According to the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, which guarantees equality for all, women are equal partners with other stakeholders in defining and shaping the destiny of our nation. As such, women have equal responsibilities and rights in the process of national development.

We believe that women as a group have done more than their share of work in both the domestic and public spheres. Women are indispensable in the home and community, and they form the majority of the workforce in the service sector, care services and teaching profession.

It is therefore only right and just that we should be enjoying the entitlements due to us, of which we have been deprived since our country’s independence. However, the stark reality is that women’s needs, particularly those who are poor and marginalized, are not given due priority in our state’s development plans.

Take for example, the way the  Domestic Violence (DV) issue has been handled in the state. The DV Act was enacted in 1994 after 10 years of lobbying by women all over the country. Today, 15 years later, we still do not have shelters that are government funded and run by qualified staff established in all the districts in the state.

Women before us have fought for the rights we enjoy today. These rights have to be safeguarded while we work for more gender equality in our society.

How can you contribute?

How can you give back to society?