First step must be to protect women, children

 

From Yu Ren-Chung

We’re midway through 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence – a global campaign that runs between Nov 25 and Dec 10 every year.

According to the United Nations, statistics show that worldwide, almost one-in-three women have faced gender-based violence.

If you think this is high, Malaysia is not that different. For example, researchers estimate that between 5%-36% of women in Malaysia have faced intimate partner violence (which is just one form of gender-based violence).

So, this is my advice to the new women, family and community development minister, Nancy Shukri.

If the minister wants to hit the ground running, she can look to the manifestos for the general election (GE15), where three commitments on ending gender-based violence were made.

The commitments are on sexual harassment, child marriage, and stalking.

This is what the minister can do right away pertaining to these three manifesto commitments.

(1) Set up an “evaluation committee” on the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act.

A 2019 YouGov survey estimated that 36% of women in Malaysia have experienced sexual harassment.

To address sexual harassment, the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act was passed into law this year – a bi-partisan effort initiated by the former Pakatan Harapan (PH) government and concluded by the Barisan Nasional-led (BN) government.

In their manifestos for the general election (GE15), both BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN) committed to implementing the Act.

However, to successfully implement the Act, several important steps must be taken.

The minister must have the “evaluation committee” – ideally comprising government, academics, civil society, and sexual harassment survivors – monitor and evaluate the implementation of the law and advise the minister on matters relating to sexual harassment.

Despite the previous government’s commitment to setting up this “evaluation committee”, it still has not been set up.

The first thing the committee could do is review the “action plan” (which has already been drafted by the government) for the Act’s implementation.

Next, the committee could start developing “guidelines” for stakeholders – employers, universities, mall operators, and so on – on addressing sexual harassment.

The Act empowers the ministry’s secretary-general to issue these guidelines.

(2) Convene a child marriage “steering committee” and form a Cabinet team to drive efforts.

More than a thousand child marriages take place in Malaysia every year.

Child marriage is treated like a “sensitive issue”, although the overwhelming majority of Malaysians reject child marriage in any form, according to a 2021 survey by the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) and market research company, Ipsos.

To address child marriage, the National Strategic Plan in Handling Causes of Child Marriage was initiated by the PH government in 2020. Unfortunately, following the Sheraton Move, this strategic plan seems to have stalled.

In their manifestos, PH and Muda committed to restarting the strategic plan.

Seeing as the strategic plan is multi-faceted, and the issue is complex, this is what I believe the minister must do immediately after taking office.

Immediately convene a meeting by the “steering committee” on child marriage.

This steering committee is part of the strategic plan, and is chaired by the ministry’s secretary-general.

Additionally, Cabinet members must work together to oversee the steering committee, and drive forward the overall efforts to end child marriage.

This is crucial, as ending child marriages involves addressing issues under multiple ministries – like health, religion, children’s rights, and education – and involves both federal and state jurisdictions.

As such, any effort to end child marriages requires broad political engagement.

Alternatively, the government could appoint a suitable political leader as a “czar” to drive efforts. Dr Wan Wan Ismail – who was the women, family and community development minister when the strategic plan on child marriages was introduced – may be a suitable person.

(3) Complete the passing of the anti-stalking law in Parliament.

A 2020 study by WAO and Vase.ai estimated that 39% of women in Malaysia have experienced stalking which caused them fear.

To address stalking, an anti-stalking law was developed (through a bipartisan effort, led by WAO starting in 2018). And in October this year, the Dewan Rakyat passed the Bill.

The Bill still needs to be debated in the Dewan Negara (and may need to be debated again in the Dewan Rakyat, since there is a new government).

This Bill is under the law minister’s purview, but as stalking is a form of gender-based violence, it is something the incoming women, family and community development minister should have an interest in as well.

The government can schedule the anti-stalking Bill for tabling again in the Dewan Rakyat.

The Bill could be passed as it is, but I believe it will be better to improve it first before passing it.

The above proposals – on sexual harassment, child marriage, and stalking – are just three action items for the incoming minister, as these can be carried out right away.

There’s much more to do towards ending gender-based violence. For example, a revised Budget 2023 should include adequate funding for gender-based violence services.

As all three issues – sexual harassment, child marriage, and stalking – were part of the GE15 manifestos by the three main coalitions, taking immediate steps to implement them will show that the government keeps its promises. - FMT

Yu Ren Chung is Women’s Aid Organisation deputy executive director and an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.