I refer to the letter by Honey Tan titled Struggle for women's rights not about recognition which was in response to my article Getting the boot for being pregnant . It has sadly missed Tan's understanding that women's rights is all about recognition.

Else why bother with the glass ceiling of only 30 percent women at the decision-making level for one? Also, if recognition is a non-issue, then why bother with the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw) and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, one of them being to promote gender equality and empower women?

Tan also missed the point that I made in that women's groups should be seen to be doing their work in a continuously and not just in high profile cases like those of Beatrice Fernandez, Canny Ong, Noritta Shamsuddin or Melissa Batinathan. Respite from cases or issues is something women's groups cannot afford.

With regards to Fernandez's case, Tan said presidents of Women's Centre for Change (WCC) and Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) were interviewed by reporters from at least four newspapers.

Is that the yardstick by which JAG-VAW views success in dealing with a case? What happens to all those women we read about in the newspapers who are abused, abandoned, raped or gang-raped?

If their cases do not make major headlines, is that reason enough for the women's groups to not voice out their dissatisfaction and worry about the rise in domestic and sexual violence against women and share these concerns consistently with the government?

There is no denying that JAG-VAW has done its bit in bringing about changes vis-a-vis laws that lend support to women. But then these progresses cannot be used indefinitely by JAG-VAW to claim credit.

Sex education, teenage pregnancy, incest, abortion and women and HIV/Aids are also issues that need to be talked about. I am sure women's groups have the necessary, qualified people to talk about these issues. Why wait for an issue to explode before calling attention to it?

And while lending support, it would also do women's groups good - for their own sake - if they toot their own horns to the world. I appreciate the alacrity with which Tan responded to my article.

I hope she and fellow women activists maintain that same urgency in raising concerns and dealing with issues affecting women.