Violence against women has always been prevalent in Malaysia, despite years of NGOs and advocates doing their level best to educate and to create awareness.
But, just how much has those efforts really paid off? It looks like not much at all.
Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) recently revealed in a new study titled ‘Malaysian Public Attitudes and Perceptions towards Violence Against Women (VAW)‘, that at least half of Malaysians still believe that rape is the victim’s fault, and that domestic violence is something that’s… normal.
While their study found that 52.7 per cent of Malaysians oppose violence-endorsing attitudes, only 46.3 per cent support gender equality.
What’s more worrying is that 53.3 per cent believe that domestic violence is a ‘normal’ response to the stresses and frustrations of daily life. On top of that, 83.3 per cent believe that rape happens due to uncontrollable sexual desire and 51.3 per cent still blame women for the way they dress.
Half of Malaysians are also likely to disregard a women’s right to consent, with 38.2 per cent perceiving consent negatively and 27.5 per cent showcasing uncertainty towards the concept.
In this case, WAO emphasised that while uncertain responses may appear harmless, their study argues that such stances may result in complicity towards supporting violence against women, passively enabling mindsets that endorse harmful behaviour.
They added that these findings imply that Malaysia needs to go ham on prevention efforts to reach the masses that are still holding onto problematic ideology, that are likely to contribute to a culture where violence against women is active, condoned and not openly condemned.
Considering the day and age that we’re in, it’s worrisome to see just how behind we still are as a society. While education on the matter may still be a factor on this matter, basic respect for each other should also come into play, no matter the gender.
We genuinely hope that we see brighter days ahead for the fight against violence against women.
What do you think about this? Let us know in the comment section.
Also read: Datuk Pandelela Reveals How Former Coach Went From Making Sexual Jokes To Committing Rape
