Special Video Conference of the ICAPP Women’s Wing: Women’s Empowerment During and After COVID-19

Speech for Wanita MCA National Chairperson, Datuk Heng Seai Kie

24 February 2021

Session 2: Gender-based Violence – Preventing and Redressing Domestic Violence Against Women

 

 

Hon. Cho Byung-jae, Moderator and Secretary-General of the ICAPP

Hon. Jose de Venecia, Jr., Founder of the ICAPP and Co-Chairman of the ICAPP Standing Committee

Hon. Sujata Koirala, Co-Chairperson of the ICAPP Women’s Wing

 

Esteemed panel of experts, distinguished guests, participants and friends.

Good day Ladies and Gentlemen.

1. I would like to thank the ICAPP organisers for discussing such a timely and important topic that I would like to highlight today ; ie

the issue of social inequality. Specifically, gender inequality and the rise of domestic violence in the time of Covid-19.


2. In Malaysia alone, we saw a total of 1,986 reported domestic violence cases during the Movement Control Order period between March to August of 2020. This is a 53% increase from the average in the periods before the outbreak of the pandemic. Sadly, a total of 7,957 divorces were recorded during our nation-wide partial lockdowns. This is an increase of approximately 250% compared to ‘normal’ times.


3. In our commitment to aid women in need, the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development in Malaysia has launched an emergency hotline Talian Kasih 15999 for victims of abuse or those who require social assistance, counselling services, protection and welfare.


4. Malaysia’s Budget 2021 has also embraced the core ideas of Gender-responsive budgeting or, GRB whereby the government has allocated RM21 million or, around USD5.25 million for the purpose of setting up social support centres to help women and families in need, including providing shelter homes and counselling. 

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

5. Political parties play important roles in tackling pandemic-accelerated gender-based violence. Often, the issue of domestic violence is assumed under the women’s wing of MCA. I am of the strong opinion that domestic violence cannot be regarded as just a ‘women’s issue’ anymore. This pandemic has clearly shown us that. Tackling domestic violence is not like an appendix - one that is cut out and treated easily. It does not even have a vaccine. It is a complex problem that is deeply inter-woven into our societies, and one that has very long-term effects on nation building. Therefore, I advocate that domestic violence be given the same priority as say, poverty eradication, education or, job creation.


6. Working alongside with NGOs and civil society, protection of women from gender -based violence has been at the heart of my party’s operation for many years. The MCA flagship initiative Legal Advisory & Women’s Aid Centre or, LAWA is a One Stop Crisis Centre which is an integrated and comprehensive multi-agency service centre established for the management of survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and neglect. It also provides comprehensive and free legal consultation and counselling for women in distress, taking into account the plight of those not financially equipped to take legal courses of action.


7. MCA was also instrumental in amendments made to the Domestic Violence Act of Malaysia, to ensure a holistic approach is used when applying the law. 

 

Ladies n Gentlemen,

8. For all the devastation that the pandemic has brought to the world, the world must also embrace important lessons from it. Lessons of kindness, of family time with our spouses, parents, children and relatives. 


9. Domestic violence made global headlines as part of the epic Covid-19 story and has drawn the attention of all including international bodies like the United Nations or, powerful lobbying platforms like the ICAPP. This is timely as we can no longer sweep this issue under the carpet, or pretend that there ever will be a vaccine for it.  It will not disappear, just because we do not feel comfortable discussing it.  It is a long, continuous fight, so long ,as humans exist.

 

10. Therefore, Ladies and Gentlemen, we all must work very hard collectively - to ensure that the fight against domestic violence becomes an integral part of our recovery plans for the world, post-pandemic, and beyond.

 

11. Thank you for the opportunity. I wish everyone well. Stay healthy and stay safe , wherever you are.

 

-MCA online-