As someone sympathetic to the struggle of women to gain equality, I am pleased to note the surge in number of articles covering gender issues in the mainstream media as well as in malaysiakini . The representatives of women NGOs also have been very eloquent, persuasive and persistent in their writings and face-to-face interviews in advocating their views. This augurs well for the advancement of womens rights.

However, I believe the noble efforts of these groups are ineffective as the core issues are not being addressed. In my opinion the most important and urgent issue to tackle is changing the mindset of the women themselves. This is the biggest impediment to the advancement of women rather than misogynist males or unfair laws and policies. It is imperative that women believe in and respect themselves before they ask the men of the same.

Apart from changing the mindset of women, NGOs should also focus their attention on areas that affect the biggest number of women. Pareto principle (the relationship between input and output), a management tool used for problem solving, should be applied to the issues facing Malaysian women to address them more effectively. The problem with our local women NGOs is that they tend to get their inspiration in entirety from the western NGOs, a product of typical Malaysian West is best mindset and uncritical thinking.

Malaysian women currently face a multitude of problems, some exclusive to our country. Malaysian womens issues need Malaysian solutions. Domestic violence, rape, political empowerment and sexual harassment are no doubt serious issues that need to be tackled but I believe there are far more serious problems than these facing our women.

One of these issues NGOs should address is the case of single mothers as there is an explosive growth in the number of this group which if left unchecked, could result in a massive social problem in a few years time. NGOs should work very closely with the Women and Family Development Ministry.

Already the phenomenon of both parents working has decimated the family unit and deteriorated parenting skills, resulting in a generation of children lacking in discipline, character, moral fibre and social responsibility. The propensity of these single mothers and their children drifting to a life of crime or other equally undesirable paths is great if they are not provided with moral support and guidance, as they are often under severe financial and emotional stress.

The migration of young women from rural areas has resulted in severe emotional and social problems that had not been addressed for years. Most of these girls are employed in low-paying manufacturing jobs and staying in deplorable conditions, making them easy preys for various unscrupulous parties. This is another issue that needs urgent attention.

I am glad to see that Puteri Umno has moved in to help these girls but I would like to see more active involvement from local NGOs to help them. Personally it is extremely disappointing to see our local NGOs advocating the cause of foreign domestic helpers strongly yet neglecting the travails facing our own Malaysian girls.