AWAM Malaysia - Women's Rights and Feminist Activism - JAG Activities, Campaigns & Strategies

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Networks > Joint Action Group for Gender Equality > JAG Activities, Campaigns & Strategies

JAG's strategies are multi-pronged aiming to challenge ideas, beliefs and institutionalised policies and laws which perpetuate inequalities between men and women and enable violence against women to continue.

The following strategies have been adopted to maximise their impact on the national consciousness to effect change:

Education and Awareness Raising to challenge perceptions on violence ag ainst women so that people are sensitised towards women's rights, equality and non-discrimination.

Activities: Conducting talks, seminars and training. AWAM has actively implemented this strategy by conducting talks, seminars, trainings and workshops for schools, universities, business corporations, NGOs and government bodies.

Advocacy and Lobbying for reforms on laws and policies so as to provide better administration of justice.

Activities: Organising dialogues with relevant Ministries, especially with the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (MWFCD), and having a high-level meeting with the Prime Minister, YAB Dato Seri Abdullah Badawi; lobbying Members of Parliament, and key personnel in the judiciary; and holding watching briefs for significant court cases affecting women's human rights. AWAM's key role is being the liaison between JAG and MWFCD. AWAM is also present to provide support as and when JAG has meetings with the various ministries.

Media Campaigns to raise public awareness

Activities: Lobbying the media to cover events like the International Women's Day celebrations; holding media campaigns over a period of time such as the "16-days of activism to eliminate violence against women"; and garnering support from media editors and journalists to cover JAG's campaign. AWAM contributes actively to public opinion on issues related to women's human rights and violence against women by writing to the press. We also conduct training for young women advocates to write media responses and articles with critical ana lysis. At times, these young writers provide support in writing responses to media on JAG issues.

Public Protests

Activities: Organising impromptu public protests such as the submission of petitions; and street demonstrations to ensure attention is given to urgent issues. AWAM mobilises our members, whenever possible, to be present. One such protest took place in 1996 on International Women's Day, where AWAM, together with other women's groups gathered to 'greet' the Minister of National Unity and Social Development - then the Minister in charge of the women's portfolio - with banners and calls of "Laksanakan Akta Keganasan Rumahtangga Sekarang! " (Implement the Domestic Violence Act Now!). This quickly led to the implementation of the law which had failed to come into force earlier despite having been enacted in 1994.

The work of JAG has reached out to a wide spectrum of key and strategic personnel and institutions including Members of Parliament; State Assembly representatives; counsellors; social welfare officers; medical officers; the police; judges; legal advocates; investigators and prosecutors; the Attorney-General's Chambers; Legal Affairs in the Prime Minister Department; the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development; educational institutions such as schools, colleges and universities; and the general public.

Since the handing over of the Memorandum on Laws that Discriminate against Women in 1986, JAG (then JAG-VAW) has made its mark in several key areas and these are as follows:

1988	Amendments of laws related to rape.
1989	14,000 people supported a petition campaign against domestic violence
1991-1995	For the first time, the Sixth Malaysia Plan (1991-1995) includes a chapter on "Women and Development". The chapter mentions reviewing the status of women in Malaysia.
1994	Enactment of the Domestic Violence Act (DVA).
1995	The government ratifies the UN Convention on the Eli mination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women after women's groups, including those in JAG-VAW, raise the "11-point Agenda" to draw attention to areas which required further government action to improve women's lives.
1996	Sisters in Islam begin a campaign to reform the Islamic Family Laws that discriminate against Muslim women.
1996	As a result of a public protest against the slow implementation of the DVA, the Government immediately looks into the procedures.
2001	18,000 people sign the petition supporting a Sexual Harassment Act in Malaysia.
	Amendment to Article 8(2) of the Federal Constitution to include "gender", and hence prohibiting any form of discrimination on the basis of gender.
2004	JAG-VAW's Memorandum on Equality for Malaysian Women is submitted to the Prime Minister, YAB Dato Seri Abdullah Badawi.
	JAG-VAW presents it legal reforms on the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) to the Select Committee, which was set up to review these two laws.
	JAG-VAW takes up the issue of gender equality arising from the case of Beatrice Fernandez v Malaysia Airlines. It organises a press conference during the judgement of the case to publicise the issue.
2005	JAG-VAW raises the issue of moral policing to the Backbenchers' Club in Parliament.
	JAG-VAW submits a Memorandum on Gender Equality for MAS Female Flight Attendants endorsed by 68 organisations to the Ministry of Human Resources and Ministry of Transport on 10 June 2005.