While women's rights have been gaining momentum over the decades, it is time for men to know their rights as well, especially when it concerns their roles as fathers and guardians of children.

The Bar Council will be holding a forum, the first of its kind, entitled 'Children Need Fathers Too' in the coming week.

The forum's main aim is to create awareness in educating the public particularly in relation to a father's rights.

It sets to highlight issues faced by fathers and measures that can used in addressing plight from a legal and a non-legal perspective.

In a press conference held in the council's auditorium today, senior family lawyer Chew Swee Yoke said this idea on men's rights began two years ago.

She related the story of a man in Perak who committed suicide after killing his children over a custody battle with his wife in 2004.

"When the family law committee of the Bar Council first met after that incident, we were wondering if we could've done something to tell fathers that it's not that desperate a situation to be in.

"We realised that we should educate fathers here that it's not a lost cause once you go to court, things can be done and one does not have to resort to a tragic situation like that," she explained.

Responsible fathers

The council's Family Law committee chairperson Lalitha Menon elaborated that a father's rights are also affected after a separation.

"We assume that only mothers care for their children but there are fathers who are very responsible who play a very active part in a child's life.

"When a family breaks up, (fathers) are also very badly affected and they are sidelined and lose their role in their children's upbringing. This forum is meant to address the problems that fathers face, "she said.

Yeo added further that the gaining of better women's rights should not be at the expense of men and fathers' rights.

He said true equality would mean raising the bar of both genders and roles in the family to the same level.

The forum is open to public and will be held at the Bar Council Auditorium in Kuala Lumpur on Sept 23 from 9.00am to 1.00pm.

The panelists scheduled to speak includes psychologist Paul Jambunathan, counselor Grace Yap, UK-based non-government organisation Families Need Fathers representative Steve Stevenson, Chew. The forum will also hear testimonials from Malaysian fathers currently undergoing legal proceedings.