The myth of gender equality in Malaysia

“Are you planning to follow a career in Magical Law, Miss Granger?” asked Scrimgeour.

“No, I’m not,” retorted Hermione. “I’m hoping to do some good in the world!” [1]

I think almost everyone with an internet connection saw the speech by Emma Watson in her role as the United Nations’ Women Goodwill Ambassador during the launch of the #HeForShe campaign. I read with interest the comments that followed, and the many articles that were written on the campaign itself and subsequent social media response to the apparent threat to leak her nude photos should she continue to call on men to stand up for gender equality. In the following week, closer to home, a report by The Malaysian Insider cited a blog post calling a woman for her membership with a political party as “prostitution”.

I can’t help but feel angry and upset at such comments, as much as I am upset and angry whenever men make misogynistic, chauvinistic comments at women. Please, enough with threatening women with shame and violence whenever we speak our minds, already!

Even though the feminist movement has been ongoing since the dawn of the 19th Century, with Malaysia seeing strong women leading the call for equal rights since the days of Kaum Ibu Umno, the world and our country seems to still struggle with gender equality. Women are still “victimized” in most cases.

How many actually know that a female scientist by the name of Rosalind Franklin did all the crystallography experiments that led to the structure of the DNA double-helix, which technically should earn her the same accolades as Watson and Crick?

Or who Shamsiah Fakeh is? [2]

I guess I am bringing this bit of trivia in to show that it is still a patriarchal society out there. Efforts on empowering women through education has shown some impact, but these efforts cannot work without also educating men that no, we are not against you- as women, we want to be able to have the same political, economic, cultural and social rights as you. That being a feminist does not mean that we hate men or are against men. To make it simpler, why don’t we treat everyone as human beings? Regardless of race, religion or gender. Or did I just complicate matters even more by suggesting that?

I am privileged to be a Malaysian woman. I have many aspiring women to look up to, and I try to emulate their examples and find my own voice. Yet, if we have men who seek to relegate Malaysian women to stereotypical gender roles, put women down because men is supposed to be the dominant gender and produce misogynistic statements just for the sake of it, then, I think we have a long way to go to gender equality in Malaysia. We have a long way to go for mutual respect in this country, period. While things look rosy on the surface, there is a constant everyday struggle for women in any patriarchal society to prove ourselves through our work in the field of our choice, to ensure our safety, and to not feel victimised in any situation.

May we women never fall into the trap of becoming the tyrants we so abhor in the first place when we have the opportunity to make a change in this society. – October 7, 2014.

Notes:

[1] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 7, The Will of Albus Dumbledore.

[2] For a full list of the founding Mothers of Malaysia, see: http://poskod.my/features/women-made-malaysia/

*This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.