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 In conjunction with International Women's Day in 1985, a group of women and men organised a workshop and exhibition to highlight the phenomenon of violence against women in Malaysia. For the first time, the issues of rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment at work, prostitution, and portrayal of women in the media were highlighted as matters of public concern.
The success of this historic two-day event inspired the formation of several women's organisations. One of these was AWAM, officially registered under the Society's Act in 1988. Some of these organisations have gone on to become part of an established network called the Joint Action Group against Violence against Women (JAG-VAW) which continuously works to achieve the objective of a violence-free community.
Since then, AWAM has developed its programmes to secure women's human rights for a gender-equal society through various ways. These include providing counselling services and legal assistance to any woman in need of support; and training or public education to continue engendering greater awareness on issues of violence against women. As well, we actively lobby and advocate for improved legislation and policies by bringing forward women's concerns to decision makers. Such actions and processes contribute to the expansion of democratic space and helps in building multiculturalism in Malaysia.
Some of the significant milestones for AWAM are as follows:
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