Grassroots, not elitist, the way to go for women NGOs
I refer to the letter Women cannot fight inequality alone
which was a response to my earlier analysis on women equality issue, Reprioritise women equality efforts . Firstly I would like to assure the writer that I am on the same side as far as womens equality is concerned.I regret if my views had offended the writer and misconstrued as a condemnation of the women NGOs. In my previous letter I had suggested that the efforts of these NGOs would be more effective if they reprioritised their activities based on local needs rather than merely replicating the approach of the western NGOs in the entirety.
Applying the western model to solve the local issues is a naive and unwise move as it would only reflect a lack of analytical and original thinking on our part. The cultural, religious and historical backgrounds of western nations differ very significantly from ours. Furthermore they are much higher up in the equality chain, while we are still grappling with basic issues at the bottom.
NGOs need to recognise that the inferior status of the women was not brought about by a well-planned and sinister male plot but rather a product of complex fusion of cultural, religious and historical factors over thousands of years. So merely pointing their collective fingers at the men would not help at all; in fact it would only serve to harden the views and resolves of the male misogynists.
While I agree that both sexes should work towards achieving womens equality, one needs to be realistic and pragmatic. Surely it would be far easier and more logical to change the mindset of the females before even think about converting the males. It is surely too much to expect the Malaysian men (or fathers as suggested by the writer) to take up the task of educating their children on gender equality.
The NGOs can either sit on their comfy chair up in the clouds and blame the social construct or take it upon themselves to drive the change. Sadly instead of attacking the root cause, NGOs have elected to commit most of their (limited) resources to attend to the symptoms of the problem.
As I had argued in my previous letter, the mindsets of the women are still being enslaved by their perceived inferiority. Some of the characteristics of modern women too serve as an impediment to progress. Women must also believe and respect in themselves and their abilities before they could demand the same from the men.
For example, no man will take a female colleague seriously or treat her as equal if she turns up to work in a Britney Spears outfit on the pretense of being comfortable with her body . When a woman is forceful and competent, respect and equality is granted automatically without being asked. It must be clearly understood that equality for women would not be handed out; it has to be earned.
Being a member of a minority ethnic group, I know only too well about inequalities and discrimination that exist in workplaces. But it would serve absolutely no purpose if we choose to sit, bleat and cry out for more protection, legislation, government support, etc. The only sure way to break through this glass ceiling is to work harder and prove to be better than the rest, success will follow naturally. Your success will not only spur others of your kind but also compel those in power to review their policies.
Womens NGOs also must strive harder to shake off their elitist image as only a grassroots approach will bring about the revolution they are fighting for. Puteri Umno might not have done much on the legislation front but it has finally given a voice, empowerment and self-belief to thousands of young Malay women employed in low-paying manufacturing jobs in factories around the country.
These girls, as pointed out in my earlier letter, form one of the most deprived and marginalised groups in Malaysia. It is a crying shame that while some NGOs have made the issue of foreign domestic helpers as a key part of their agendas, none (apart from Puteri Umno) chose to advocate the issue of the local female factory workers.
We are lucky to have numerous highly capable, intelligent and eloquent women in the country. To achieve the noble goal of gender inequality the synergies of all womens organisations should be efficiently and effectively harnessed and focused on the most important issues facing the Malaysian women today. This would also mean putting aside their political and petty differences and working toward the common objectives.
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I refer to the letter Women cannot fight inequality alone
which was a response to my earlier analysis on women equality issue, Reprioritise women equality efforts . Firstly I would like to assure the writer that I am on the same side as far as womens equality is concerned.I regret if my views had offended the writer and misconstrued as a condemnation of the women NGOs. In my previous letter I had suggested that the efforts of these NGOs would be more effective if they reprioritised their activities based on local needs rather than merely replicating the approach of the western NGOs in the entirety.
Applying the western model to solve the local issues is a naive and unwise move as it would only reflect a lack of analytical and original thinking on our part. The cultural, religious and historical backgrounds of western nations differ very significantly from ours. Furthermore they are much higher up in the equality chain, while we are still grappling with basic issues at the bottom.
NGOs need to recognise that the inferior status of the women was not brought about by a well-planned and sinister male plot but rather a product of complex fusion of cultural, religious and historical factors over thousands of years. So merely pointing their collective fingers at the men would not help at all; in fact it would only serve to harden the views and resolves of the male misogynists.
While I agree that both sexes should work towards achieving womens equality, one needs to be realistic and pragmatic. Surely it would be far easier and more logical to change the mindset of the females before even think about converting the males. It is surely too much to expect the Malaysian men (or fathers as suggested by the writer) to take up the task of educating their children on gender equality.
The NGOs can either sit on their comfy chair up in the clouds and blame the social construct or take it upon themselves to drive the change. Sadly instead of attacking the root cause, NGOs have elected to commit most of their (limited) resources to attend to the symptoms of the problem.
As I had argued in my previous letter, the mindsets of the women are still being enslaved by their perceived inferiority. Some of the characteristics of modern women too serve as an impediment to progress. Women must also believe and respect in themselves and their abilities before they could demand the same from the men.
For example, no man will take a female colleague seriously or treat her as equal if she turns up to work in a Britney Spears outfit on the pretense of being comfortable with her body . When a woman is forceful and competent, respect and equality is granted automatically without being asked. It must be clearly understood that equality for women would not be handed out; it has to be earned.
Being a member of a minority ethnic group, I know only too well about inequalities and discrimination that exist in workplaces. But it would serve absolutely no purpose if we choose to sit, bleat and cry out for more protection, legislation, government support, etc. The only sure way to break through this glass ceiling is to work harder and prove to be better than the rest, success will follow naturally. Your success will not only spur others of your kind but also compel those in power to review their policies.
Womens NGOs also must strive harder to shake off their elitist image as only a grassroots approach will bring about the revolution they are fighting for. Puteri Umno might not have done much on the legislation front but it has finally given a voice, empowerment and self-belief to thousands of young Malay women employed in low-paying manufacturing jobs in factories around the country.
These girls, as pointed out in my earlier letter, form one of the most deprived and marginalised groups in Malaysia. It is a crying shame that while some NGOs have made the issue of foreign domestic helpers as a key part of their agendas, none (apart from Puteri Umno) chose to advocate the issue of the local female factory workers.
We are lucky to have numerous highly capable, intelligent and eloquent women in the country. To achieve the noble goal of gender inequality the synergies of all womens organisations should be efficiently and effectively harnessed and focused on the most important issues facing the Malaysian women today. This would also mean putting aside their political and petty differences and working toward the common objectives.
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