Bangkok, October 27, 1999 -- While the Malaysian government is trying to address women's concerns, on the negative side, gender stereotyping is still being perpetuated. Malaysia's delegation to a regional meeting here, led by Sharifah Zarah Syed Ahmad said society's perception of women and the down-playing of their important roles stem from cultural and traditional norms which are beyond the reach of laws and policies.
The Malaysian delegation presented their overall review of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action to an audience comprised of government and NGO representatives from all over Asia and the Pacific.
The ongoing High-level Intergovernmental Meeting aims to assess and review regional commitments to the Beijing Platform and the challenges faced by each of the member countries. These would form the groundwork for the special session of the UN General Assembly entitled 'Women 2000: Gender, Development and Peace for the Twenty-first Century' next year.
The report addressed what the government deemed the most urgent among the 12 'critical concerns' of the Beijing Platform. The issues include women and health, training and education, the economy, violence against women, institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women, and women in power and decision-making.
Sharifah spoke of the need to pay special attention to women's issues and the importance of integrating gender perspectives in the development plans and programmes of the country. The Seventh Malaysian Plan (1996-2000) includes measures and strategies that should be taken to promote the advancement of women.
She also spoke of the role of the women in the country, especially of female participation in the workforce. Efforts are being made to provide education, skills and training opportunities to encourage more women to participate in the job market or to start their own businesses.
The implementation of the "Code of Practice on the Prevention and Eradication of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace" recently showed the level of awareness of policy and decision-makers on gender sensitivity. Observers have expressed disappointment that the issue is addressed in a voluntary code rather than in a law. Still, the Code may raise awareness of women's rights not only at home but also in the workplace.
To alleviate social problems such as HIV / AIDS, unwanted pregnancies and substance abuse, the government has plans to continue with ongoing efforts to promote access to and affordability of health care and family planning services. Reductions in maternal, infant and child mortality will now be attributed to proper health education and awareness campaigns.
Sharifah acknowledged the partnership of NGOs in implementing Malaysia's response to the Beijing Platform. The NGOs have said that they will act collectively to monitor the commitments made by the government to ensure transparency and accountability.
* The Isis/UNIFEM media team for the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting to Review the Beijing Platform for Action in Asia and the Pacific is composed of Mavic Cabrera-Balleza, Lorna Israel, Isis International-Manila; Suchita Vemuri, Women's Features Service; Babita Basnet, Sancharika Samuha-Nepal; Adelle Khan, Fiji Women's Crisis Centre; Ung Vanna, Khmer Women's Voice Centre; Lim Siu Ching, All Women's Action Society-Malaysia; Fatmawati Salapuddin, Bangsa Moro Women and Development Foundation-Philippines; Rina Jimenez-David, Philippines; Chitraporn Vanaspong, Thailand. The media team is supported by UNIFEM.
