SHAH ALAM, April 27 — A Muslim academic sought today to debunk claims by feminists that it was discriminatory or even oppressive to immediately assume that women should take the lead in childcare, saying such duties come naturally for women.
Associate professor Dr Rafidah Hanim Mokhtar, who is deputy dean for academic research at the Islamic Sciences University of Malaysia (USIM), said feminists are quick to cry oppression when discussing women’s role in childcare, oftentimes pointing fingers at men and saying they too should take on the same responsibilities.
Rafidah, however, said that nurturing and caregiving are the natural traits of a woman. She added that it is common to see mothers sharing closer bonds with their children than the fathers.
“When we talk about women’s role in children’s education, there’s always allegations of oppression and then there will be questions (like) why can’t the men also educate children?” she said today during her presentation at the International Muslim Women’s Conference here.
Rafidah then cited from personal experience and said she would always be the partner who preferred to take leave for family emergencies, adding that she chooses to do so not because she was being oppressed.
Rafidah who is also Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) information chief later told Malay Mail Online that a woman’s role in her career is as important as her role at home as a mother, adding that the conference today is aimed at seeking the right balance.
She also sought to clarify Malay Mail Online’s report yesterday, which quoted Isma president Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman saying that while Muslim women are allowed to work, they should still prioritise the household before anything else.
“I think what we meant is that by instinct, I would like to have that role even though I’m working. So now we are here to discuss how to balance that.
“The feminist groups are saying that we are trying to say that women should stay at home, women should not work at all. What we are trying to say is how to balance working women, with childcare,” she added.
