Malaysian women continue to face barriers to bodily autonomy, study shows

 A SIS Forum survey finds that Malaysia scored just 45% on the United Nations Population Fund’s bodily autonomy indicator, short of the global average of 55%.

The SIS Forum study found that Malaysian women continue to face barriers in healthcare, relationships, education, access to information, and protection from gender-based violence.

PETALING JAYA:

Malaysian women continue to face barriers to making decisions about their own bodies despite legal protection intended to safeguard their bodily autonomy, experts say.

A SIS Forum study found that Malaysia scored just 45% on the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) bodily autonomy indicator, which measures whether women can make informed decisions about sexual relations, contraception, and their own reproductive healthcare.

The score falls well below the global average of 55% and trails behind the regional average of 76%

Based on a survey of 1,004 women aged 18 and above conducted between September and October last year, as well as focus group discussions and interviews, the study found that women continued to face barriers in healthcare, relationships, education, access to information, and protection from gender-based violence.

Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Maiza Tusimin said the 45% bodily autonomy score suggested that although many women may have access to healthcare or contraception, some still felt unable to express discomfort, ask questions, decline intimacy, or make decisions without fear of judgment, conflict, or pressure.

Maiza said bodily autonomy was not about excluding family members from important decisions, but ensuring a woman’s wishes remained central.

“When I ask (my patients) ‘What do you want for your own health?’, some immediately look towards their husband or family before answering,” she said.

Consent within marriage

One of the study’s key findings was that only 52% of respondents with a spouse or partner said they could always refuse sex if they did not want to.

Penang Women’s Development Corporation chief executive Ong Bee Leng said traditional gender norms meant many women still viewed sexual relations as a marital obligation rather than a mutual decision.

SIS Forum executive director Rozana Isa said the findings reflected a broader failure to recognise women’s agency.

Autonomy starts young

The study also found that 23% of the respondents had experienced period checks in school. The figure rose to 31% among women aged 18 to 24, and 36% among those aged 25 to 34.

Maiza described the practice as medically unnecessary and potentially humiliating.

“A student should not be required to expose her underwear, sanitary product or intimate body areas to prove that she is menstruating,” she said.

Family planning burden

Nearly six in 10 respondents said they were primarily responsible for contraception decisions, while only 11% said their spouse took primary responsibility.

Ong said this reflected the longstanding expectation that reproductive health was largely a woman’s responsibility.

“Family planning is not a women’s issue; it is a family issue. If we want stronger families, men must become equal partners in reproductive health decisions,” she said.

She said Malaysia had introduced important policies to promote gender equality, but implementation remained inconsistent.

Lasting change required not only legal reforms where necessary, but also shifts in attitudes across families, schools, workplaces, religious institutions and communities, Ong added. - FMT