Public Consultation on Violence Against Women October 2004

In recent times there has been a marked increase of violence against women in Malaysia . There is a need to address this issue as well as the current state of affairs that has been in the limelight concerning the legislation regarding the offence of rape. The Friedrich Naumann Foundation and ERA Consumer Malaysia organised this public consultation to create a platform for members of civil society and relevant government officials to discuss the effects and implications of violence against women. The seminar, entitled "Violence against Women", was held on 11 October 2004 , and was officiated by Datuk G. Palanivel, Deputy Minister for Women, Family and Community Development. There were a total of 135 participants from government sector, local and international NGOs.

The first part of the seminar dealt with: identifying and defining what is violence, a discussion on the types of violence that women are being subjected to in this day and age, and the implication of International Conventions and its enforcement through Domestic Laws. Case studies from the Community Centres involving Indian women in situations of violence were incorporated into the seminar, giving emphasis on using the Indian women perspective as an example.

There was a panel discussion on the issue, with representation from the police, and legal advisers from the NGO sector, as well as from the Attorney General's Office. The panel discussion provided a clearer understanding for the audience, which included both the victims and agencies that work with victims and perpetrators. The consultation revealed that several problems still existed in the handling of cases by police officers, and reports lodged by women victims of violence. In particular it is often the case that when it comes to domestic violence, many see it as a mere family dispute and try to act as counsel to mediate the issue rather than treat it as a serious case.

Proceedings and recommendations obtained from this consultation in terms of implications and possible amendments to the law will be recorded and presented in a memorandum to the relevant government ministry. The goal is to make policy recommendations to improve the laws on sexual and domestic violence in order to fulfill a major objective of the project.

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