Imam-Tamim, Muhammad KamaldeenImam-Tamim, Muhammad KamaldeenPhD Candidate in Family Law and

Harmonisation of Laws, IIUMNajibah Mohd ZinNajibah Mohd Zin

Professor, Islamic International University Malaysia

Norliah IbrahimNorliah IbrahimAssistant Professor, Department of Civil Law,

AIKOL, IIUM.Roslina Che SohRoslina Che Soh

Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Law, AIKOL, IIUM.

Women are the salt (or Women are the salt (or jewel?) of life.jewel?) of life.

When the food spoils, When the food spoils, add salt to preserve it add salt to preserve it but when salt spoils, but when salt spoils, what can preserve what can preserve it? it?

Statistically, women in Statistically, women in Malaysia are about half Malaysia are about half the population of menthe population of men

As a result of several As a result of several gender focused policies gender focused policies by government, more by government, more girls now attend school girls now attend school and are believed to and are believed to outnumber the males.outnumber the males.

The increase in The increase in education of female has education of female has consequently contributed consequently contributed to finding more females to finding more females in almost all areas of the in almost all areas of the labour sector ranging labour sector ranging from the professional to from the professional to the menial jobs. the menial jobs.

Notwithstanding the Notwithstanding the perceived improvement perceived improvement in the intellectual in the intellectual capability of the women, capability of the women, why have their roles in why have their roles in the national development the national development been very insignificant?been very insignificant?

The presence of The presence of Malaysian women in Malaysian women in political positions where political positions where they can contribute they can contribute meaningfully to decision meaningfully to decision and policy making and policy making processes is abysmally processes is abysmally low. Why?low. Why?

Why have women found Why have women found it difficult to attain pole it difficult to attain pole positions in national positions in national political structure?political structure?

Is it due to social, Is it due to social, political and cultural political and cultural perspectives that are perspectives that are presently entrenched presently entrenched in the society?in the society?

Stereotyping and typifying of Stereotyping and typifying of women roles in the societywomen roles in the society

Paucity of women in decision Paucity of women in decision making positionsmaking positions

Lack of strong political Lack of strong political commitment to encourage wider commitment to encourage wider participation of women in participation of women in contributing to national contributing to national development and nation building development and nation building

Stereotyping and typifying of women Stereotyping and typifying of women roles in the societyroles in the societyWomen are culturally Women are culturally stereotyped as child bearers and stereotyped as child bearers and homemakers.homemakers.

Malaysian men and women have Malaysian men and women have long lived by the assumption long lived by the assumption that women are traditionally that women are traditionally designed to be at the backstage designed to be at the backstage and take care of domestic and take care of domestic affairs.affairs.

Malaysian societies operate based Malaysian societies operate based on certain norms that legitimise on certain norms that legitimise differences in power. differences in power.

The society is structured in a way The society is structured in a way that intra-group social that intra-group social comparisons between men and comparisons between men and women are rarely done.women are rarely done.

Stereotyping and typifying of Stereotyping and typifying of women roles in the societywomen roles in the society

Therefore, hardly would evidence Therefore, hardly would evidence be found comparing successes of be found comparing successes of women against those of their male women against those of their male counterparts especially at the level counterparts especially at the level of national developmentof national development

By stereotyping the women to the By stereotyping the women to the attribute of outright submissiveness, attribute of outright submissiveness, their aspirations to be leaders and their aspirations to be leaders and contribute to the national contribute to the national development have certainly been development have certainly been curtailed.curtailed.

Paucity of women in decision Paucity of women in decision making positionsmaking positionsAs a result of the As a result of the stereotyping, Malaysian stereotyping, Malaysian political structure is political structure is dominated by male while dominated by male while women only play women only play complimentary rolescomplimentary roles

Statistics show that women Statistics show that women often occupy marginal often occupy marginal percentage of vital political percentage of vital political offices especially at the offices especially at the national political terrain.national political terrain.

The opportunities provided to The opportunities provided to the women to participate in the women to participate in decision making and hence decision making and hence nation building has been nation building has been minimal because they are not minimal because they are not given adequate chances of given adequate chances of leading in vital political, leading in vital political, economic and social fields.economic and social fields.

Paucity of women in decision Paucity of women in decision making positionsmaking positionsconsequences of meagre consequences of meagre participation of women in participation of women in decision making:decision making:Likely lopsidedness in the Likely lopsidedness in the fashioning developmental fashioning developmental policies that will impact policies that will impact positively on their lives.positively on their lives.

engender the high power engender the high power distance cultural stance of the distance cultural stance of the Malaysian society thereby Malaysian society thereby isolating and discriminating isolating and discriminating against the women.against the women.

Lack of strong political commitment to Lack of strong political commitment to encourage wider participation of encourage wider participation of women in contributing to national women in contributing to national development and nation buildingdevelopment and nation building

Malaysia has taken efforts to Malaysia has taken efforts to improve the status of the improve the status of the women but only small number women but only small number of them are given opportunity of them are given opportunity to contribute to national to contribute to national development.development.

Government supports have Government supports have equally been low due to low equally been low due to low budget allocations, inadequate budget allocations, inadequate staffing and insufficient staffing and insufficient authority to liaise with related authority to liaise with related government departments at government departments at the lower level of the lower level of implementation of relevant implementation of relevant government policies government policies

Though the government has Though the government has objectives geared towards objectives geared towards elevating the status of elevating the status of women, the scope of the women, the scope of the objective appears not to objective appears not to cover elevating their status cover elevating their status politically.politically.

Women hold important Women hold important position and constitute a position and constitute a significant percentage of significant percentage of the Malaysian population. the Malaysian population.

More Malaysian women attain More Malaysian women attain higher education than their higher education than their male counterparts but these male counterparts but these feats do not reflect in the feats do not reflect in the allowance given to women to allowance given to women to contribute more actively to contribute more actively to national political efforts national political efforts towards nation building and towards nation building and national development.national development.

This is due to certain This is due to certain traditional practices that traditional practices that encourage stereotyping of encourage stereotyping of gender roles between the gender roles between the men and the women.men and the women.

Introducing educational Introducing educational contents that will erase the contents that will erase the entrenched gender stereotype entrenched gender stereotype awareness among the young awareness among the young generations;generations;

Media support in Media support in reconstructing the image of reconstructing the image of the women by changing the the women by changing the patriarchal perceptive that patriarchal perceptive that pervades the society through pervades the society through production of programmes that production of programmes that reflect non-stereotyped, reflect non-stereotyped, balanced and diverse images of balanced and diverse images of the women.the women.

Gender analysis, gender impact Gender analysis, gender impact assessment should be entrenched assessment should be entrenched in development planning by the in development planning by the government. Also gender government. Also gender contributions assessment should contributions assessment should also be institutionalised in also be institutionalised in governments’ national plan with a governments’ national plan with a view to comparing contributions view to comparing contributions made by members of each gender made by members of each gender group towards national group towards national development in a given year.development in a given year.

Rigorous efforts by the Rigorous efforts by the government to enlighten the government to enlighten the people even from religious and people even from religious and traditional historical traditional historical perspectives to move away perspectives to move away from the traditional gender from the traditional gender norms and break the norms and break the patriarchal barrier;patriarchal barrier;

The women national The women national machineries must be machineries must be strengthened more in order to strengthened more in order to help the government fulfil its help the government fulfil its commitment in the Beijing commitment in the Beijing Platform for Action and Platform for Action and consolidating its achievements consolidating its achievements in the MDGs;in the MDGs;

Advocacy efforts should be Advocacy efforts should be made towards the made towards the reorientation of conservative reorientation of conservative religious and power groups by religious and power groups by making them realise that making them realise that neither the religions nor the neither the religions nor the cultures operating in Malaysia cultures operating in Malaysia prohibits the women from prohibits the women from holding prime political offices;holding prime political offices;

Government must improve its Government must improve its political commitment towards political commitment towards incorporating women in real incorporating women in real phases of decision making.phases of decision making.

Women bodies should also Women bodies should also work within the confines of work within the confines of religious principles to advocate religious principles to advocate for eradication of gender for eradication of gender disparity in legislative and disparity in legislative and executive political structures executive political structures especially at the national level. especially at the national level.

They should make more They should make more awareness campaign among the awareness campaign among the women to eradicate the gender women to eradicate the gender stereotype perspective now stereotype perspective now entrenched in the society as entrenched in the society as against the open society against the open society created by both the religion created by both the religion and the traditional malay and the traditional malay adatadat..

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