NEWSLink - WCC Penang
Transcription
NEWSLink - WCC Penang
Women’s Centre for Change 241 Jalan Burma 10350 Penang, Malaysia. Tel: 04-228 0342 Fax: 04-228 5784 E-mail: [email protected] NEWSLink 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 October — December 2013 www.wccpenang.org Internal Circulation were such a great way for the mothers and their children to interact while at the same time de-stress, put everything else aside and savour some precious moments with their loved ones. After all the adventurous and exciting games, the mothers and their children visited the Penang Butterfly Farm. There, the families learned about nature, bugs and butterflies. It was a beautiful place filled with flowers, plants and butterflies flying around. Some children enjoyed chasing after butterflies, while others were amazed that they managed to have butterflies rest on their hands. This was the first time they experienced such close encounters with butterflies and bugs. Saturday, 14 December was a fun-filled and adventurous day for 21 families from different races and backgrounds. WCC, PPW and Friends In Charity jointly organized a Family Bonding Event for 21 single mothers and 46 children to enhance their family interaction at the Escape Theme Park and Butterfly Farm in Teluk Bahang. The day began at Escape Theme Park. Even before entering the theme park, the children were jumping for joy with their eyes fixed on the people who were in the midst of conquering the three-storey high ‘monkey business’ game. As soon as they entered, the mothers and children were thrilled to see the variety of games available to them, including tubby racers, tots trails, discovery digs, flying fox and so much more. These fun activities It was indeed a day where laughter was shared and good memories were made. These fun activities were a great opportunity to draw families closer and imprint happy footprints in their hearts. This was indeed a dream for these low income families. Much thanks to Friends in Charity, Escape Theme Park and Penang Butterfly Farm which made this outing possible. “I am so happy that I was given the chance to participate in this event. This felt like a vacation for me and my children as I cannot afford to bring my children to such places” —Mdm Lim with two children “This is so great! My children and I had a fun time ! We took so many pictures together!’ —Anne with two children Happy New Year! May 2014 be a year of triumph and good cheer! And to our Chinese members and supporters “Gong Xi Fa Chai” 1 2 3 Community Nurses Training On the 1 October, WCC held the second training for the community nurses on ‘Handling Domestic Violence’ . 37 nurses, pharmacists and paramedics from the Timur Laut district were in attendance. Topics covered at the session included differences between gender and sex, problems caused by gender inequality and its link to violence against women and children. Comments from participants: Mengadakan program seperti ini dengan lebih kerap untuk tingkatkan pengetahuan, satu program yang baik, sangat bagus, teruskan lagi pada semua jabatan kerajaan dan program seperti ini patut diteruskan. Based on the feedback, the participants learned a lot from the training. Most importantly, they were awakened to the fact that domestic violence is not a private matter between husband and wife – it is the responsibility of everyone to stand as one to stop violence against women and children. The majority of participants found the workshop to be informative. Health Department Talk at Komtar In conjunction with ‘Psychology Day’ on 17 October, WCC staff Mangleswary and volunteer Rozie Tan were invited to speak to 30 female staff from the Health Department. The session started with the viewing of a WCC video, followed by discussions on gender stereotypes and linking those stereotypes to violence against women. The talk then focused on domestic violence (DV), types of DV, impact of violence on victims and their children and why women often hesitate to leave the violent home. To emphasize DV’s impact, Rozie shared a case in which a victim is still traumatised from a childhood incident that happened 20 years ago. Talk at Bayan Baru Klinik Kesihatan WCC held a talk on 24 October with 40 nurses at the Bayan Baru Klinik Kesihatan. The talk focused on WCC’s role and efforts as an NGO in dealing with domestic violence and children. The talk was conducted by staff Tasha Merican together with volunteers Marie Chee and Loo Mei Chien. Prior to the talk, the participants were not aware of WCC’S existence. After being shown WCC’s introductory videos and a few clips from the ‘Bijak Itu Selamat’ video featuring content on child sexual abuse prevention, they understood the importance of their role in protecting the children around them so that they will not become victims of abuse. WCC held this talk on the invitation of Dr Tang Wei Shuong, whom we met at a meeting at the Balik Pulau Health Clinic last year. Since then, Dr Tang has been referring clients and following up on their welfare and progress. WCC is thankful for Dr Tang’s continued support and look forward to building a stronger working relationship in 2014, with more indepth training courses with nurses. 4 Workshop in Johor During the two days, participants examined the link between gender and violence against women and explored various issues of domestic violence, definition of DV, its impact , difficulties women have leaving violent homes, and societal perceptions on DV. In the afternoon, participants learned about the rights of victims of domestic violence, and how and where help can be accessed. On the second day, participants were given practical explanations of the protection available under existing laws for victims of violence, and learned how to get protection by applying the theories to real case scenarios. There was also a brief discussion on contact resources available in Johor. JEWEL, (a Johor-Baru based NGO) together with WCC co-organised a two day workshop on 16–17 November entitled “Handling Domestic Violence Better”. 30 participants came from nine various Johor organisations, including Befrienders Johor Baru, Sentuhan Kasih (PPP), and Sri Mahavishnu Fine Arts Society. WCC Program Consultant Dr Prema Devaraj and Advocacy Officer Melissa Akhir were the trainers for the sessions. The participants were eager to learn and asked many incisive questions. Some asked for more workshops on domestic violence and video clips to educate others on the issue. The enthusiasm coming from the participants and groups was heartwarming, and points were made on the possibility of a coalition working towards addressing violence against women in Johor. Workshop in Perlis WCC, working in collaboration with Yayasan Tuanku Syed Putra Perlis, Pejabat Pembangunan Wanita Perlis and University Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), commemorated International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women with a workshop on Domestic Violence on 25 November at UniMAP. With an attendance of about 100, participants were given the chance to learn about domestic violence. The presentation explained the definition of domestic violence, discussed statistics on the issue and the impact of domestic violence, and debated common perceptions which stop victims from seeking help. among the participants that they did not know where the shelters for women in need were in Perlis. The WCC team would like to record our thanks to all our co-organisers in helping to make the event a success. We are especially grateful to HRH Tuanku Hajjah Lailatul Shahreen Akasha Khalil Raja Puan Muda Perlis, without whom this workshop would not have been possible. The participants worked on case studies, which required them to explore different ways in which victims could access help as well as acknowledge the difficulties victims face when accessing help. Participants received a variety of material including pamphlets on domestic violence, World Health Organisation handouts on violence against women and information on the Domestic Violence Act (1994). However, there was some concerns Mental Health Campaign On 19 October the Mental Health Coalition Penang organised the Voices for Mental Health event, which was attended by 14 NGO’s representatives and supporters. The objective of the program is to increase the awareness concerning the importance of mental health and to reduce its stigma and prejudice among the public. The fast-paced and stressful daily life that Malaysians face is one of the contributing factors that can lead to depression and suicide. The event discussed how mindfulness, which involves conscious awareness of one's current thoughts, feelings, and surroundings, can aid in reducing an individual’s levels of stress. A walk from the Caring Complex to Youth Park was scheduled in the afternoon. Due to heavy rain the walk was rerouted, but this did not dampen the spirit of the participants. One highlight of the event was “Voices in Testimony”, who brought people suffering from mental illness to open up about their lives to the public and share their difficulties in living a normal life. “Mental illness is like any other illness but it’s the stigmatization that made it worse”, said one participant. The program was an eye-opener for everyone that participated, and helped the public to better understand the concept of mental illness and mental health. 5 Parenting Workshop For the first session, Min See discussed the behavioural problems of young children and teenagers, and the causes of conflict between them and their parents. She then explained the needs of young children and teenagers, which include unconditional love, care, recognition, security and guidance from parents. Lastly, she shared effective ways of communication between parents and children. For the second session, participants were divided into three groups according to the age of children, namely preschool, primary school and secondary school students. PPW organised a series of parenting workshop in Mandarin conducted by Leong Min See, a Certified Play Therapist. The parenting workshop was divided into two half-day sessions on 28 September and 12 October 2013. The first session was conducted at PPW office and was attended by 54 participants. Due to the overwhelming response, the second session was conducted at I Lohas Enrichment Centre in Bukit Mertajam, which offered a more spacious and comfortable place. The second session was attended by 38 participants. In the groups, participants chose a scenario and did role-play as parents, school teachers, and children. During this session, Min See highlighted the effectiveness of good communication. Participants had fun during the session and learned practical ways of dealing with their children’s behaviour. Most of the participants found the two sessions informative with useful tips for parenting their children. After some brainstorming in groups, it was inspiring to hear that some of the women are keen to start a programme for children in 2014. They aimed to form a small group and come up with a plan for the coming year. In-House Workshop: Enhancing Self Awareness On 5 October, an in-house workshop on enhancing selfawareness was organized for WCC/PPW social workers and volunteers, with a total of 21 people in attendance. The trainer was Margarita Malayapillay, an experienced counsellor from LPPKN. The focus of the training was to address the importance of recognizing emotions and thoughts of both client and counsellor during the counselling sessions. The trainer helped participants become aware of their reactions towards impacting people and events. The training explained how to understand the feelings and emotions in managing a case, and how those feelings can influence the helper and client. Each participant was encouraged to share their experiences and the difficulties in case management. The workshop was very interactive; there were some activities that encouraged the participants to share their feelings and thoughts while the trainer guided the participants to be aware of what is happening to themselves. Margarita also explained how self-dialogue helps in empowering oneself. Throughout the activities, participants learned that selfempowering is important as a helper before helping others. It is normal to have different feelings and thoughts in handling cases but the helper needs to be aware that they should not impose their own feelings and thoughts onto the client. Participants found the workshop useful for counselling. WCC volunteer Wendy Ang expressed that it helped her approach clients in a comfortable way, without affecting by her own emotions. Marriage and Divorce Talk On 26 October 2013, a public talk on marriage and divorce proceedings was organised by WCC and attended by 36 people. Many couples are unaware of their rights when it comes to these important topics. The speaker, Lalitha Menon, a lawyer, briefed participants on legal rights and explained in detail the topics of wife and child maintenance, child custody and matrimonial assets. During the session, participants were very responsive and eager to learn, especially about maintenance and matrimonial assets. After the talk, a mobile clinic was set up by Legal Aid Centre to promote their legal services to the participants. Participants hope that there will be more of such talks in the future. 6 Community Talks On 17 November, WCC was invited by Persatuan Brahma Kumaris Malaysia to deliver a talk on women’s empowerment. WCC staff spoke in Tamil about the importance of women themselves taking some form of action to stop violence when they experienced it. The talk held in Jawi, was aimed at encouraging women to seek help when facing violence at home. A month later, we received a call from one of the organizers seeking advice on helping a domestic violence victim who sought help from her. Through our guidance, the organiser was able to help the victim get an Interim Protection Order and to arrange shelter for her. On 7 December, WCC also held a community talk at the Sungai Pinang PPR flats. This program was organised by Soroptomist International Penang and Penang Women Development Corporation (PWDC). The focus of this event was understanding one’s own expectations of their marriage and spouse. It highlighted how to handle conflicts that arise when expectations are not met. The final message conveyed was that it is normal to have arguments in relationships but violence should never be seen as a solution. If violence is used at home, the victim should seek help. The WOMB Seminar On 30 November 2013 , the Women and Baby (WOMB) seminar was organised by the National Council of Women’s Organizations. The speaker, Dr Mark Monina introduced the participants to the topics on sexual reproductive health and women's rights, unwanted pregnancies and contraception. He also emphasized that women should be given the right to make their own decision regarding their body as it is a basic principal of human rights. The consultant for the Ministry of Health explained that abortion is legal in Malaysia taking in consideration the medical condition of the woman. Another speaker, Dr Chong Sim Poey debunked a few myths on abortions. There were mixed reactions from the participants, but this was anticipated as abortion and unwanted pregnancy are considered as taboo subjects in our society. Feedback from Say Tee, PPW staff: My prejudice against abortion on religious grounds initially held me back. Attending the seminar, however, actually relieved me from my worry and directed me toward an appropriate, professional approach to counselling clients with unwanted pregnancy. One speaker explained the two different philosophies of abortion, namely pro-life and prochoice. People who hold the pro-life principle are against the idea of abortion. On the other hand, people who are pro-choice basically respect a person’s decision, be it to abort a child or not. The different speakers held different principles and viewpoints, both pro-life or pro-choice. Upon reflecting on the various points of view, I recognised that the knowledge gained from the seminar was helpful for dealing with clients with unwanted pregnancy (e.g. rape cases, underage pregnancy). After all, I can still uphold the principle of pro-life while at the same time carry a prochoice approach to counselling my clients. I need to carefully explore with clients the various actions which could possibly be considered and their ensuing consequences. The final decision would of course lies with the client. 7 Bijak Itu Selamat (Be Smart, Be Safe) Program SK Sungai Gelugor Program Bijak itu Selamat di SK Sungai Gelugor telah menjadi program tahunan di sekolah tersebut. Pada 11 Oktober 2013, sekali lagi kami dijemput oleh Cikgu Zubaidah Zakaria dari Unit Bimbingan dan Kaunseling. Seramai 69 orang murid terlibat dan dibahagikan kepada 2 sesi, sesi pertama dikendalikan oleh Pn Rozita Abdul Rahim (sukarelawan WCC) dan sesi kedua di diteruskan oleh pegawai PPW, Cik Muniroh. Memandangkan ini kali pertama bagi kedua-dua fasilitator, Pn Tasha juga turut hadir sebagai pemerhati dan penilai dalam membantu fasilitator melaksanakan program ini dengan jayanya. Rasa nak buat lagi! Ini merupakan kerja penting dalam memberi maklumat kepada kanak-kanak mengenai penderaan seksual. Ia bukan satu kerja yang mudah tetapi memerlukan usaha dan pengorbanan. Yakinlah bahawa "sebaik-baik manusia adalah manusia yang memberi manfaat kepada orang lain". By Muniroh Yusoff Hasil maklum balas dari pihak sekolah amat positif dan program sebegini mampu mengajar murid-murid mengenai sentuhan ok dan tak ok serta langkah dan tindakan sewajarnya boleh diambil sekiranya berlaku. Program ini juga menggunakan medium yang lebih mudah difahami dan tidak membosankan murid. SK Seri Permai On 29 October, BIS program was conducted by teacher, Pn Zauyiah Ibrahim from the Unit Bimbingan dan Kaunseling whom WCC trained in May 2012. Cikgu Zauyiah conducted the session to all the standard 6 students in her school. Cikgu Zauyiah felt that the program is useful and important for her students as it creates awareness regarding personal safety. The ‘Ok, Tak Ok’ session helps her students evaluate if a touch is good or bad by using their intuition and urges them not to keep a secret and inform an adult if they are uncomfortable with someone’s touch. To Cikgu, thank you for your efforts and keep up the good work! We hope you will continue reaching out to more and more children in your school! Sekolah Kebangsaan Balik Pulau On 3 October, WCC’s Outreach Team was invited to SK Balik Pulau to conduct the Bijak Itu Selamat, the child sexual abuse prevention program. Outreach staff Tasha Merican and WCC volunteers were well received by the school principal, student affairs senior assistant and counselling teacher. During the session, the students actively participated by giving examples of personal safety. They used red cards and green cards to distinguish a good touch and a bad touch. However, during another session conducted by Rosalind Lim, students were more reserved and reluctant to speak up while in the full group. WCC is thankful to Cikgu Sarima for the opportunity to share this program with the students . SK Khir Johari Seberang Perai BIS program was conducted for 38 students from Standard Five and Six. Each activity ran successfully, and the students were responsive and eager to share their experiences. We hope this program benefitted the children by increasing their awareness on child sexual abuse and the importance of personal safety. The program was carried out by PPW staff Muniroh as facilitator and supported by Kah Yen and volunteer Cheryl Tan. “BIS is a good program which is very informative and helpful in preventing sexual abuse against children.” Pn. Munirah, school counselor 8 Grace Assembly of God Grace Assembly of God invited WCC on 9 November to give a talk on BIS in Mandarin. Children aged 10–12 years attended the session, accompanied by their parents. WCC volunteer Tang Kae Shih started the session with a short introduction on the role of WCC, followed by a song about ‘good touch and bad touch’. The song taught the children about the differences of feelings to help them differentiate between a good and a bad touch. With the examples in a cartoon scenario and a short discussion after showing two short movies of child sexual abuse prevention, the children were trained to inform an adult should abuse happen. Kae Shih found that the children are less responsive in front of their parents; so it is better to conduct the programs with the children themselves. The church pastor, Ms Fionn Ting Chong Hwa felt that this was a useful program and would like to arrange more sessions in the future for their teenagers on the topic of “personal safety”. Youth Programme College Workshop @ Sentral Tasha’s feedback: Alamak no electricity!! Yes, on the day of our workshop which was held on 10 October, suddenly the seminar room had a black out. But that did not dampen our team spirit to continue with the workshop. Though it was challenging with no microphones or powerpoint slides, we proceeded to educate the students on gender issues. Luckily our team members were swift enough to think of creative ways to present the topic to the students and have a discussion with them. The temperature of the room increased when the students started to debate about the expectations of a partner during the activity “My Ideal Partner”. The debate ended with the agreement that basic human values are the most important characteristics in the person you choose. College Talk @ KDU The Gender Sensitization talk was held at KDU Lecture Hall on 16 October 2013, with 50 students from the School of Mass Communication in attendance. Topics covered included differences between gender and sex, problems caused by gender inequality, and the link between gender inequality and violence against women. At the end of the event, WCC staff gave the students a chance to evaluate the program as a whole. Of the 50 participants present, 30 answered the questionnaires given. The survey found that students had learnt from the workshop the difference in meaning between gender and sex. Most participants began the workshop with awareness that being in a relationship does not stop a person from being good to others, and finances or expenditures can also be shared. Nonetheless, the participants found the workshop useful, with 87% of students rating the program very good or good. Participants developed a better understanding about the term ‘mutual relationship’ and found the talk informative and interesting. The talk sparked the spirit of equality among the participants who acknowledged that there should be no more stereotyping and discrimination in this new era. Some were keen to learn more about WCC Penang Chinese Girls School (Private) Penang Chinese Girls School (Private) invited WCC on 14 November to give a talk on “ICT Be Savvy” in Mandarin with the attendance of 50 students from Form 1 and Form 2. WCC volunteers Tang Kae Shih and Ng Lee Y’ng started the session with a short introduction on the role of WCC followed by ‘Circle of Friendship’. It was emphasized by the facilitators that one needs to build trust before becoming best friends with someone. Gaining trust usually takes time, and it is important for young people to recognize the process instead of jumping to a conclusion about someone too hastily. The session continued with a powerpoint presentation about cases of teenagers being raped by internet ‘friends’ and common issues faced by teenagers when using Facebook and the internet. The facilitators reminded students not to hesitate to lodge a police report if they are being manipulated by their internet friends. The program ended with a ‘Q & A’ session. The speakers answered questions posed by the students orally and in writing. The students said that they felt happy and gave a good response on the overall program. 9 Researching Women and Society social world have male-centric bias, but suggested that this may be remedied by turning the focus to women’s voices and experiences. By doing this, the research would be different in terms of the questions asked and methods used, as would the interpretations, analyses, and implications drawn. Four WCC & PPW staff attended a one-day workshop organised by KANITA in collaboration with the Southeast Asian Association for Gender Studies Malaysia Branch (SAMA) on Researching Women and Society on 19 December 2013. The workshop was held to promote the study of social structures, processes and relationships through a gendered lens. The workshop acknowledged that research and analyses done on the Mentoring and Coaching Course WCC Executive Director, Loh Cheng Kooi participated in a five day course – 2-day Essential Mentoring Skills, and 3-day Coaching for Breakthrough Success, on 15—19 November, sponsored by ITD World, a global institute of training and development. The mentoring course was conducted by Edwin Johnson, a master trainer, while the coaching course was taught by Dr Peter Chee CEO of ITD. The course taught participants about the importance of mentoring and coaching as a management tool to bring out the best in a person’s development and career growth. It also taught participants how to mentor and coach a person to enable her to grow personally and professionally. Cheng Kooi was deeply impressed with the trainers and felt that she acquired valuable skills and new knowledge that she can apply towards improving the management of WCC. WCC is grateful to ITD World for enabling Cheng Kooi to participate in this professional course on a complimentary basis. 10 The sessions in the workshop aimed to help participants understand how taking a gendered approach to research would enhance our understanding of how society works. It also gave practical insights into performing social research, and offered a platform for discussion on issues such as: What is gender? Why is gender an important perspective in social research? Is researching women different? How do we use the gender lens in research practice? and How do gender analyses lead to change? The methodologies and knowledge imparted in the workshop were useful to the staff and will be a great help for the research and analyses that WCC might take up in the future. Bengkel Keganasan Rumahtangga di SPU Bengkel Menangani Keganasan Terhadap Wanita telah dijalankan oleh Women’s Centre for Change (WCC), dan PUSPANITA, Cawangan Seberang Perai Utara (SPU) dengan kerjasama Pejabat Daerah & Tanah, Daerah SPU pada Rabu, 11 Disember, di Pejabat Daerah & Tanah, Daerah SPU. WCC ingin mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Pihak Pejabat Daerah & Tanah, Daerah Seberang Perai Utara (SPU) dan PUSPANITA, Seberang Perai Utara khususnya Pn Hajah Saodah Haji Nawawi, Pegawai Daerah SPU kerana sudi memberi persetujuan untuk mengadakan bengkel “Menangani Keganasan Rumah Tangga.” Objektif bengkel ini adalah untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan ahli-ahli PUSPANITA mengenai isuisu keganasan rumah tangga dan Akta Keganasan Rumah Tangga di samping memperkasakan mereka dengan pengetahuan untuk mengendali kes-kes sebegini. Seramai 41 peserta telah menyertai bengkel ini. Daripada keputusan penilaian, ramai peserta mendapati bahawa sesi-sesi yang telah dijalankan memberi manfaat dan mereka turut menyatakan keinginan untuk bengkel seperti ini dijalankan untuk orang ramai. Child Trauma Psychosocial Response Team Workshop The Penang Child Trauma Psychosocial Response Team Workshop, sponsored by B. Braun for Children and the Penang State Government, was successfully conducted on 15–17 November at Sunway Hotel, Georgetown. The workshop was an initiative that started in response to the 2006 tsunami disaster in Malaysia. Many people suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after the disaster and did not receive immediate help in handling the trauma. On the last day child psychiatrist Dr Lai Fong Hwa and psychologist, Dr. Lynn Yong conducted a role-play session to allow the participants to practice the counselling techniques on how to deal with people in trauma. Bee Yen and Christine found the workshop intensive but interesting and useful. The training provided participants with a workbook on children and a manual to help them practice their newly-learned techniques in their work. The workshop was useful for staff’s work especially in dealing with domestic violence and sexual crime victims in trauma. This year (being the fourth year the training was held) Dr. Frederick Toke, the President of Lee Community College, Singapore, was invited to conduct the workshop. The three-day intensive workshop was attended by 80 participants from various agencies including the Welfare Department, police, hospital, teachers and NGOs. WCC’s social worker, Yeoh Bee Yen and volunteer Christine Teoh participated in this workshop. The workshop equipped participants with basic knowledge and skills in handling trauma, especially child psychological trauma. The sessions focused on the definition and concept of trauma and how social factors impact children’s response and behaviour in dealing with stress and trauma. The SAFER Method, which provides five approaches to dealing with people in trauma, was introduced by Dr Fred. 11 In appreciation to PPW and WCC for running this project, the women of the WSP created their own butterflies, which they will sew into a quilt for the centre. The 13 women and facilitators also hand-crafted butterflies which have been used to produce a 2014 calendar. The proceeds generated from the sale of these calendars will go to the Women’s Empowerment Fund used to help women in need. A booklet on the women’s’ stories is expected to be published in early 2014. With the publishing of these stories, we hope it will inspire more women to become stronger and more empowered. The Women’s Stories Project (WSP) has finally come to the end but it is a new beginning for the women who took part in the project. The aim of this initiative was to use storytelling-sharing-reflecting-writing as tools for healing and fostering experiences of empowerment. A lot of effort was put into helping women reflect and write about their life experiences. The final workshop was successfully conducted at PPW on 1 December. All 13 women participated wholeheartedly in this workshop. Even though the project took more than a year to complete, it has created a positive impact in the women’s journeys towards empowerment. The main focus of the first session for the day was for the women to review their journey in the WSP individually and as a group. All women unanimously expressed that this project has greatly benefited them, especially in self-discovery through the charting of their ‘river of life’ from past experiences. They were finally able to express and acknowledge the pain and hurt which they had buried for so long. It was a great sight to see the women so radiant compared to their dispositions in the first workshop, where most looked sad and teary. Some of the women have even become PPW and WCC volunteers. In the second session for the day, the focus was on the women moving forward and continuing their journey of growth. The aim was to encourage them to move beyond themselves as a step forward towards fuller empowerment. 12 “The project has really impacted me a lot. I no longer ignore the problem that I face but I learn to reflect and find out the root cause of the problem.” “My relationship with my children have changed and become like friends. My children even advise their aunt to go to PPW’s courses after seeing my positive changes.” “I realized that I have forgotten to smile for many years. After I join the project, I started to Dialogue with NGOs As the Exco for Women, Family and Community Development, YB Chong Eng took the opportunity to understand the work of NGOs related to her portfolio by holding two separate dialogues: one for women NGOs and another for NGOs working with children. The purpose of both dialogues was to understand and appreciate the work undertaken by Penang NGOs who are involved with women and children, get their feedback and suggestions and improve networking amongst NGOs and government agencies. At the women NGOs dialogue held on 26 October, the work of the Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC), a statesupported agency set up to mainstream gender in Penang was presented, followed by an overview of the issues faced by Malaysian women. At the workshop session, all groups highlighted that safety and violence (including snatch thieves, robbery, domestic violence and rape) were the most urgent issues affecting people today. The presence and effective role of the police is much needed; this goes beyond the Penang state and falls under the federal jurisdiction. WCC representatives Cheng Kooi, Kah Cheng, and Mariam Lim participated and shared WCC’s work in ending violence against women and children. The dialogue for NGOs working with children on 7 December saw participation largely from children’s homes and the various NGOs working with the disabled. Each NGO presented gave a brief introduction about their work. The NGOs working with disabilities cited many challenges faced, including the lack of financial support and resources such as trained personnel and the lack of recognition of disabled children in schools and public areas. Several WCC staff including Cheng Kooi, Melissa, Hasanah and Bee Yen participated in the dialogue. Both the dialogues ended with the call for the state to hold such dialogues regularly to enable NGOs to give feedback pertinent to improving the situation of the vulnerable people in Penang. IVAW Day in Penang In Penang, MMK Women, Family and Community Development and Penang Women’s Development Corporation with support from women NGOs commemorated International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IVAW) by drawing attention to the continued daily violence such as domestic violence, rape and sexual harassment faced by women in our country. The public event was held at the Concourse Perangin Mall on 25 November. YB Chong Eng called for abused women not to keep quiet but to take action to end their woes. Two male ADUNs YB Dr. Alif Bahaudin, Exco for Health and YB Teh Lai Heng Komtar assemblyman turned up to lend support. Those present were entertained by a Bhangra troupe followed by the carrying of placards around the area to remind people of their role to reduce violence in our society. WCC executive committee member Lim Kah Cheng and past president Mariam Lim together with staff Cheng Kooi were present to give support. Dialog Suara Anak Muda Balik Pulau Belia merupakan pemangkin pembangunan sesebuah Negara. Sedar akan hakikat ini pada 5 Oktober suatu dialog Suara Anak Muda Balik Pulau telah dijalankan oleh MSNPP, MMK, PWDC & Penang Institute bagi mendengar suara anak muda tentang isu-isu yang mereka hadapi terutamnya di kawasan Balik Pulau sendiri. WCC staf Hasanah Akhir telah mewakili pihak WCC sebagai pemerhati bagi Dialog tersebut. Dialog tersebut memberi peluang kepada belia Balik Pulau untuk membangkitkan isu-isu yang effect mereka serta menganalisis keperluan meraka sebagai anak muda. Majoriti anak muda sedar akan masalah-masalah yang menghantui mereka terutamanya dari segi perumahan mampu milik, tempat asuhan kanak-kanak, masalah kenderaan awam, peluang pekerjaan serta inginkan kemudahan awam seperti tempat beriadah di kawasan Balik Pulau. Hasanah dapati dialog seperti ini boleh dijadikan sebagai platform diantara belia dan pihak kerajaan Pulau Pinang dimana ia menjadi ruang untuk pihak kerajaan mendegar pendapat serta keluhan isu-isu semasa dan membantu mereka menangani isu-isu tersebut. 13 Charity Dinner Concert for WCC Organised by Kwong Wah Yit Poh together with the Datos’ and Datins’ in Penang and supported by MMK Youth & Sports, Women, Family and Community Development, the Joyful Penang Concert dinner, held at Equatorial Hotel on 15 November, was a night filled with glitter and good entertainment. The 600-strong crowd dined on an 8-course dinner and were serenaded by the Datos and Datins themselves, crooning evergreens, dancing rock and roll, and performing drama. Several Penang YBs also lent support by showing their singing talents. The Charity Dinner raised a whopping RM500,000 of which WCC benefitted RM225,000. Special thanks to WCC’s fundraising ambassador, Datin Annie Chin, who was also the vice chairperson of this Charity Dinner committee. She worked hard to raise donations through table tickets sale and displayed her versatility in singing, dancing and acting during the night. Renew Your Membership Now! The WCC General Committee has decided that the new membership fee will take effect after the Annual General Meeting in March 2014. The new rates are: Annual Fee is RM30 and Life Membership is RM500. For existing members, please renew your membership soonest. The current rates are: Annual Fee is RM12 per year and Life Membership is RM200 14 Lobbying for better laws on women and children The Joint Action Group for Gender Equaltiy (JAG) coalition members had to rush and prepare two documents – a Memorandum and Notice of Amendments to improve criminal laws (under the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code) related to sexual crimes and domestic violence (amendments to these laws). These amendments were suddenly presented at Parliament without prior consultation with public bodies. The JAG documents were then presented to the Women Parliamentarians for Gender Caucus, namely YBs Fuziah Saleh and Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said for follow up action. Armed with the JAG documents, the Women Parliamentarians for Gender Caucus, together with JAG representatives, held a meeting with the Attorney General Office on 21 December to discuss how to better protect women and children. The Attorney General, Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, had made a verbal commitment towards open consultation on such laws and will involve the Gender Caucus, JAG, and the Malaysian Bar. Unfortunately the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code Bills were passed at the House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat), despite the Attorney General’s agreement in principle with around 60% of the amendments that JAG had proposed. The Attorney General counter-proposed that the changes to laws on domestic violence and sexual crimes should be done via other legislations i.e. in a more holistic discussion on all legislation affecting women and children. After the half-day meeting, WCC advocacy officer Melissa Akhir together with other JAG members proceeded to Parliament for a Press Conference to call for more consultations with the Members of Parliament, relevant NGOs and the public, whenever laws that affect women and children are being submitted to Parliament. Dialog Berkenaan Advokasi Mangsa Mangsa-mangsa keganasan seringkali memerlukan sokongan yang berkesan, terutamanya mangsa wanita dan kanak-kanak yang melalui kerumitan proses siasatan dan perbicaraan di mahkamah. Bagi menjana perbincangan progresif tentang aspek-aspek sokongan yang diperlukan. Pada 7 Disember 2013, Pihak WCC telah menganjurkan suatu dialog tertutup yang dinamakan ‘Dialog berkenaan Advokasi Mangsa’. Dialog ini telah melibatkan pihak-pihak berkenaan seperti institusi-institusi awam berkenaan, agensi-agensi penguatkuasaan dan pihak yang membantu mangsa secara langsung. Seramai 15 orang wakil hadir dari institusi-institusi dan agensi-agensi penguatkuasaan. Tiga sesi telah diadakan yang meliputi aspek-aspek maklumat tentang sokongan mangsa di dalam proses perbicaraan di mahkamah, mengenalpasti aspek-aspek sokongan yang wajar diperbaiki pelaksanaanya,dan cadangan terhadap isu-isu berbangkit serta langkahlangkah penyelesaianya. Dialog ini akan diadakan 2 kali setahun bagi menangani isu-isu semasa di dalam sokongan mangsa di mahkamah. 15 Watching Brief and Amicus Curiae Training On 9 November, WCC organised a one-day training for 30 lawyers entitled Watching Brief and Amicus Curiae: Advocating for Victims of Sexual and Gender Based Violence. The trainers were Honey Tan, Edmond Bonn and Mr Joshua Teh from LoyarBurok KL. The training was held as often that in a criminal justice process, the victim’s rights are not always taken into consideration. The main objective of the training was to encourage lawyers to become watching brief lawyers for victims of sexual crimes and represent his/her interests during the trial. The training helped the lawyers to understand the role and purpose of watching briefs and amicus briefs. The trainers helped to clarify how watching briefs function in advocating the rights of victims of sexual crimes. Towards the end of the training, WCC watching brief lawyers shared their experiences going through the criminal justice process. 16 One of the watching brief lawyers said “Seeing the trauma that the victim felt and face during the trial makes me realize how important my role was to be there for her through her journey into seeking justice”. WCC received positive feedback from the participants, who requested for such training next year. Once, after being hit by my husband, I made a police report, but due to the urging of his family, I withdrew it, despite knowing in my heart that it was not fair. My husband had become a hard-core drug addict, and was several times arrested and jailed – but ultimately was freed on bail by his family members. This kept me frustrated to no end and put no fear in my husband as he was confident he would eventually be bailed out every time he was arrested. Every woman dreams of running her own happy family and has an ever lasting marriage. The ties of a marriage built on the strength of love should not be impeded by differences in nationality as love is blind. Such my wish when I married my Malaysian husband as I am Indonesian. After almost 12 years together, my husband and I were blessed with a pair of twins, 9 years old, and a daughter 6 years old. My children were raised to respect their parents and be of good behavior. They were my jewels and we were grateful for these blessings showered by God. We stayed in the family house that belonged to my husband’s late father, along with other members of his family. This arrangement made me uncomfortable at times, and I often wish that we had our own home. My husband, a person I used to love and respect, has now become an object of my hate, and respect is far from anything I feel for him. After our twins were born, he started hitting and assaulting me. Most of his free time was spent with his friends, and he would stay out till late into the night. If I were to question his whereabouts, I would become the subject of his anger. On October 2013, over a trivial matter, he hit my body and head, as well as my child who tried to stop him. This time, my patience had reached its limit, and I lodged a police report against him for hitting me and harming my child and me. My husband was subsequently arrested and remanded 5 days in jail. He was charged, pleaded guilty and the fine was paid off with the help of his family again. But for me, there was no justice. Who was going to guarantee my safety? After lodging the police report, I decided to free myself from this life of injustice and torture. The police on duty referred me to the Welfare Department (JKM) for temporary shelter. The JKM officer brought me to WCC for help. My children and I stayed at the WCC Shelter while the social worker counselled me and also assisted with the renewal of my special social pass as a foreign spouse. They also faced a lot of harassment from my husband and family members who wanted me to return to the family. Now, with the strength and support of my family from Indonesia, I am still in Malaysia to continue to raise my children with love and care. I have taken the brave step of choosing to file for a divorce and am fighting for the custody of my children. Day after day, he became more and more distant with no signs of improvement. Worse yet, he became a drug addict. He even made a room in our house a place for him and his friends to indulge in their addiction. Which wife’s heart would not ache seeing such behaviour from her husband? With nowhere to turn, his family continually advised me to be Bersabar ‘Be patient…’ – a phrase that made me so angry at times. I dealt with the cost of raising my children with the earnings I was making from a women’s spa I work, which thankfully allowed me some independence. In this way, I was able to support my family. 17 18
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