KUALA LUMPUR: The All Women’s Action Society (AWAM) has applauded Budget 2020 which it feels is aimed at stimulating the economy, generating growth and improving the quality of life of all Malaysians.
The non-governmental organisation said it was clear that the government had placed a lot of thought and consideration into the allocation of funds.
It is most heartening to note that these have been allocated in key areas such as education, narrowing the gaps of inequality with respect to gender, needs and opportunities said Awam programmes and operations manager Nisha Sabanayagam.
She noted that the government had set a target of achieving a 60 per cent labour force participation rate (LFPR) for women.
Last year, the LFPR stood at 55.2 per cent according to the National Department of Statistics.
“While the Women@Work to reintegrate women back into the workforce by creating 33,000 employment opportunities for women is very promising, other structures need to be in place to make this opportunity accessible to these women”, Nisha said.
She said the proposed Sexual Harassment Bill also needs to fill in the gaps in the current provisions and provide a better template in addressing the procedures, protections; and most of all, ensuring that women feel safe at work.
“Not all victims of sexual harassment want to drag the harasser to court or be embroiled in a lengthy case at court.
“Most victims, including men, simply want the harassment to stop.”
One of the key aspects of the bill is that it addresses sexual harassment outside the workplace which does not fall under the category of sexual assault, she said.
“What this means for working women is that women may travel to and from work safely without fear of being sexually harassed”.
However, Nisha said Budget 2020 did not specifically address healthcare reproductive rights and mental health issues.
“If we want more women to enter the workforce and we want to boost the productivity
and earning capacities of women, giving women access to reproductive rights is a must.”
She said globally, the United Nations Population Fund estimates that 20,000 teenagers give birth to a baby every day. In Malaysia, it is estimated that 90,000 pregnancies end in miscarriages or abortions every year.
“What this means for the teenage mother or woman living in poverty, is that her access to education, disposable cash or job prospects immediately diminish”.
On domestic violence, Nisha said annually police investigate approximately 5,000 such cases.
“Domestic violence does not only destroy lives, but it also negatively impacts the country’s capacity for productivity and growth.
“Every time an abused spouse is denied the opportunity to work, or is forced to give up her education, takes time off work because of abuse, is harassed at the workplace by her spouse or spends too much time recovering at the hospital, all of these
factors takes away from the productivity and capacity for growth of the individual involved.
“It also makes it harder to leave the abusive situation.
“Domestic violence is an issue that needs to be addressed as a social issue, and not just a
women’s issue”.
Nisha said while the current protections under the Domestic Violence Act were helpful, there needed to be more integrated efforts by various the Health, Home Affairs, Human Resources and other ministries to tackle the matter.
She added that the allocation for caring for children and the elderly would contribute towards efforts to reintegrate women into the workforce.