Ignorance is never bliss and most of us have learned this painful aspect of reality in one way or another. Yet, some people prefer to be blissfully ignorant and think that is the only way to get on with life.

One such example of this came from Rosmah Mansor, the wife of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

At the launch of the 'End Violence Against Women' campaign by Soroptimist International Region of Malaysia (SIROM), Rosmah said that women sometimes put themselves in danger of violence by walking alone in the dark and deserted areas. She concluded that such acts invited danger therefore women should always be accompanied when walking in such areas or avoid them altogether.

Words of wisdom? Hardly! To begin with, Rosmah through her rhetoric has clearly shown how out of touch with reality she is. Her inability to understand why violence is perpetrated against women resulted in her immature remarks, unfortunately time and again.

Does Rosmah know that the common woman has to muster the courage to walk back in the dark when she finishes work late or does overtime? Where does a single woman or a divorced mother go around looking for someone to accompany her home each time she finishes work late?

It seems that Rosmah has forgotten that not everyone enjoys the luxury of being driven around. No woman in her sane mind would enjoy a 'walk in the dark'. And through her words, Rosmah has made it clear that it is a man's world out there, and that only men can be safe going out at night and that a woman is never safe without the presence of a man in her life. The truth however is far from what Rosmah would like to believe. She is ignorant of the fact that women are empowered and do not need a man to complement their lives. For Rosmah's knowledge the emancipation of women took place a long time ago, in spite of the fact that women while playing wife and mother, failed to be appreciated in their marital roles.

The real scenario

Safety is an issue with both sexes. But sadly, Rosmah under the cloak of comfort has overlooked the real scenario out there, that women do have to walk home alone, in the dark, no thanks to the failure of the local council to install or repair faulty streetlights.

It is regrettable that Rosmah instead of seizing the opportunity to admonish the local councils for not making the roads safe by way of ample lighting etc went on to censure the women for walking the dark.

To assume that women deliberately take the pleasure of walking in the dark is Rosmah's biggest folly. She must realise that the everyday woman has to go out of the house to earn a living and take care of the family.

Rosmah's statement that men should not be blamed for violence against women should be a cause for concern among the public. Perhaps the women's groups can do the community particularly the women folk a favour by educating Rosmah on what prompts violence against women and why women are abused. It is important that Rosmah understands why abuse, be it domestic, physical or sexual is hurled against women. To conveniently put the blame on women is sadly a very prejudiced and incorrect opinion.

It is really a misfortune that Rosmah, by virtue of her being the deputy premier's wife has yet to gain understanding of issues ailing the rakyat, especially the women. It has made it necessary for the women's groups to help Rosmah understand all about abuse meted out against women. In this regard maybe SIROM could do the honours by teaching Rosmah a thing or two on violence against women. Slowly but surely, one hopes Rosmah will display a more thoughtful approach when talking about issues concerning women.

At the campaign too, Rosmah said she was unhappy with the rising number of cases where women and children were subjected to violence. She cited that in 1994 there were 994 cases and the number rose to 1, 113 in 2005.

"How can we say that we are a civilised nation when family values are slowly being eroded, when there is violence within the family? Our Vision 2020 target will become meaningless if our society is made up of broken families, where respect for family is non-existent. Parents should instill respect in their children and they should pay more attention to their children's activities," she was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.

Nicely said, but from her ignorance over the issue of abuse against women, Rosmah has also made it clear that the nation's leaders and their spouses have little concern for the ordinary woman who gets battered or they are too busy enjoying their lives of comfort to the point of having forgotten their 'sisters'.

If Rosmah is genuinely 'unhappy', not worried mind you, that the statistics on abuse against women and children is rising, then she should make it her business to halt the figures from escalating.

Ignorance breeds contempt

It is not only familiarity that breeds contempt but ignorance can do so as well. Malaysians by now have to come realise that there is little point in seeking help from politicians. Politicians today have no time for people's woes but all the time for major events or impressive mergers.

However, when the general election is due, it is the people's woes that become the priority of politicians. Now, it is up to the people to decide whether ignorant and insensitive politicians need to remain in their midst.

As for Rosmah, one can only pray that she 'sees the light at the end of the tunnel'.

Was the rape and murder of Audrey Melissa Batinathan, the girl's fault? Likewise was horrific murder of Canny Ong and more recently Altantuya Shaaribu their fault? If it is with this understanding that women 'leaders' like Rosmah hope to bring about change, then God save Malaysia.

JJ RAY started her career with a mainstream publication. A non-conformist, she soon saw the barriers that went up whenever, through her writing, she tried to make the world a home for one and all.