Activist calls for budget funds to help single mum, poor women

 

The Women’s Aid Organisation has called for RM360 million to be spent to tackle domestic violence and shelters for women. (Reuters pic)

PETALING JAYA: A human rights activist has called for single mothers and women in the hardcore poor to be given a focus in next year’s federal government budget.

Irene Xavier of Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor said one-off allocations were not enough.

The 2023 budget should include funds for the education of their children and subsidise the upkeep of their households, she said. Each single mother should be given an allocation which takes into account the number of people she supports.

“The government should also have a scheme that tops up the wages of working single mothers to meet the minimum wage of RM1,500,” said Xavier.

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The Women’s Aid Organisation called for a RM152 million budget allocation to tackle domestic and gender-based violence, RM190 million to build more shelters for women and other needy people, and RM25 million to train frontline case officers.

The organisation said incidents of domestic and gender-based violence had “skyrocketed” over the two years of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The allocations would allow for an increased number of social workers and child protectors to be employed, at a rate of 1,000 a year for four years, and for training of frontline officers, such as police officers and medical officers to handle abuse, sexual assault and other gender-based violence (GBV) cases.

Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah said the government should provide funds for women to gain knowledge, skills and financial support in both the formal and informal sectors to help improve their economic standing.

“Give them value-added knowledge and skills so they can upscale their economic status.” - FMT