The recent public outcry on the rape and murder of marketing executive Chee Gaik Yap and the calls for tighter law enforcement reflects a welcome change of mindset from punishing the victim to punishing the perpetrator.

Whilst these solutions might be sufficient to show our resolve in punishing the offenders in an effort to prevent such heinous crimes from being committed, I feel that we need to adopt a long-term strategy of educating society on gender equality.

Firstly, I would like to highlight the difference between sex and gender. Sex is our biological attributes, what we are born with. Gender is the socially ascribed role based on our biological sex that is considered normal in our society. For example, those born male are supposed to be macho and masculine and if a man is effeminate, he is considered a 'queer' and is usually ostracised and marginalised by society.

Secondly, we need to realise that rape is not about sex. Rape is about using sex as a cruel form of weapon to dominate. Domination in the form of rape, domestic violence or sexual harassment is a reflection of a society whereby one group (i.e. men) is brought up and rewarded for behaving in a macho, aggressive and confrontational manner. The subliminal message is that it's okay to impose themselves upon others to resolve differences or in getting what they want.

The other so-called weaker group (i.e. women) on the other hand are socialised to be docile, submissive and to adhere to the wants of the stronger sex (men). This contributes to inequality between the two groups where the men are perceived to be stronger in all aspects and

hence have the right to dominate over women.

I think we need to realise that the "male" and "female" traits are all a result of our socialisation from the day we were born and that these can change. For example, it was unthinkable even a century ago for women to vote, but now we have female leaders in traditionally male-dominated countries such as Chile, Liberia, the Philippines, and from the past, Indonesia.

The biological difference between men and women doesn't make necessary a dichotomy of stronger or weaker, whereby one has the right to dominate the other. Rather, it should be seen as a celebration of our diversity.

I do hope that we, as a nation, recognise and urgently correct this entrenched mindset in a bid to rid ourselves of an underlying dominant-violent culture.