Women are not there to be 'zoomorphised'

Among the many topics that Malaysians have voiced out in light of the election of the new government, gender has been quite the prominent theme discussed in the media and the public. With regards to gender, the government’s specific promise was to ensure that at least 30 percent of policy-makers comprised of women.

This promise is symbolic in that the government acknowledges the role of women in Malaysian society. Well, at least in the upper echelons that are. As with any society, Malaysian society should be analysed at two levels; the elite level and the level of the general population.

The attitude embedded in increasing the representation of women in the cabinet should be reflected on the ground, that is, an attitude of respecting women, regardless of whether they hold prestigious positions or not.

Gender does not just operate within the political machinery; it is very much present on the ground when a woman in Malaysia is slut-shamed or called out for not dressing a certain way.

Women’s rights activists have noted how it is Muslim women more than non-Muslim women who are the victims of aggressive forms of online abuse, pushing the victims at times to contemplate suicide.

In a religiously-charged discourse on morality and modesty, the body of a Muslimmah (a female Muslim) is seen as a microcosm of an ‘Islamic’ morality, if there is such a concept.

Whether or not the aesthetics of her body contradict the ideal religiosity of a Muslimmah in Malaysia is a separate matter. It should not, for example, be used as a justification to "zoomorphise" a woman for the world to see, or to make statements such as “you’re asking for it” if she is not as covered up as some segments of society would like her to be.

The shaming of women reflects the gap in education when it comes to promoting a discourse on gender equality. Just as how Malaysians, even at the university level, think that there is nothing wrong with offering a gift in exchange for a service rendered, so, too, do they think that a misogynistic view of a woman is normative if she is seen to be deviating from neatly defined ways of how she should behave or dress.

Gender, like religion, is a crucial component of education because it is one of the most fundamental units of any society. It determines an individual’s quality of life - in this case, how much dignity a woman is accorded in her everyday experiences.

Gender, or gender equality, does, in fact, start from young. How it will be taught at schools will of course vary depending on the age of the students.

The common theme taught in schools should be that women are not an alien category to be ‘othered’ or a sex to be objectified just because men (and some women) have the institutional clout to do so.

Arguably, attitudes towards women may not be a concern for all Malaysians with more “bread and butter” issues such as the price of basic necessities and hence daily survival at the fore.

Nevertheless, gender itself is and should be seen as a basic issue; not only does it entail how much a woman earns, but as mentioned before, it determines her non-material standard of living too.

Emphasising the importance of gender equality in schools will make the difference between whether a woman is viewed as a woman in her own right or as a creature that causes sexual tension in men, meriting derogatory comments to nullify the sexual conundrum caused.

The new government’s promise to ensure greater gender representation is, well, promising. However, there needs to be a match between a symbolic representation of women in the government and an encultured attitude of respect towards the woman on the street.

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SYED IMAD ALATAS is a member of the publications team at the National University of Singapore's Middle East Institute. He enjoys doing social commentary on topics such as religion and gender. - Mkini