The Women’s Movement in Malaysia: Towards

Multi-Cultural Dialogue and Peace Building

Cecilia NgAWAM Ethnicity and Religion

Workshop10 October 2009

Introduction Quandary of progressive women’s groups trying to unite

women under the overriding banner of ‘peace and unity’: Particularly when societies are torn among competing

national, ethnic and multi-cultural demands and discourses: Women as helpless victims (wage war to ‘save’ them) Women as symbolic bearers of ethnic group’s future

(within context of identity politics) Women perpetuating and/or reducing ethnic/cultural

conflicts Women as part of peace processes Agents of both violence and peace building

Questions? To what extent has the women’s movement in Malaysia

fostered multi-ethnic cooperation and co-existence in the country? What have been the strengths and setbacks in peace building, whether directly or indirectly through the various ongoing struggles of the movement? Several parts:

Growing identity politics in Malaysia and implications for women

Role of women’s groups through VAW campaigns in building peace and justice

Issues which divide Malaysian women Interviews with key women activists Conclusion: ability and/or limitations of movement to

address multi-cultural dialogue and peace building

The Politics of Ethnicity in Malaysia 1960s till today

Ethnicity and now more so, religion, the overwhelming leitmotif of Malaysia’s economic, political and cultural life

Malaysian women being divided along ethnic and religious lines

Sexuality a main target of discourse and control in which, women were, and are still, consciously or unconsciously regulated, by both their male and female folk to wear, look and behave in a particular manner

A division between ‘Islamised’ women and others (Muslim and non-Muslim) who remained outside the ‘Islamisation’ project, creating ‘other nations’ within the mainstream/dominant nation

Can women’s groups overcome this divide? Focus on autonomous groups in Peninsular Malaysia

Towards a violence free society: Building multi-cultural dialogue Early 1980s, birth of new and more autonomous women’s groups:

JAG/VAW VAW as the main campaign slogan: an issue that could potentially

unite women across culture, religion, class and geographic regions.

Through the 1980s until today: campaign against rape, domestic violence and sexual

harassment legislative reform, awareness raising and service provision to

survivors of violence other critical issues such as democracy, development, culture

and religion through various coalitions such as the Women’s Manifesto in

1990, the Women’s Agenda for Change in 1998, and Women Monitoring Election Candidates in 2004

JAG still at large: success in working together within past 20 years

Sexuality: Politics of difference or different politics? Issue and discourse on sexuality rights bring

contradictory reactions from society Sexual violence against women (e.g. rape)

accepted by society as crimes against humanity When sexuality becomes a focal point of identity

politics, moral and religious-based arguments come to the fore in countering and combating this as against one’s religion and/or culture

Coercive and non-coercive means to control society, particularly women who might choose to break the boundaries of heterosexual hegemony

WAC – contestation around Issue 11 on sexuality Used as identity marker and boundary closure

Courting couples: caught for hugging and kissing in public AWAM president strongly criticised this ruling, ‘questioning the

authority given to the city council enforcement personnel to play the role of moral guardians. It was up to the individuals to decide whether it is right for them to publicly show their affection’

Head of Wanita JIM took a different stance: elders should advise the young against such behaviour, as hugging and kissing in public were ‘not the norm’ in our society. Islam clearly said that except for immediate family members, it was not permissible for those of the opposite sex to hold hands, hug or kiss

Progressive women’s movement caught in this dilemma with serious implications for multi-cultural dialogue. Intra-cultural dialogue will also be threatened, dichotomy between progressive/liberal individual Muslims/Muslim women’s groups and the more mainstream ones could be exacerbated

Listening to our voicesWhy and how are we divided? Role of the state:

“When we approach the Women’s Ministry, we get pushed to Palanivel, the Deputy Minister who handles Indian issues. So when we approached Chew Mei Fun, the Parliamentary Secretary, she says she takes care of the Chinese community. They clearly said that they were divided, as Shahrizat, the Minister, takes care of Malays. At the meeting with the estate people, Shahrizat said that from now onwards she would pass work on to her Indian deputy. So if the state itself is so racial, very direct and openly racial, then everyone will operate the same way. The real issue that we should be angry with is the state itself.

Impact of ethnic divide Hard to attract Malays into the women’s movement since

Malays do not want to disrupt their privileges Divides us -- affects the building of alliances among groups

since they lack trust among each other. Slows us down when it comes to VAW issues that conflict

with ethnic and religious values. Non-Muslims might empathise with issues affecting the

Muslim women but they would not fight as hard for these issues since being non-Muslim, they think are not directly affected.

Threat of double standards; certain laws that discriminate against women might only apply to Muslim women/men but not to non-Muslims, or the other way around such as marital rape.

The reality of language barriers makes it harder for women’s groups to interact and to erase ethnic lines.

Beyond Ethnicity Class dimension of this system too, as the

respondents agreed that there are still a lot of poor Malays, Chinese and Indians. The policies have not really benefited all the constituents in the bumiputera fold as argued by a Malay member of AWAM:

“Even among the Malays, what if you are not an UMNO member? I feel that it is a class-based system. I have not gotten any privilege, because I’ve never worked for the government. So it is only a certain percentage that gets it. So there is also conflict within the Malay race. There are the royal-putera, bumi-putera, and UMNO- putera”

VAW :contribution to dialogue

Agreement that women’s movement see past ethnic and religious borders

Campaign on VAW drew upon identifiable markers which were common to all ethnic groups. So what keeps the movement united? “Pain. Because we are all susceptible to it. It is close to us. We know that we can be a victim, so we are conscious that we need to work together. There is no such thing as one ethnic group being less susceptible. So the issues do not discriminate and that is why we cannot afford to not be united. VAW …[promotes] solidarity because we are fighting for the same cause”

Ethnic or Women’s Issues?

“At one time, something like domestic violence was seen as an Indian women’s issue. Indian men drink all the time. They get drunk, come home and beat up their wives. Now with the issue of incest, a lot of Chinese would say that it is a Malay thing because they say that Malay men are sexually overcharged. So these kinds of myths get propagated. I think it is the work of women’s groups that have broken down the myth that these are …racial or ethnic issues. We have made them women’s issues….

Conclusion: No peace without justice and democracy Any celebration of diversity and pluralism can only happen

if there is the space for it to take place Limited democratic space in Malaysia To a certain extent, the progressive women’s movement

has managed to overcome this divide despite the many forces beyond their control.

“We have not failed but we have not stopped escalation of ethnic and religious tensions either…we have to make a case with others about the urgency of the issues”

“Need to broaden VAW to the discourse of rights, democracy and development, critical pre-conditions towards the establishment of lasting peace”

Conclusion Women’s groups helped maintain space of

democratisation, widen space for pluralism, differences and multiculturalism

More than 20 years of work on VAW – established rapport, respect and trust; ongoing struggle

Need for more open dialogue; push for more democratic space; unified action

Despite various barriers, progressive women’s movement has played an important role towards peace making and in building bridges among the many ethnic communities in Malaysia. It should and has to continue this important role, particularly at this point in history

Thank You