vote. Men do not vote because they are good; they vote because they are male, and women should vote, not because we are angels and men are animals, but because we are human beings and citizens of this country.” – Louisa May Alcott.
Women’s rights and gender equality MUST take centre stage in 2020.