Newslink July-Sept 2014
Transcription
Newslink July-Sept 2014
Women’s Centre for Change 241 Jalan Burma 10350 Penang, Malaysia. Tel: 04-228 0342 E-mail: [email protected] Facebook: WCC Penang Pusat Perkhidmatan Wanita Seberang Perai (PPW) 67A, Jalan Perai Jaya 4 13600 Prai, Penang. Tel: 04-398 8340/41 E-mail: [email protected] Quarterly Newsletter of Women’s Centre for Change, Penang July - September 2014 www.wccpenang.org Internal Circulation Watching Brief Training for Lawyers After Prema’s talk, WCC advocacy officer Joshua Teh introduced participants to UN international conventions, namely CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women) and CRC (Convention on the Rights of the Child), and discussed how these apply to local cases. Kitson Foong then used his extensive legal experience to show how the criminal justice system works during a trial. After years of working with victims of sexual crime, it has become clear to WCC that what these victims and their family members need the most is support when going through the trial process. To address this area of concern, WCC organised a training course entitled “Advocating for Victims of Sexual Crimes and Domestic Violence” at its training centre for the second year in a row. The course encourages lawyers to become watching brief lawyers to advocate for the victim’s interest during the court trials. We were honoured that a senior lawyer of Messr Kit & Associate, Kitson Foong, was able to join our training team. The second day started with a talk from WCC senior advocacy officer Melissa Akhir, who explained the range of special measures available in the court for vulnerable victims. During the afternoon session, facilitated by Kitson Foong, the participants were given several case studies on domestic violence and sexual crimes where they had to practise what they have learned. Armed with the Child Act, Criminal Procedure Code and the Penal Code, the participants, who were initially slow to respond, gradually warmed up and were enthusiastically arguing and presenting their cases as if they were in a real court trial. Overall, the training went very well. The participants felt they learnt a lot and were more confident to handle domestic violence and sexual crimes cases. The result: eight lawyers signed up to be watching brief lawyers for WCC! Held on 12 and 13 September, a total of 17 lawyers signed up for the two-day intensive training. The first day was kick started by a speech from WCC vice president and advocacy working group chair, Lalitha Menon, who encouraged the participants to play an important part role in fighting for these victims’ rights and also in their longterm healing and recovery. WCC program consultant, Prema Devaraj, then highlighted the plight of the victims as they attempt to navigate through the criminal justice system and the hardships they face each step of the way. Happy Deepavali to our Hindu members and friends! 1 Service Updates Training Community Nurses On 14 August, a workshop on “Handling Domestic Violence” was held with 30 nurses from 16 community clinics and Hospital Balik Pulau. Topics covered at the workshop included gender, violence against women and domestic violence. Participants were taught how to be more aware of DV victims and how to help them. Overall, the training was well received. The evaluation by the participants showed that more than 56% found the workshop very good and 44% good. ramah” and “Perlu ada kursus seperti lebih kerap dari masa ke masa untuk membantu masyarakat sebab jururawat berada di ‘front line’ and very good information.” WCC would like to thank Dr Iqbal Hamzah, Matron Norsiah Saod, Sister Zuraini Nayan and the dedicated Pejabat Kesihatan Barat Daya team for this positive collaboration. Participants offered a range of comments, including: “Adakan kuiz untuk peserta bagi menilai tahap tumpuan peserta dan elak peserta tidur semasa ce- Continuing Medical Education WCC was invited by Hospital Sungai Bakap to share and explain the role of WCC and how we handle domestic violence cases to 40 medical personnel. The one-hour talk was conducted by WCC staff, Tasha Merican, and accompanied by PPW counselor Muniroh Yusoff, together with WCC intern Chan Xin Ying. Prior to the talk, very few participants were aware of WCC’s existence. But after being shown the WCC introductory video, they understood the importance of our role in providing services to women and children. We hope both agencies will continue to work together and help to reduce violence! Our thanks to Mr Arutus Rayapan, Penolong Pegawai Perubatan and the Pengarah, Dr Fauziah Hanafiah, for inviting us. WCC is on Radio Mutiara! WCC was delighted when RTM Radio Mutiara FM 95.7 invited WCC to go ‘live’ on air the first Tuesday of every month. The 10 am half-hour slot entitled Sebelum Terlewat (Before it’s too Late!) discusses issues surrounding domestic violence. During the first airing, which took place on 2 August, WCC senior program officer, Tasha Merican spoke with radio DJ Hanisma Ismail. Although nervous to be on the air for the first time, Tasha was able to confidently share her knowledge on domestic violence with the listeners. WCC president Susan Siew was present to give support. Immediately after the call, WCC received a caller seeking help. Do catch us every month live on Radio Mutiara FM 95.7! 2 Outreach Updates Bijak Itu Selamat (Be Smart, Be Safe) Program From 11 July to 22 September, WCC and PPW conducted outreach with the child sexual abuse prevention program Bijak Itu Selamat to children from Standard Five and Six. WCC was able to reach to the following national, Chinese and Tamil schools and also a childen’s home. SK Wellesley On 11 July, we visited the school for the first time. Thank you to Mr Tan Chye Choon, the school head for allowing us to reach out to your students. The session went well and was observed by new staff, interns and volunteers. The boys participated actively and were not shy in asking questions. One boy student asked “What do we do when there is no one at home and we are alone?” We responded by stressing that if the person is a stranger, then it will be dangerous to open the door. We do not know the intention of the person, and therefore we should be extra careful. Gracias to our colleague Reeta Kasi, intern Lim Jing Rong, volunteers Rachel Heah and Kanapathy Supramaniam for supporting us . SK Convent Light Street On 11 August, 80 students attended the BIS program at SK Convent Light Street. The program was conducted by WCC volunteer Poh Lerk Shih and staff Jolene Tan, with the help of Nadhra and intern Jing Rong. The students were taught to identify “good and bad touch” and how they could seek help if people around them tried to take advantage of them. They also learned that if they receive “bad touch” from people they trust, they must not keep it a secret. Instead, they should tell someone until they are believed and they can receive help. At the end of the session, the children learnt that if someone does try to touch them inappropriately, they can say “No”, walk away, or tell someone they trust. Lastly, the facilitator emphasized that if they receive “bad touch” from someone, it is not their fault. SJK(T) Mayfield WCC staff Reeta Kasi conducted the BIS program in Tamil for 50 students from SJK(T) Ladang Mayfield, Tasek Gelugor on 15 August . The students ranged from Standard Four to Six. The program received positive responses from both teachers and students alike, despite the heavy rain and a strong wind, which made us all cold in the open hall. After an ice-breaking session, the program started, and students learned how to tell the difference between a good touch and a bad touch. They learned they must use their intuition to evaluate one person’s intention towards them. Students were responsive and active throughout the program, as well as during the Q&A session. One Standard Four girl was able to tell the entire story of “Nina and Her Secrets”, which she had read in her school library. She showed a good understanding of the content of the story. It made us all realize that our child sexual abuse preventive work truly has an impact on children! SJKC Kim Sen, Bukit Mertajam PPW volunteer Cheryl and interns contacted several schools on the Penang mainland to ask whether they were interested to have WCC conduct the BIS program. One of these schools was SJKC Kim Sen. This program was conducted in Mandarin on 17 July by our volunteer Soon Lan, PPW coordinator Ooi Say Tee and WCC program officer Jolene Tan. PPW volunteers, namely Jenny Tan, Yeong Li, Suan Wah, Siow Wei, Ivy Tham, Florence and Jocye, attended the program as observers. Over 200 Standard Five students attended the program. SJKT Perai On 23 July WCC social worker Reeta Kasi conducted the “Ok Tak Ok” program in Tamil at SJKT Perai for total of 55 students . The students were quiet at the beginning but were soon competing to answer questions. Students participated in a role-playing activity, where they learned what to do if they ever start to feel uncomfortable with someone’s touches. The children were very excited when they received free copies of WCC’s “Nina and her Secret” booklet in Tamil as well as the “Roda Tindakan”. 3 SJKC Jit Sin A, Bukit Mertajam On 22 September, a group of volunteers and staff went to SJKC Jit Sin A to conduct the BIS program in Mandarin. After being trained and observing two past sessions, WCC volunteers Jenny Tan and Yeong Li made their first attempt to run the second session after PPW coordinator Ooi Say Tee had conducted the first session. Other observers were Joyce, Florence and Suan Wah. 100 Standard Six students participated in the program. The school counselor hoped that we would be able to do it next year for the next batch of students. Circle of Friendship & Celik ICT WCC team was excited to conduct a new program at SK Gelugor on 12 September. As this was not our first visit to the school, the counselling teacher, Pn Siti Zubaidah Begum, requested that we educate the children on new issues. WCC staff Tasha conducted Circle of Friendship and Celik ICT with the Year 6 students. Despite some of them having to re-sit a few UPSR papers, they were all in high spirits and full of energy. The children discussed the types of friends they know, the activities they had with their friends, what it means to trust someone, and the danger of befriending someone in a short period of time. The children were then shown short video clips uploaded from YouTube entitled “Red Riding Hood”. The clips showed how you could use Facebook more safely by adjusting the privacy settings to prevent others from seeing your photos and also allowing people to know where you are. Tasha also discussed with the children the dangers of talking to online strangers and how cyber bullying is unacceptable. Before the session ended, Tasha shared an article taken from a Chinese newspaper which highlighted a teenage boy who enjoyed playing violent video games. As a result of being addicted to computer, he ended up hurting others in his family. The boy started being rude to his parents and was scolding his siblings whenever they did not do what he wanted. Fortunately, after a long and frank discussion with his family, he has been able to change his behaviour. Now he no longer spends his time playing violent games but prefers to play football instead. Rumah Kanak-Kanak Taman Bakti (RKKTB) Pada 18 September, pihak Pusat Perkhidmatan Wanita (PPW) diberi kebenaran untuk menjalankan program Keselamatan Diri “Bijak itu Selamat” di rumah KanakKanak Taman Bakti, Kepala Batas. Kumpulan sasaran adalah pada pelajar yang berusia 10 hingga 12 tahun iaitu seramai 54 orang pelajar yang terlibat. Sesi dibahagikan kepada 2, dimana sesi pertama melibatkan pelajar 11 dan 12 tahun yang dikendalikan oleh Say Tee dan sesi kedua dilaksanakan oleh Muniroh pada para pelajar yang berusia 10 tahun. Program ini memberi pendedahan kepada kanak-kanak mengenai keselamatan anggota tubuh badan mereka dan mengenai sentuhan ‘Ok’ dan sentuhan ‘Tak Ok’. Pengerusi jawatankuasa PPW, Datin Chin Khuan Sui yang dihadiri berkongsi pandangan bersama dengan kaunselor Puan Norhidayah mengenai kes-kes yang berlaku di RKKTB tersebut, sekaligus mempromosikan perkhidmatan yang disediakan oleh WCC/PPW. Program ini turut dibantu oleh PPW intern Joyce dan sukarelawan kami Florence. Maklum balas baik dari pihak RKKTB memungkinan program ini menjadi program tahunan mereka dan juga melatih pihak kakitangan RKKTB terhadap program “penderaan seksual kanak-kanak” pada masa akan datang. Sekolah Kebangsaan Pauh Jaya Pada 22 Julai, PPW dijemput oleh guru besar Sekolah Kebangsaan Pauh Jaya Puan Noraini bt Hj Jaafar untuk menjalankan program BIS setelah mengetahui program ini dari rakan guru besar yang lain. Seramai hampir 205 pelajar darjah 5 yang terlibat dalam program ini, sebanyak 4 sesi dijalankan dengan melibatkan 2 orang PPW fasilitator Muniroh dan sukarelawan Yujo dan di bantu oleh sukarelawan kami Ms Cham, Florence dan intern dari UTAR dan UUM Joyce serta Erene. masuk dalam bilik secara paksa?’ dan ‘Apa yang kita patut lakukan kalau ada orang yang kita tak kenal menegur kita? Jawapan turut dkongsi bersama para pelajar dan mengambil kira pendapat mereka sekiranya berlaku situasi yang berisiko. Hasil dari program tersebut banyak maklumbalas dari pelajar mengenai program ini, pelbagai soalan dan komen positif yang kami dapati. Antara soalan menarik yang boleh dikongsikan adalah ‘apakah tindakan yang kita mesti lakukan sekiranya seorang lelaki tarik kita 4 Youth Programme Penang Medical College Talk On 25 July, WCC went to Penang Medical College for the third session of the year to train future doctors on the issues related to violence against women. There were a total of 30 students in attendance. WCC outreach team Mangleswari, Seong Yuen and Jolene Tan spoke about the topic of gender, and why it is important. Students were reminded of the significant role they will play where as medical personnel are usually the first people to be contacted by victims of violence. Their role enables them to help identify domestic violence and rape victims who are too afraid to tell people about their ordeal. They may be the very first people to give support to the victims and offer them guidance on the kind of help available to them; hence their understanding and sensitivity towards handling these victims is crucial to the victims’ healing. Parenting Talk: On Teenagers On 9 August, PPW and Pusat Khidmat Adun Machang Bubuk jointly organised a parenting talk entitled “What happened to my teens?” The talk, which was conducted by the experienced counselor Alice Lee, attracted 44 participants. According to Alice, there are a variety of parenting styles, and listening is the key to effective communication. Parents play an important role in ensuring a balanced child development. They need to be loving and trustworthy when guiding their children through the various aspects of life, such as their children’s biological and psychological development, their values and religions, their relationships with family and friends, and school. Parents also need to develop and grow along with their children. It is important that they learn the various communication skills in dealing with their children. On Children On 19 July, the second parenting talk entitled “Nurturing child’s EQ and social skills” was conducted by a play therapist, Leong Min See at Pusat Khidmat Adun Machang Bubuk for 46 participants. Min See shared ideas about the psychosocial development needs of children below 12 years old. Children need their parent’s unconditional love, care, recognition, acceptance, security and trust. She also spoke about some challenges faced by parents and the ways to overcome them. Min See requested that parents reflect on their own levels of EQ, happiness, selfconfidence and also how they normally act when they are under stress. Parents were invited to think of their own happy memories of being a parent and what they normally do to create happiness in their families. Lastly, Min See discussed with participants some of the ways of resolving conflict between parents and children. According to the psychosocial theory by Erik Erikson, when children reach adolescence (12–18 years old), they are in the stage of Identity versus Role confusion. If parents want their child to experience positive growth and develop a sense of identity with a clear direction in life, they need to refrain from over-controlling their child. Moreover, they need to lend their listening ears to the child. Alice asserted that nurturing a child requires meticulous observation, patience and sufficient room to allow the child to develop in their own way. She also shared that the growth of the child is highly related to the parents’ relationship with one another. Parents need to give themselves time and space to maintain a good relationship, developing their own interests and loving their lives. Only then can they can provide a good example through showing their love and positive energy. Marriage and Divorce Talk On 23 August, PPW, in collaboration with WRAA (Women’s Rights Awareness Association), organised a talk on marriage and divorce. The speaker was Mr Lim Kian Leong, who is a practicing lawyer. Mr Lim presented information about divorce proceedings, including issues related to maintenance, child custody, matrimonial assets, etc. There were only 13 participants at the talk. Such a low turnout was attributed to people on the mainland being reluctant to attend a talk on divorce, as it may indicate that they are facing marital problems which they would not want the local community to know. 5 Talk on “Free Your Child from Hurt” Butterworth Methodist Church invited PPW to give a prevention talk on child sexual abuse. The talk was held on 27 September and was given by PPW coordinator Ooi Say Tee and volunteer lawyer Lim Kian Leong. The speakers presented some statistics and discussed what child sexual abuse is, symptoms of victims , some myths versus reality, how to help a sexually abused child, and the procedure of reporting . This talk was given to 53 participants, including men, women and teenagers Sexual Harassment Talk On 11 August 2014, WCC was invited again to conduct a talk on sexual harassment to residents at St Nicholas’ Home for the Visually Impaired. During the talk, a couple of residents shared their experience being harassed. One of the attendees said while she was waiting for the public bus, a man in motorbike came by her and kept on asking questions about where she wants to go, where she’s living and kept offering to drop her. She was very afraid but luckily the bus came. She then explained that now there is a system at St Nicholas where the residents are able to call the Rapid bus station to get the arrival time of the bus at their bus stop before going out to wait. During an open group discussion the residents learned the different types of harassment that can take place and what can be done to seek help. All the residents are well aware of the procedures set by St Nicholas Home. The speakers were WCC staff Tasha and Mangles. Drama on Domestic Violence WCC was invited by the Poh Oo Toong Temple to attend an interactive drama performance. On 18 July 2014, staff Yeoh Bee Yen and volunteer Ann Lee, together with about 200 other people went to watch the drama at the Penang Performing Arts Centre in Straits Quay. The central message of the drama was that the cycle of domestic violence can be ended if one party makes a choice to stop it. This message was told through a story of a family suffering from domestic violence through three generations. The cycle of violence was ended when a young girl chose to resolve hate by choosing love and forgiveness. After the drama, participants were asked to share their life experiences and were reminded to bring love into their homes. Mrs Universe and Domestic Violence What does Mrs Universe pageant and domestic violence have in common? Surprisingly, more than 30% of these beauty queens are formerly victims of family violence! 46 contestants from all over the world gathered in Kuala Lumpur for the Mrs Universe 2014 pageant and in a Forum themed “One Universe, One Voice”, contestants had to give a three minute presentation on violence against women in their respective country. Many shared their personal experiences as survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse and together they saw the common thread of violence suffered in women’s lives. The Forum hosted by KL Sogo on 24 August and the organisers invited 3 panellists to discuss their presentation. WCC executive director, Loh Cheng Kooi was one of the panellists discussant on that day. At the Mrs Universe World Finals held on 29 August, WCC fundraising ambassador, Datin Annie Chin represented WCC at the pageant dinner event. Winning with People On 24 and 25 September 2014, Tasha Merican was given the opportunity by ITD World (International Training and Development) to attend a very energetic two-day workshop conducted by George Foo. The workshop focused on how to be a good leader by working well with others, having a caring attitude, looking at things from a positive perspective, acknowledging weaknesses and being willing to change.It was a refreshing course and she would highly recommend such courses to anyone who is looking for self improvement. 6 Ceramah Gangguan Seksual & Keganasan Rumah Tangga Pihak Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC) telah menganjurkan ceramah bertajuk “Memahami Gangguan Seksual dan Keganasan Rumah Tangga” pada 15 September di Auditorium F, KOMTAR untuk kakitangan Majlis Pembandaran Pulau Pinang (MPPP). Pihak WCC, Pn Mangles & Pn Tasha telah dijemput sebagai penceramah. Pada akhir program, an dua orang peserta tampil untuk meminta bantuan untuk jiran dan kawan mereka yang mendapat penderaan dari suami. Harapan kami agar memberi maklumat untuk mereka dapat berbuat sesuatu untuk menghentikan keganasan dari terus berlaku! Pn Mangles bermula dengan menjelaskan tentang maksud gangguan seksual dan hak mangsa sebagai kaki tangan kerajaan. Garis Panduan Mengendalikan Gangguan Seksual Di Tempat Kerja Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam telah digunakan sebagai rujukan jikalau di ganggu secara seksual. Tasha kemudiannya berceramah tentang isu keganasan rumah tangga serta hak mangsa. Baik lelaki mahupun peserta perempuan, semuanya aktif mendengar dan memberi pendapat masing-masing. Seorang peserta lelaki juga turut menyuarakan pendapat di mana beliau merasakan program ini hanya tertumpu kepada pendera lelaki. Pihak WCC telah menjelaskan kepadanya bahawa mengikut statistiks dan klien yang datang ke pusat kami, di mana majoriti pesalah adalah dari kalangan suami. Bengkel “Apabila Ada Penderaan Bengkel ‘Apabila Ada Penderaan’ telah dijalankan oleh WCC Penang dan PWDC dengan kerjasama Pejabat Daerah & Tanah, SPU pada 20 September di Bilik Perdana, Pejabat Daerah & Tanah, SPU. Bahagian Sokongan Keluarga, Kehakiman Syariah juga telah menyediakan klinik khidmat nasihat. Objektif bengkel ini adalah untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan ahliahli JKKK wanita mengenai isuisu keganasan rumah tangga dan Akta Keganasan Rumah Tangga dan juga memperkasakan peserta dengan kemahiran mengendali kes-kes berkaitan keganasan rumah tangga. Seramai 39 peserta dari JKKK wanita dan Briged Wanita menghadiri bengkel ini. Para peserta telah menyatakan bahawa mereka mendapat banyak manfaat menyertai bengkel ini khasnya menimba pemahaman tentang keganasan rumah tangga dan mereka menghargai maklumatmaklumat yang diberikan tentang cara-cara membantu mangsa keganasan rumah tangga. Dan para peserta juga berharap bengkel ini dapat diulangi dan dijalankan bersiri supaya dapat mempertingkatkan lagi kemahiran mereka mengendali kes-kes keganaan rumah tangga di komuniti mereka. Program Mengurus Kewangan Anda Program PPW ini bertujuan membantu golongan wanita melaksanakan belanjawan harian. Kumpulan sasaran adalah ibu tunggal dan juga komuniti kampung di beri pendedahan berkenaan dengan kepentingan menguruskan bajet bagi mengelakkan kesukaran pada hari kemudian. Program ini dilangsungkan dengan kerjasama Pusat Khidmat ADUN Penanti dan JKKK Kubang Semang/Sungai Semambu pada 28 September, di Dewan Al-Fateh, Kubang Semang, SPT. mengenai isu pinjaman dari bank dan tips yang boleh diguna pakai dalam memastikan pengurusan kewangan diurus dengan bijak. YB Dr Norlela begitu teruja dan berbangga dengan kerjasama yang dijalankan bersama PPW dan mempromosikan perkhidmatan yang ditawarkan dalam membantu wanita dan kanak-kanak yang didera. Seramai 44 peserta hadir dan dirasmikan oleh YB Hajah Dr Norlela Binti Ariffin dan turut dilawati oleh Datuk Sri Anwar Ibrahim. Penceramah adalah dari Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK), Encik Tan Chee Hong. Beliau berkongsi pandangan mengenai pengurusan kewangan yang bijak, pendapatan tambahan, kelebihan bajet, peraturan meminjam dan cara menguruskan hutang secara efektif di samping peranan dan fungsi AKPK itu sendiri. Di akhir sesi banyak soal jawab yang dibangkitkan oleh para peserta 7 Advocacy Updates Feminist Leadership Training for Young Women discussions on structuring arguments for a sexual harassment bill in Malaysia. In order to help participants think beyond their personal scope, guest speakers from various organisations were invited to share their experiences with executing campaigns and movements. Speakers included Koon Tan from Projek Sentuh, Ngai Yuen from WomenGirls, Azrul Mohd Khalib from Malaysia for Malaysia and Yu Ren Chung from Women’s Aid Organisation. The knowledge garnered from the training was put to the test when the participants had to conceive of and conceptualise a sexual harassment campaign. WCC liaison officer, Hasanah Akhir was given the opportunity to participate in a four-day training seminar conducted by the International Women’s Rights Action Watch (IWRAW) Asia Pacific under the United Nations Fund for Gender Equality Project. As the aim of the UN Project is to nurture evidence-based research and analysis in activism work, the national-level seminar focused on building skills of young women to be effective advocates of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). From 8 to 11 August, the participants were trained to deepen their understanding on topics such as human rights, women’s rights, and patriarchy. Participants were educated on the principles of CEDAW in relation to sexual harassment, and were engaged in active group Following the training seminar, IWRAW also organised an Intergenerational Dialogue on 15 and 16 August. The dialogue took a comprehensive look at sexual harassment issues in Malaysia – its legislative history, the movement for its recognition and the purpose for a separate sexual harassment bill. WCC senior advocacy officer, Melissa Akhir was invited as a speaker. Melissa’s talk on “Revisiting the draft of Sexual Harassment Bill: Making the Law Reality” informed the participants of the proposed sexual harassment bill by the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) and the need to engage the community when lobbying for the bill . Training Prosecutors on Rights of Victims On 26 September 2014, WCC staff, Melissa Akhir was invited to train 10 selected deputy public prosecutors (DPP) at the National Legal and Judicial Training Institute (ILKAP). During the training, Melissa explained to the DPPs what a victim of violence experiences when she attends court, and pointed out that how the victim is treated in court may influence her reactions while testifying. Melissa familiarised the DPPs with findings on how victims cope after violence and how they should be treated throughout the court process – with courtesy, professionalism and respect. Such was the DPPs’ enthusiasm that they requested that the training be extended for another hour in order to incorporate a Q&A session. Questions were raised about practical concerns in cases concerning child and teenage witnesses. WCC’s “Surviving Court” booklet was particularly praised as being helpful as a bridge of understanding between victims, witnesses and the DPP. JAG Anti-Rape Rally KL On 14 August, a crowd of about 100 people gathered in Kuala Lumpur for an anti-rape rally organised by the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG). Despite the windy conditions, WCC program consultant Prema Devaraj addressed the crowd about WCC’s experience dealing with rape victims and the rape culture in Malaysia, which helps perpetuate the heinous crime. Sadly, we live in a society which supports rape culture through victim blaming and excusing perpetrators. Victims are not believed and girls are taught to take ‘steps’ to prevent rape, whereas boys are not taught not to rape. The system that is supposed to protect victims fails at every point, from the lack of systematic and thorough investigation needed to procure convictions to the justice system which allows perpetrators to go free on technical grounds. Hopefully awareness created through the rally will help to create a ‘wind of change’ on attitudes surrounding rape. 8 Law Reform Working Committee at AG On 30 September Melissa Akhir represented WCC as part of the JAG at the Attorney General’s Chambers for the Law Reform Working Committee discussions on amendments to the Domestic Violence Act. The list of proposed amendments included provisions for protection orders to be given at an earlier stage to protect victim from further violence, enhancement of effectiveness of protection orders and provision for other modes of protection. Unfortunately not all the proposed amendments were agreed upon. The struggle continues as we soldier on to protect the interest of domestic violence survivors. The Domestic Violence Trial In August, a WCC domestic violence client finally received justice when her former husband was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment for criminal intimidation and 12 months imprisonment for breach of protection order, to run concurrently .This is of great significance because to the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a conviction has been secured for breach of a protection order. grant an order for police supervision after release of the accused and the Watching Brief lawyer failed to obtain compensation for the client. Nevertheless, WCC hopes that this case will serve as a precedent and an assurance to future victims of domestic violence that a protection order is not merely a piece of paper but can provide real and proper protection from their assailants. The client had written a powerful victim impact statement of the trauma she underwent which was submitted before the court and read by the magistrate. The hearing was not all smooth sailing, as the former husband was overheard speaking to his family and threatening to cut off our client’s hands and ‘finish her’ when he is released. He also made intimidating remarks towards WCC’s social worker. The magistrate refused to Policy Dialogue on Universal Access on Reproductive Health and Rights The Federation of Reproductive Health Associations Malaysia (FRHAM) organised a policy dialogue on Universal Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights on 3 September 2014 in Subang Hotel, Selangor. Prema Devaraj was one of the five speakers and gave a presentation on an NGO’s perspective with regard to the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Review and post-2015 Development Agenda: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Issues in Malaysia. In her presentation, Prema highlighted the different policies and legislation taken by the government to address sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR). She then went on to briefly describe existing problems seen by WCC – e.g. the lack of inaccurate information on SRHR, the lack of access to SRHR services, the lack of protection against SRHR violations, and the penalising and prosecution of sexuality – all the while citing examples in the Malaysian context. Prema also raised four questions in the context of the ICPD review and post-2015 Deveopment Agenda – (1) Is there full comprehension of SRHR? (2) Is there understanding of how central SRHR is to sustainable development? (3) What is Malaysia’s point of reference for SRHR? (4) Is the interconnectedness of SRHR recognised? Prema then ended her talk with recommendations for a way forward. Integrated Approach to Child Care The 15th ASEAN Pediatric Federation Congress 2014 Integrated Approach to Child Care: The Way Forward was held at Hotel Equatorial, Penang from 17–20 September. Prema Deveraj was one of three speakers in a session called Hard Talk: The Child’s Rights vs What is Right. The discussion centred around the UN Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC) and its applicability in Malaysia. Over 500 participants were treated to a spirited discussion covering a range of issues including the meaning of ‘best interest of the child’, the rights of refugee and migrant children, dilemmas of corporal punishment, and government priorities and budgeting where child rights are concerned. The session ended with a Q&A with the audience. 9 Service Community Groups Exchange between Malaysia and Thailand From 19 to 21 August 2014, WCC social worker Yeoh Bee Yen went to Songkhla, together with ten community leaders from Penang, to learn and share about social work experiences with 60 Thai community leaders. At the workshop organised, the participants, who were from both the government sector and various NGOs, shared about their areas of work. This was followed by a panel discussion on the problems faced in social development and welfare. A Q&A session highlighted the difference between Thai and Malaysian organisations. Mr Wanttanachai Chaijit, Director of Health Promotion Hospital in Satun District, summarised it as organisations in Malaysia having more focus on their area of work thus providing more comprehensive assistance to the person in need. As the welfare organisations in Songhkla were more focused on children, participants visited several children’s homes which were fully supported by the government.Overall, the workshop gave the participants an opportunity to learn from one another by better understanding how other organisations provide their services Training on Social Work Practice On 25 and 26 August, the Malaysian Association of Social Workers (MASW) organised a workshop on theories for Social Work Practice. Dr Pauline Meemeduma, a social work consultant from Perth and a Foundation Fellow of the Australian College of Social Work, highlighted seven major theories that social workers should know and apply practically in their scope of work. With 40 years of experience working with people in crisis, Dr Pauline shared cases relating to domestic violence, child abuse and dysfunctional families, and explained how the theories can be applied. Say Tee (PPW) and Bee Yen (WCC) attended the workshop and found the General Systems Theory (GST) to be most useful as a tool to help capture and collate case information. Latest Publication Voices of 13 women from Penang Reflecting on their lived experiences Touching… inspiring… amazing… yet moving. This publication is a product of the Women’s Stories Project, a pioneering effort of WCC and PPW to engage women to reflect on and write about their suppressed lived experiences of pain and silences. The publication captures the candid voices of 13 women from Penang who reflected on their lived experiences. This book is available in English and Mandarin at RM 20 per copy. Do purchase the book as Christmas/New Year gifts for your friends and colleagues. Proceeds from the sales will go to the Women’s Empowerment Fund,. Get your copy now! 10 INTERN’S EXPERIENCE My internship with WCC has been really amazing! Although it was only one month, it was a great eyeopening experience for me. Primarily, it has sharpened my awareness as to what constitutes an “abuse” where it has been dampened by the deceit of patriarchy by giving it a different name. During my time here, I was given the task of researching the enforcement of maintenance order and did a comparative study of Hong Kong and California law. I also looked into the Convention Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which has been interesting, in addition to observing cases in court. Somehow, all of these have breathed life into my legal education as I was able to see how the law works to protect society and the positive difference that WCC is making. Not only are the people at WCC dedicated to their work, they are a sociable and helpful group as well. The learning experience is not limited to the office. I found that conversations over a meal frequently opened up interesting topics which were intellectually stimulating. Words of gratitude can never do justice to fully describe the experience one can have here! Jane Lee Ee May Law student, ATC College Penang My 13-week internship went very quickly. I still remember the anxiety I felt when pressing the doorbell on my first day. However, I need not have worried as I found that being an intern in WCC was an enriching, happy and great experience. I discovered that the office was full of positive energy and the staff approached their difficult work with passion and enthusiasm. This greatly motivated me in the work I did and helped me enjoy my time there. I would like to thank all of you for giving me the opportunity to take part in a great variety of projects and programs. I have gained a great deal from the programs I participated in. For example, I have learned more about the meaning of domestic violence, the definition of rape, how an NGO can liaise with other agencies to help the victims and much more. I would not have had the chance to explore these areas had I not been at WCC. I also realized how serious the social issues that WCC deals with are and that they are more commonplace than I had previously supposed; there is a real need to deal with them which WCC attempts to fulfill. Much of the new knowledge I have gained is as a result of the generosity of the staff, the volunteers and the other interns in their guidance and help. I am also very grateful for being able to sit in on counseling sessions because in many places trainees are not allowed to observe such sessions. I found this exposure challenging, but I learned far more than I could have were I simply reading it in a text book. Thank you so much! Lim Jing Rong Psychology student, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman Being an intern at WCC has been a unique experience despite my short time here. There is a certain energy in the WCC office that one would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Despite being extremely busy, the WCC staff are close-knit, friendly and always extremely helpful. During my time here, no single person found it too much trouble to help, direct, advise or to share a friendly word. I came into WCC as a legal intern for five weeks and although my time was short compared to most other interns, the WCC advocacy team entrusted me with legal research subjects for their various projects. Doing legal research for WCC was unlike anything I had done before. Since the object of WCC’s legal projects are legal reforms and the raising of public awareness on certain legal matters, I found myself looking into laws, issues and articles on matters that I had no idea were problematic and in jurisdictions where I would never have otherwise looked. In the five weeks I was at WCC, I had the opportunity to attend a sexual harassment talk given by two of the WCC staff as well as accompany the staff for court support (where the WCC social workers and advocacy officers lend support to clients who are going through the court process). These occasions allowed me a glimpse into the strength and drive of WCC staff and the hurdles WCC faces in their work. As a law student, being jaded about the legal system, the court process and the administration of justice is the norm. We are told constantly that “there is no such thing as justice” and most of us either begin our law courses cynical about the role we will eventually play as future lawyers or we gradually grow cynical during our training. Witnessing a small glimpse of what the WCC staff are willing to do and how far they are prepared to go to offer help and support to their clients, to strive for legal reform, and to reshape our culture is humbling and inspiring. Long Shuen Wei Second year law student, University College London 11 WCC Media Coverage The recent upheaval in Selangor over the post of Menteri Besar (MB) has suddenly led the country to a situation where we might soon be witnessing a major breakthrough for women in politics. Over the years we have seen women slowly occupy positions in the political arena. Data from the Ministry for Women, Family and Community Development shows that in 2013 women made up only 13.1% of local councillors, 28.8% of senators, 11.3% state legislative assembly members, 10.4% members of parliament and 12.3% of cabinet ministers and deputy ministers. The Malaysian government made a commitment in the 9th Malaysia Plan to ensure 30% representation of women in decision making positions by 2010. The reality for women in politics is that it is an ongoing struggle to break the boundaries of misogyny and patriarchy in politics, a particularly male dominated arena. Now, an opportunity has indeed arisen in Selangor and there is a possibility of a woman MB there. A woman leader of a state government would be a momentous breakthrough in Malaysian politics and perhaps even pave the way for a woman prime minister sometime in the future. It would encourage other woman to venture into full-time politics and transform male-centric and sexist thinking within politics. It might also force a reassessment of party politics, which has up till now seen mainstream political parties in Malaysia divided into male-dominated party leadership positions and women’s wings. The entry of sufficient numbers of women into politics, especially in decision making positions, can broaden and redefine the national political agenda and transform the very nature of politics. This is especially so if the women leaders, in addition to their lived experiences, are committed to principles of good governance including transparency, accountability and inclusiveness. These principles should be the minimum expectations of all our leaders, irrespective of their gender or political party affiliations. The question of competency often arises when a woman leader is mooted. While competency is important, we note that it is rarely brought into question when male leaders are nominated for key positions in the state legislative assembly, parliament or ministries. Another issue which rears its head when women leaders are put forward is family connections and political patronage. This is a reality which holds true even for many male leaders and is a practice seen in many countries. Good governance practices and selections based on merit, if adhered to, would slowly see the end of this. We look to the day where leaders and decision makers will be chosen based on their competence and their adherence to good governance principles and not be held back because of their gender. Prema Devaraj is Programme Consultant of the Womens’ Centre for Change, Penang 12 No immunity for rape – Prema Devaraj Published: 3 July 2014 The Malaysian government’s decision allow the extradition of its diplomatic attache Muhammad Rizalman Ismail, who was charged on May 10 in a Wellington District Court in New Zealand with burglary and assault with intent to commit rape on a 21 year old woman, is welcomed. It was of great concern to many that instead of being made to stand trial, Rizalman was flown back to Malaysia on May 22 under the protection of diplomatic immunity, despite the seriousness of the alleged crime. The actions by our government, i.e., requesting the sealing of all documentation pertaining to the case and withdrawal of all charges against Muhammad Rizalman as well as the decision not to waive diplomatic immunity, did not bode well for the government’s standing not only in the eyes of its citizens but also in the international arena. The use of diplomatic immunity at that point effectively enabled the accused to evade a criminal justice process where he would have been made to account for his alleged actions. By allowing this, the Malaysian government was in breach of General Recommendation 28 of the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw), to which Malaysia is a signatory. Cedaw states that our government has a duty, among other things, to bring perpetrators of violence against women to trial and to impose punishment. The Defence Minister and the Foreign Minister had assured Malaysians that justice would prevail and that Rizalman would face a Board of Inquiry set up by the defence ministry, and if accusations were found to be true, he would be court-martialed. But many Malaysians were left wondering how a Board of Inquiry could be used to investigate a serious criminal offence, i.e., attempted rape. It raised a fundamental question of the government’s approach towards investigating sexual crime. Furthermore it was unclear how an investigation into the alleged crime could properly take place given that the victim and investigating officers were in New Zealand. Up until yesterday, more than a month after Rizalman’s return, the status of investigation in Malaysia was as yet unknown. The government must act to fulfill both local and international commitments towards ending violence against women. There is an urgent need to stand resolute in rejecting sexual violence, irrespective of whether such violence occurs on Malaysian soil or is committed by a Malaysian abroad. As such the decision taken to send Rizalman back to New Zealand to stand trial is the appropriate step to take. – July 3, 2014. * Prema Devaraj is programme consultant, Women’s Centre for Change, Penang. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider. 13