MARCH 8 — Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower) wishes all Malaysians a Happy International Women’s Day, historically a day of action with women all over the world holding demonstrations and strikes to demand for equal rights and an end to gender discrimination.

It is a day to celebrate how far we’ve come, and how far we have yet to go before even fully achieving the demands of the first organised International Women’s Day commemorations over a century ago, including ending discrimination in employment and the right to hold public office.

Available government statistics can point to Malaysian women’s increased enrolment in tertiary education and access to reproductive health care services as achievements, as well as the number of women in the public sector.

The Malaysian government has had a National Women’s Policy (Dasar Wanita Negara) since 1989, but developments toward gender equality have been lopsided. In 2014, women’s labour force participation stands at 53.6 per cent compared to men’s 80.4 per cent.

As noted by the Malaysian government’s Millennium Development Goals Report 2015, a gender wage gap persists in all sectors of employment, and have actually increased in some sectors. A working man’s average monthly basic wage in 2014 was RM2,280, compared to a working woman’s average of RM2,148 per month.

A 2014 study by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development and UNDP show a decline in female labour participation of about 5 per cent to 6 per cent from the 25-29 to 30-34 age groups (ie., women in their childbearing years). Despite women making up a majority of undergraduates in public universities, the same study also found that a significant proportion of women with tertiary education were leaving the workforce. Taken together, these trends suggest that women still face significant barriers that the education system and government policies have not been able to overcome.

The Malaysian government has long encouraged women to be workers and entrepreneurs pumping money into the economy, with a total of RM2 billion allocated for I-KIT, I-KeuNita and Women Career Comeback programmes in the 2017 Budget. While these measures are welcome, true empowerment and equality cannot be achieved without the political will to address causes of inequality rooted in societal norms and practices.

Stereotypes and gender roles continue to limit women’s choices, compounded by other factors such as poverty, racial discrimination, and lack of access to safe, adequate childcare. Entrenched beliefs on what women should be persist in community discourse and even government policies, including Friday sermons disseminated by State authorities.

As a result, "admonishing” women who rebel is increasingly seen to be a societal good, even when violence or threats of violence are used. For example, both women and men human rights defenders face the same risks of State persecution for online speech, but women tend to also be targeted for misogynistic attacks and rape threats from individuals without direct instigation from State authorities.

The Malaysian government has been markedly unenthusiastic in addressing discriminatory societal attitudes and cultural norms and practices. Women still make up only about 11 per cent of Members of Parliament (MPs) and State Legislative State Assembly members (ADUNs), which fails to meet the target of 30 per cent set in 1989. One state has no female ADUNs entirely. Endemic discrimination, rather than a lack of leadership qualities, is the root cause.

Women are described as unqualified for the highest public office simply due to their biological functions, and cultural practices that promote equality tend to be ignored. There is a history of Orang Asli communities having female tok batins, for example, but only men are appointed by the Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA) to head their villages at present.

This year, Empower is engaging with activists and members of the public to be part of the change we need. Join us this Saturday, 11 March 2017, for a full day of events centered around women’s work in Malaysia at the GerakBudaya bookstore in Petaling Jaya – and, later in the evening, a showcase of works by Malaysian women. Empower will also be at the International Women’s Day Festival this Saturday, from 11am to 7pm, at the open space in front of Central Market, Kuala Lumpur. Look out for our booth, and let’s have a chat together.

* Janarthani Arumugam is the president of Empower

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.