Pre-emptive measures to prevent abuse of Penan women

The Sarawak Women and Family Council (SWFC) has proposed several pre-emptive measures to the state cabinet to prevent sexual exploitation of the Penan women and girls.

Its chairperson, Fatimah Abdullah, said the meeting discussed the report by the National Action Committee (NAC) of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development on the sexual exploitation.

"We want to take care of them and improve their livelihood. We have proposed to the Sarawak Biro Wanita to intensify its efforts on education and health awareness programmes in the high-risk areas," she told reporters here today.

She said the council recommended programmes on legal rights, personal safety and sex education to create awareness among the Penan women and girls on their rights and how to protect themselves against sexual exploitation.

Fatimah, who is also the state Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Office, said SWFC, an advisory body to the state government, would submit the recommendations to the Ministry of Social Development and Urbanisation.

Eight rape and molest cases found

The NAC's fact-finding mission to Baram last year confirmed the sexual harassment and exploitation of Penan women, including under aged girls by loggers.

The report said the Penans' dependence on logging companies' vehicles for transport to and from the longhouse to their school made them vulnerable to sexual attacks.

It documented at least eight rape cases and molest of under-aged Penan girls by the timber workers.

Fatimah said to reduce the Penan schoolchildren's dependence on the timber vehicles for transport, the SWFC has proposed the Education Ministry provide vehicles to schools in the interior and remote areas, which were only accessible by the logging tracks.

She said the council agreed with NAC's recommendations that more student management assistants be appointed to accompany the schoolchildren from home to school and back at the beginning and end of the terms.

"We also propose the ministry increase transport allocation to enable schoolchildren to go home four times in a year from twice now," she said.

- Bernama