KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — This year’s march in conjunction with the International Women’s Day this week seemed to have less participation from visibly Muslim women, especially those who choose to cover their hair, following public and online backlash last year.
However, a member of the Women’s March Malaysia committee, Shaqirah Shauqi, suggested that this may be due to the women’s “modest” views, or their preference to shy away from discussing the issues openly.
“With the way the religious institution is structured here in Malaysia, women are sometimes forced to think in a certain way and are less likely to be vocal.
“With so much bureaucracy within the religious institution, it could lead to women feeling oppressed,’’ she told Malay Mail at the sidelines of the march.
Shaqirah who is also a member of Gerakan Pembebasan Wanita, or Women Liberation Movement, however clarified the group wishes to democratise religious institutions rather than oppose them.
“We want women to be able to speak their mind and voice their concerns in all spectrums.
“Regardless of how they feel, we will continue to fight for their rights as well,’’ she said.
Earlier today, hundreds of Malaysians, most of them women, took to the streets of Kuala Lumpur to march from the Sogo shopping mall to Tugu Takraw at the Jamek Mosque, aiming to reclaim women’s space in the public.
There are five demands of the march today: To eliminate gender discrimination, destroy rape culture and sexual violence, strengthen rights for political space and democracy for all, strive for equal opportunities and wages, and stop destruction of the environment.
Last year, however, several women who participated were harassed by some men and anti-feminists online, who also spread their photos with demeaning comments.
